LPFM advocates score victory

A federal appeals court turned down a lawsuit that would have stopped the FCC from protecting low-power FM stations from full-power station signal interference, reports the Ars Technica website. Around 800 educational stations operating at 10 or 100 watts commit to eight hours of local programming a day in exchange for licenses. After the FCC first authorized the service, the National Association of Broadcasters and NPR claimed that the stations would interfere with full-power signals (Current, May 2008), and persuaded Congress to force a “third adjacent rule” on the service. Citing potential interference from LPFMs, the two also wanted the FCC not protect these smaller stations from signal “encroachment” by new full power licenses nearby.