Official Summary

3/9/2010--Reported to Senate amended. Local Community Radio Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 that required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) modify rules autho

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Official Summary

3/9/2010--Reported to Senate amended. Local Community Radio Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 that required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to:
(1) modify rules authorizing the operation of low-power FM radio stations to prescribe minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels;
(2) prohibit applicants who have engaged in the unlicensed operation of any station from obtaining a low-power FM license; and
(3) conduct a program to test whether low-power FM radio stations will result in harmful interference to existing FM radio stations if minimum distance separations for third-adjacent channels are not required. Requires the FCC to modify the rules authorizing the operation of low-power FM radio stations, as proposed, to prohibit any applicant from obtaining a low-power FM license if the applicant has engaged in any manner in the unlicensed operation of a station.Requires the FCC to modify its rules to eliminate third-adjacent minimum distance separation requirements between specified FM stations. Requires the FCC to retain rules that provide third-adjacent channel protection for full-power noncommercial FM stations that broadcast radio reading services via a subcarrier frequency from potential low-power FM station interference. Requires the FCC, when licensing FM translator stations, to ensure that:
(1) licenses are available to both FM translator stations and low-power FM stations; and
(2) such decisions are made based on the needs of the local community. Requires the FCC to conduct an economic study on the impact that low-power FM stations will have on full-power commercial FM stations. Requires the FCC to retain its rules that provide third-adjacent channel protection for full-power FM stations that are licensed in significantly populated states with more than three million housing units and a population density greater than 1,000 per square mile land area.

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