LPFM propaganda sent out during NAB week

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators affirmed a plan Friday to license hundreds of new low-power radio stations, making only minor changes such as adding safeguards to protect radio reading services for the blind from interference.

The Federal Communications Commission largely ignored the complaints of commercial broadcasters, who say low-power service will interfere with existing FM stations. The FCC is close to awarding its first batch of low-power licenses.

``I have always been confident that LPFM can be implemented without disturbing the integrity of the FM service,'' said FCC Chairman William Kennard.

The plan has come under fierce attack on Capitol Hill, where many lawmakers have moved legislation to curtail or eliminate the FCC's plan altogether.

But in Friday's decision, the commission reiterated its view that the risk from interference by the low-power radio stations -- operating at 10 and 100 watts -- would be small and therefore did not require a larger buffer zone to protect full-power stations.

By increasing protections, the FCC would be forced to decrease the number of low-power stations it could authorize.

The FCC did, however, respond to concerns raised by National Public Radio and others that the low-power stations would harm so-called reading services for the blind and visually impaired. Such services, which allow for books or other text to be narrated, are carried on subcarrier channels.

The commission adopted additional protections for those FM stations that operate radio reading services, requiring more space between them and the microradio channels.

About one-third of NPR's members air reading services for the blind on subcarrier channels. NPR said it would review the details of the changes made by the commission.

``NPR's position from day one has been that we believe that public radio and low power FM can coexist in the future as complementary services,'' said NPR spokeswoman Siriol Evans. ``From the very beginning, we have emphasized the importance of safeguarding radio reading services for the blind and translator stations that provide programming to remote rural areas.''

The FCC, while not adding protections for commercial broadcasters at large, did agree to institute a new interference complaint procedure. The process would be triggered when a full-power FM radio station receives complaints from 1 percent of its listeners in the area likely to experience interference.

Commission field agents would be available to assist low-power and commercial broadcasters in their attempts to address the interference. If a solution is not reached, the FCC will take up a review that it must complete within three months.

National Association of Broadcasters spokesman Dennis Wharton said the group did not have a chance to review the decision yet, but ``we already know the FCC plan will allow additional interference for listeners.''

FCC Commissioner Michael Powell, backing some of the commission's decision, continued to raise concerns that low-power stations could threaten the economic viability of small broadcast stations.