Micro Radio Stations: Just Around Corner?

Drawing the ire of commercial broadcasters, federal regulators are taking steps to create a new class of low-powered FM radio stations for small community broadcasters who don’t have deep pockets.

The Federal Communications Commission last week proposed to license as many as several thousand new 1,000-watt, 100-watt and ultra-low-power (less than 10 watts) radio stations on the FM radio service band. The lowest-power stations would have a service area of only one or two miles.

The agency acted after it received more than 13,000 inquiries from individuals and groups interested in starting a low-power radio station. Among the most vocal have been proponents of the free-radio movement and operators of unlicensed radio stations who argue that they have no alternative but to violate federal law under current rules if they want to broadcast on the airwaves.

For decades the FCC had sided with commercial broadcasters who opposed unlicensed stations, contending they could cause interference with licensed operators. But under the FCC plan, operators of low-power stations would no longer have to purchase a station or undergo a costly administrative hearing to secure a license. They would only have to apply electronically over the Internet and meet minimal regulatory requirements to prevent interference.