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June 8, 2015
The Honorable Thomas Wheeler
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 1th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Wheeler:
-
Free, over-the-air radio reaches more than 90 percent of all Americans, or approximately 245 million
listeners, on a weekly basis, across all parts of the country and demographic groups. Our nation's
4705 AM radio stations engage every day with listeners in their local communities, providing an
important source for local news, public affairs and foreign-language programming. AM radio service
is also critical to broadcast diversity, as over two-thirds of all minority broadcasters are owners of
AM radio stations.
As you know, AM stations face a variety of technical, regulatory and competitive challenges that
could undercut the long-term viability of AM radio service, especially in rural areas where
Americans may be underserved by broadband and cable access. This is why we were encouraged by
then-Acting Chairwoman Clyburn's efforts to address these concerns by launching a proceeding
designed to revitalize the AM radio service (MB Docket No. 13-249). The proposals offered by the
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will help many AM stations better serve their audiences with a
higher quality signal, in a more technically and economically efficient manner. One such proposal is
to open a filing window for AM stations to obtain translators, which will allow many AM stations to
provide first-time coverage of local events that often occur during nighttime hours, such as local
_~p",--o_liticaldebates and high school sports.
We are heartened by your commitment in a recent blog post to move the AM revitalization
proceeding forward. Unfortunately the concerns you express regarding an AM-only filing window
for FM translators have given us pause. It is our understanding that demand for translators among
AM stations continues to outstrip supply, particularly in locations where they are eligible for use by
an AM station, which has caused prices for translators to skyrocket out of reach for many AM
broadcasters. There are also many areas where there are simply no translators available for potential
use by AM broadcasters, at any price.
We appreciate your efforts to expedite matters at the Commission, including far more complex issues
such as the IP transition and the TV spectrum incentive auction. The Commission also should
promptly advance the AM revitalization proceeding, including the opening of an AM-only window
for FM translators, for the benefit of our nation's AM radio stations and their millions oflisteners.
We hope you find this input helpful. .
Very respectfully,--~J;I {)MnI
Pete Olson
Member of Congress
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Member of Congress
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