Local Community Radio Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-592
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Licensing and registrations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Local Community Radio Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 that required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) modify rules authorizing the operation of low-power FM radio stations to prescribe minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels; (2) prohibit applicants who have engaged in the unlicensed operation of any station from obtaining a low-power FM license; and (3) conduct a program to test whether low-power FM radio stations will result in harmful interference to existing FM radio stations if minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels are not required.
 
Requires the FCC to modify its rules to eliminate third-adjacent minimum distance separation requirements between specified stations.
 
Requires the FCC to retain rules that provide third-adjacent channel protection for full-power noncommercial FM stations that broadcast radio reading services via a subcarrier frequency from potential low-power FM station interference.
 
Requires the FCC, when licensing FM translator stations, to ensure that: (1) licenses are available to both FM translator stations and low-power FM stations; and (2) such decisions are made based on the needs of the local community.

action_date: 2010-03-09
text: 
Local Community Radio Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 that required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) modify rules authorizing the operation of low-power FM radio stations to prescribe minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels; (2) prohibit applicants who have engaged in the unlicensed operation of any station from obtaining a low-power FM license; and (3) conduct a program to test whether low-power FM radio stations will result in harmful interference to existing FM radio stations if minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels are not required.
 
Requires the FCC to modify the rules authorizing the operation of low-power FM radio stations, as proposed, to prohibit any applicant from obtaining a low-power FM license if the applicant has engaged in any manner in the unlicensed operation of a station.
 
 
Requires the FCC to modify its rules to eliminate third-adjacent minimum distance separation requirements between specified FM stations.
 
Requires the FCC to retain rules that provide third-adjacent channel protection for full-power noncommercial FM stations that broadcast radio reading services via a subcarrier frequency from potential low-power FM station interference.
 
Requires the FCC, when licensing FM translator stations, to ensure that: (1) licenses are available to both FM translator stations and low-power FM stations; and (2) such decisions are made based on the needs of the local community.
 
Requires the FCC to conduct an economic study on the impact that low-power FM stations will have on full-power commercial FM stations.
 
Requires the FCC to retain its rules that provide third-adjacent channel protection for full-power FM stations that are licensed in significantly populated states with more than three million housing units and a population density greater than 1,000 per square mile land area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-03-09
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 310.
action_date: 2010-03-09
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 111-160.
action_date: 2010-03-09
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 111-160.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in Senate