The Public’s Radio on Sept. 30, 2021, requested FCC approval of a “minor modification” of the facilities of noncommercial WNPK-FM in Portsmouth, R.I.
This change would allow an otherwise prohibited contour overlap with a second-adjacent FM station licensed to the University of Rhode Island.
In May 2022, URI filed an informal objection to that plan. Now the Chief of the Audio Division of the FCC’s Media Bureau has decided what WNPK’s fate is.
“We tentatively conclude that grant of TPR’s waiver requests and the application would be consistent” with FCC precedent, Al Shuldiner said.
In particular, the proposed increase in noncommercial education service would heavily outweigh the potential for second-adjacent channel interference in a very small area.
Thus, whatever impact would be felt by URI’s WRIU-FM in Kingston, R.I., is acceptable as the FCC sees it.
That said, URI would see WRIU’s license tweaked. URI may appeal the decision but must respond no later than March 1 by filing a written statement showing with particularity why the license of WRIU should not be modified as proposed.
To view Al Shuldiner’s decision in full, please click here.
