AM Nighttime and Daytime Transmission at Different Locations Rejected

The FCC Audio Service Division recently dismissed an application requesting to move the nighttime service of a Class-D AM station by establishing a new nighttime antenna and transmitter at a different tower from its present co-located site with the daytime service. The proposed nighttime service would have originated from a site 48 kilometers away from the station’s daytime transmitter.

The FCC classified the request as one that essentially splits the secondary, unprotected nighttime service of a class D AM station from daytime service. The FCC determined that the applicant provided no support for its request that ultimately would result in the continuing abandonment of the local community. Per the FCC, little-to-no public interest benefits were presented to support the change. The answer was a definitive no, and the request was dismissed. There were some complicating factors here that did not help the station (i.e., a prior change of community of license).