The Senate has passed a bill that would give some low-power TV stations the ability to apply for Class A status and its additional interference protections. It must still pass the House to become law.
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Low Power Protection Act (LPPA) in 2021.
LPTVs haven’t been able to apply to the Federal Communications Commission for such status since 1999.
“Years ago, Congress enacted a law which allowed certain low-power television stations to apply for and receive enhanced rights to their spectrum licenses, giving them certainty to invest in their stations and grow their audiences in mainly small and rural markets,” Blunt said when the bill was first introduced.
The bill gives the FCC 90 days to open the new application window, something chair Jessica Rosenworcel long ago pledged to work with Blunt on setting up.
“The primary benefits of Class A are to protect broadcast coverage area, encourage investment and secure small business financing which is not available to most LPTV facilities,” the LPTV Broadcasters Association said back in 2021, when it enthusiastically endorsed the bill.
But the reconstituted LPTV Broadcasters Association does not echo that sentiment.
The bill limits the LPTVs that can apply to those that meet a certain threshold of locally produced programming and other criteria in order to earn the primary status of a Class A when it comes to interference protections.
The LPTV Broadcasters Association said that requirement means that there are 27 states where no LPTV qualifies to apply, and said the House should amend it to open up Class A protections for all, “not just a chosen few.” ▪️
