[BC] AM on translator becomes new FM station...

[Kyle Magrill]

The AM station has a licensed 2mV contour and the FM translator's 
1mV contour must stay within the officially licensed 2mV contour.  
Even if the AM station is not broadcasting, the 2mV contour sets 
the area in which the AM station is entitled to broadcast, so it may 
continue to use the FM translator while the AM transmitter is off, but
74.1263 requires the FM translator to be silent if the AM station is off 
for an extended period.  By inference from the rest of the rule, one 
could interpret the rule as applying to any AM station
that doesn't transmit for more than 24 hours. 

Okay, 74.1263 notwithstanding, any station can be signed off for 
up to 10 days without doing anything about it.  After that, they 
can be silent for up to 30 days with a written notification to the 
local field office and then up to 12 months, provided that 
they obtain an STA from the FCC.  In 12 months and one day, 
they are automatically deleted from the FCC database and if 
they continue broadcasting (AM or FM), they become instant 
pirates because they no longer have the licensed 2mV contour.  
A licensee that remains silent for more than 30 days without 
seeking an STA is already violating the rules and probably 
should be reported since they're gaming the system.  It is possible 
for stations to be off the air for a while, then turn the transmitter 
on for a time, then refile another STA.  We have an AM station 
in our market that does that trick pretty regularly.  Eventually, 
the FCC will get tired of it and refuse to issue any more STAs 
without good cause, but it can take a couple of years.

As for programming an AM and translator separately, that is a 
strict taboo.  If true and the FCC becomes aware, that station 
would be in for a significant NAL or worse.

Is it possible that the AM station has leased an HD2 or HD3 or HD4 
channel from an FM broadcaster and is using the translator with 
the HD while continuing to operate the AM?    Programming the two 
independently seems so egregious that it's hard to imagine anyone 
getting away with it for long in any market, much less a rated one.

  

You Wrote:

Doesn't this get into the really hairy area of the contours? (without
the parent station on the air, there's no 60dbu to go by, right? and
if they go silent without the STA, they'd essentially be in violation
of the license and possibly forfit the AM license, thus loosing the FM
translator as well (since there's no parent license?)?

Also, is there precident anywhere where someone has turned a
translator into a class D station? (given the power levels and height
limitations of translators)

And would said class D station then be subject to all the normal rules
that would adhere to any other class D?

Just asking the stupid questions here, quite honestly i'm not sure of
the rules on things like this.