Washington - The FCC has adopted new procedures and standards it will use to select among mutually exclusive applicants to construct new noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations or to make major changes in existing facilities of such stations.
In a Report and Order, the FCC said the new process will use filing windows and a point system to select among mutually exclusive TV, FM, and FM translator applications on channels reserved for NCE use. It will be faster and less expensive than the former traditional hearing process, while continuing to foster the growth of public broadcasting as an expression of diversity and excellence. The Commission said that on channels that are not reserved for NCE use, the Commission will employ existing auction procedures to resolve application mutual exclusivity.
Under the new procedures, applicants proposing the use of a reserved channel will file their applications during "filing window" periods to be announced by public notice. The Commission will grant applications received within the window that are not mutually exclusive with other applications and that comply with Commission rules and policies in all other respects.
If the Commission receives mutually exclusive applications during a filing window, it will select the best applicants using a point system, intended to promote localism, diversity and wide availability of service.