[BC] Actual news from Dallas

[Tom Taggart]

FAA rulemaking:  Apparently the FAA not only blindsided the industry with this proposal but also the FCC and the NTIA.  If you remember, this proposal would require approval from the FAA to any CHANGES to antennae (not just the tower) operating from the FM band up to light.  NAB staff concensus is that it is dead.

Translators: Fred Morton asked the two commissioners at the FCC breakfast (Adeltstein and McDowell) Thursday what they are going to do with the backlog.  Received blank stares back.  I had heard from our FCC counsel of possible action by first of the year whereby they would just return all the MX apps and start over.  Me thinks nothing is going to happen for several years.

AM IBOC (IBOC rules in general)--supposedly held up because of public interest requirements on the new FM secondary channels.  Two possible real stories: 1: Democrats on and off commission want return of strong public interest requirements in general (so much news an hour, so many minutes of public affiars, public execution of Rush....) and are holding IBOC permanet rules hostage. 

Second possible real story: Commisison hoping it dies natural death so that they don't have to deal with AM interference issues.

Staff at meeting did say that despite experimental status of both IBOC and second channel IBOC signals they would not enforce prohibition against commercial broadcast on e3xperimental STA's.
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