A coalition of 19 AM station operators has asked the FCC to revive and expand the translator-relocation windows first offered in 2016 as part of the Commission’s AM Revitalization effort. The petition argues that many smaller AMs still lack an FM translator, and that the technical headwinds on AM—noise, inconsistent nighttime coverage, and receiver behavior—have only gotten worse.
The group’s proposal is about flexibility, not new authorizations. It would let qualifying AMs buy existing FM translators from farther away and move them to channels that can be used to rebroadcast the AM within 25 miles of the AM transmitter site. Petitioners want the allowable purchase radius widened from 250 miles to 500 miles, especially to help coastal and border stations that had fewer translator options under the earlier rules.
They also want the FCC to permit an AM to relocate up to three translators (with limits designed to prevent one operator from “cornering” a local translator market) and to make a translator window permanent instead of a brief, one-time scramble.
If the FCC acts, the biggest beneficiaries would likely be Class C and D AMs—often the smaller, more locally oriented signals that rely on community news, local sports, and hometown advertisers.
Why this matters: FM translators are the most practical lifeline for many AMs, especially in noisy markets and at night. If the FCC widens acquisition and allows multiple translators, local AMs could regain coverage and revenue. But competition for translators may intensify, and engineering and legal costs will rise as stations chase translators.