FCC Nixes Bid To Allow Analog FM Audio From Digital Channel 6 LPFMs

Says No

The FCC has rejected applications by VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC to modify two of its low power TV "Franken-FMs" on television Channel 6 to use a "Simple Out-of-Channel Emission Mask" to transmit analog FM audio along with a digital TV signal after the mandatory flash-cut conversions of remaining analog LPTVs to digital transmission.  

VENTURE proposed using AXCERA transmitter "Bandwidth Enhancement Technology" to compress the bandwidth of the TV signal and allow it to transmit an ancillary frequency that would allow it to continue the pseudo-FM stations it presently operates in some markets (in the case of the applications, KFMP-LP/LUBBOCK, TX and WBPA-LP/PITTSBURGH.

In its response, the Commission said that "while VTG states that no interference will occur to other stations from its proposed facilities, the Commission has not adopted rules regarding engineering protection requirements for 'hybrid' analog/DTV stations to other DTV stations seeking to use Channel 6. At present, there are published D/U ratios for DTV-into-DTV and Analog-into-DTV co-channel operation, which were developed from years of testing, but there are no D/U ratios for “hybrid”-into-DTV operation. We also note that on its face, VTG’s proposal is likely to increase the interference potential to co-channel DTV operations because VTG’s proposal would increase the total power of its channel 6 operations by 33%. Accordingly, this type of operation proposed by VTG may reduce the number of DTV stations that might operate on channel 6 and/or reduce the populations served by those DTV stations."

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