In November 2021, the FCC opened a filing window for new noncommercial FM radio station applications. Six groups of mutually exclusive applications for new construction permits resulted from the filing window. Now, the Commission has moved forward with its final tentative selectees, determined through its point system.
To be clear, the selections are subject to petitions to deny; in the past several changes have resulted before an ultimate determination of who gets the CP have been seen.
Hence, a new point system analysis for NCE MX Group 152 has been conducted by the Commission. The Commission previously considered the group and named a tentative selectee, but subsequent filings ensued, which now necessitate a new analysis, it said.
This group originally consisted of three applications to serve different communities in
Arizona and New Mexico: Good News Broadcasting Network Inc. and New Hope Baptist Church – Gallup each proposed to serve Gallup, N. Mex. Gallup Public Radio (GPR) proposed to serve Saint Michaels, Ariz.
Originally, GPR was the tentative selectee; Good News filed a petition to deny, and it was granted. This eliminated GPR from the mix, leaving New Hope and Good News as the remaining applicants. The winner of the CP? “Good News qualifies for one point for the best technical proposal because it proposes to serve at least 10% more area and population than New Hope,” the Commission declared. But, there’s no further good news for the operation, as New Hope earned two points — and, thus, the CP.
The FCC then examined NCE MX Group 54. Here, four applications filed by Call
Communications Group, Ethree Group, New Media Humanity Association Inc.
(NMHA), and Central Baptist Church of Ocala Inc. (CBCO) were filed. Each seek to serve the community of Weeki Wachee, Fla. The Commission identified NMHA as the tentative selectee, but Call filed a Petition to Deny the application. After back and forth communication, Call has provided “undisputed evidence” that CBCO’s population claim was
erroneous and overstated. Call wanted this affirmed, as the point system total recalculation would award the CP to Call.
Did that work? Yes, as Call was credited with three points and the other applicants were credited with two points each.
In NCE MX Group 76, Heritage Baptist Church and Sound in Spirit Broadcasting each wish to serve the community of Burlington, Iowa. Heritage was the tentative selectee but Sound In Spirit contested it. That proved to be beneficial, with Sound In Spirit given the CP. But, that only led Heritage to fight back. A new analysis was conducted, and on a first tie-breaker, Heritage prevails. As such, Heritage is getting the CP in this Iowa community.
For the aspiring licensees in NCE MX Group 200, four entities — Vida Ministry Inc., Call Communications Group, Christian Ministries of the Valley and CCS Radio Inc. — each sought a CP for communities in Texas. Vida Ministry was determined to be the selectee. But, here too, Call disputed the data from Vida, which included water in its coverage area calculations. As such, Call said it should be the new tentative selectee.
Call’s attempts to get the Commission to change its calculations failed here, as Vida Ministry was affirmed as the selectee. Subsequent attempts to get the FCC to change its mind failed.
NCE MX Group 51 sees Teleamerica Communications West Palm Beach Corp. and Newland Broadcasters Incorporated each proposing service to Key West, Fla. TCW prevailed on a tie-breaker consideration, but Newland contested the assertion TCW has no attributable radio authorizations. What did the Commission rule? “We find that TCW was improperly favored in the first tie-breaker analysis.”
Accordingly, Newland is the new tentative selectee.
Lastly, a general point claim challenge in NCE MX Group 122 was seen.
Here, Bible Broadcasting Network Inc. and Grand Forks Bible Study Group each wish to serve the community of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The latter was identified to be the tentative selectee. But, BBN filed a Petition to Deny, which was granted, and changed its tentative selectee to Bible Broadcasting on the grounds GFBS did not certify that it qualified for established local applicant or diversity of ownership points by the close of the filing window, it was improperly awarded points under those criteria.
GFBS then filed a Petition to Deny the application to BBN. On August 8, 2023, the BBN petition was granted, affirming the shift. Further actions filed by GFBS to persuade the FCC to change its mind failed.
