FCC Denies Extension of FM Booster Comment Deadline

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission has denied a joint request by NAB and NPR for a two-week extension of the comment deadline in a proceeding on FM broadcast booster stations. The Extension Request asserted that NPR's and NAB's technical experts require additional time to analyze the "voluminous technical material" that GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS) filed and that problems locating information in the Commission's electronic databases have slowed their review.

On May 19, GBS filed an opposition to request for an extension. GBS noted that it filed its most recent test report on March 30, 2022, and that the public has had ample opportunity to analyze its test results.

The agency found that NPR and NAB have not shown good cause in the Extension Request and that the public interest will be best served by expeditious review of the GeoBroadcast test reports and other material in the record.

In a statement, NAB Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan wrote, "The FCC's denial of NAB and NPR's two-week extension request is both surprising and disappointing, especially since the Commission has provided numerous extensions to GBS totaling over two years in length. We are not aware of a situation where the FCC has denied such a reasonable request, especially in a technical proceeding where documents were not readily available for examination. NAB sincerely hopes the FCC will read the comments submitted carefully and thoughtfully and not rush to judgment on an issue that presents such significant concerns for the broadcast radio industry."