On June 22, the FCC announced that a filing window for applications for new low power FM (LPFM) station construction permits will open on November 1, 2023 and close on November 8, 2023. LPFM proposals in the entire FM band, from channels 201 to 300, will be eligible for filing during this window.
This LPFM filing window is the first since 2013 and the first since the 2019 amendments to the Commission’s rules and procedures for the filing of LPFM applications and the selection and licensing of competing LPFM applications. Those updates to FCC rules make it more difficult for applications dismissed as a result of unlicensed broadcasting to be reinstated, permit applicants to engage in discussions and agreements regarding time-share procedures before the designation of a tentative selectee, and expedite the processing of applications after a time-share agreement has been reached.
More detailed information about filing procedures and requirements will be issued by the Commission as the filing window nears, but prospective applicants are encouraged to begin familiarizing themselves with the application process, which will require filing Form 2100, Schedule 318 in LMS. If you have any questions regarding the LPFM filing window or the application process, please contact your FHH attorney.