On January 20, 2000, the FCC adopted rules creating a new, low power FM
radio (LPFM) service.

The new LPFM service will consist of two classes of LPFM radio stations
with maximum power levels of 10 watts and 100 watts. The 10 watt
stations would reach an area with a radius of between one and two miles, the
100 watt stations would reach an area with a radius of approximately three
and a half miles.

These proposed LPFM stations would operate throughout the FM band. The
stations will be required to protect existing stations on the same
(co-channel) channel, the next (first adjacent channel) channel, and the
channel two channels away (second adjacent channel). In a change from
general practice, the new stations will not be required to protect
stations three channels away (third adjacent channel). In practice, this
means that where there is a station on, for example. 93.5, there is
currently no station in the same geographic area on 93.7 (the first
adjacent channel), 93.9 (the second adjacent channel) or 94.1 (the third
adjacent channel). This new spacing criteria would allow a new, LPFM
station to be licensed on the third adjacent channel.

FCC engineers have conducted extensive testing of these protection
standards and found that under these new standards, every radio tested
exceeded FCC interference criteria. FCC engineers have concluded that
these protection standards will not produce unacceptable levels of
interference with existing FM stations.

The new LPFM service will be exclusively noncommercial, there will be no
commercial LPFM stations. In addition, current broadcast licensees or
parties with interests in other media cable or newspapers - will not be
eligible for LPFM stations.

LPFM stations will be licensed exclusively to local entities for the
first two years of license availability. Later, however, non-local entities
will be eligible for licenses. Each licensee may own only one station in any
given community, however, eventually a licensee may own up to ten
stationsnationwide.

Licensees will be subject to the same character qualifications as are
currently applied to full power licensees. Unauthorized broadcasters
will be disqualified unless they certify that they ceased operations when
notified of their violation of FCC rules or by February 26, 1999.

If mutually exclusive applications are received for LPFM stations in a
given city, mutual exclusivity will be resolved through the award of
points for established local presence, proposed hours of service, or
locally originated programming. The point system would encourage
mutually exclusive applicants to share their stations with other applicants.

The Commission is likely to begin accepting applications in several
months. When information is available when and how to file applications
for low power radio stations it will be posted on the Commissions LPFM
this website (www.fcc.gov/mmb/prd.lpfm) or available by phone from the
FCC at 1-888-CALL- FCC.



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