[Newspoetry] Radio Free Urbana Bulletin #2

[Mike Lehman]

The below press release was just posted on the FCC site:
<http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/prd/lpfm/#DOCS>
Luck of the draw; we've got plans to make.
Tuning In,
Mike Lehman

                                        DA 00-621
                                        Released: March 17, 2000
                                
  FCC ANNOUNCES FIVE-STAGE NATIONAL FILING WINDOW FOR LOW POWER
               FM BROADCAST STATION APPLICATIONS 
                                
     The Mass Media Bureau announces the establishment of a five-stage
national filing
window for 100 watt low power FM (LPFM) applications. The five-stage
filing window approach
is designed to ensure the expeditious implementation of the LPFM service
and to promote the
efficient use of Commission resources.  

     The FCC has divided the fifty states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the
remaining jurisdictions into five groups, each comprised of ten states
and at least one other
jurisdiction. All LPFM applications proposing to locate transmitters in
a particular state or
jurisdiction must file in the filing window for that state or
jurisdiction.  Applicants in states and
jurisdictions in each of the five groups will be permitted to file LPFM
applications during a
designated five-day filing window. 

     The five groups are as follows:
     
     I: Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Nevada, New 
          Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Wyoming
     II: American Samoa, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri,
New York, Ohio, 
          South Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin  
     III: Alabama, Arkansas, Guam, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana,
Nebraska, New 
          Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington
     IV: Arizona, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon,
Tennessee, Texas, U.S. 
          Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia 
     V: Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana,
Louisiana, Maine, Mariana 
          Islands, Maryland, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah

     On March 27, 2000, the FCC will select through a random process the
first application
group. The selection will be held on March 27, 2000 at 10:00 a.m. in the
Commission Meeting
Room, 445 12th St. S.W., Room TW-C305. 

The dates of the first filing window will be announced by Public Notice
at least 30 days
prior to the first day of the window.

The order of the filing windows in which the four subsequent groups'
applications will be
accepted will also be determined on March 27, 2000.  Tentatively, filing
windows will follow each
other at three-month intervals. However, the Bureau may reduce or
increase the amount of time
between filing windows as we gain experience with this new service and
filing approach. The
dates of the four subsequent filing windows will be announced by Public
Notice at least 30 days
prior to the first day of each window.  

     The composition of each group is designed to ensure the equitable
distribution of LPFM
station licenses in three ways. First, every part of the country is
represented in each group. Every
state or jurisdiction will have a one in five chance of being selected
for the first filing window.
Second, each group is balanced by market size in that each group
contains several of the top
fifteen markets. Finally, all of the states in each group are separated
geographically, thus
eliminating the potential for conflicting proposals across state lines. 

By the Chief, Mass Media Bureau