Broadcasters petition for translator flexibility.

A group of AM radio station owners has filed a petition for rulemaking seeking significant changes to how FM translators can be acquired and moved. The proposal asks the FCC to allow AM licensees to purchase existing FM translator stations located up to 500 miles away from their primary transmitter site and then relocate them to within 25 miles of the AM station. This change would open up a vast new inventory of translators for AM stations that have been unable to find available signals in their immediate local markets.

The petitioners argue that the current rules are too restrictive and have stalled the revitalization of the AM band. Under the proposed framework, AM stations would be permitted to file a “minor modification” application to move the distant translator to their local market and operate it on any available frequency. The proposal also calls for an exclusive filing window for Class C and D AM stations—often the smallest and most vulnerable operations—to give them first priority in acquiring these translators before the opportunity is opened to larger Class A and B stations.

Proponents of the rule change state that the continued decline of AM listenership makes it imperative for these stations to have an FM presence to remain viable. They contend that the “500-mile” rule would allow unused or underutilized translators in saturated markets to be moved to areas where they can provide a lifeline to struggling local broadcasters. The petition suggests that each AM station should be allowed to acquire up to three such translators to ensure adequate coverage of their service area. The filing frames this request as a necessary next step in the commission’s ongoing efforts to preserve the diversity and reach of the AM broadcast service.