Unprotected Six?

[Commentary] In a bold move guaranteed to generate heated debate, National Public Radio (NPR) has asked the Commission to dump the Channel 6 protection obligations (set out in Section 73.525 for those of you scoring at home) which have been imposed on noncommercial FM stations for the last quarter century. While the proposal no doubt appeals strongly to NPR's NCE-FM constituency, the television side of the universe - and particularly current Channel 6 licensees and viewers - can't be happy. The protection requirements were imposed in the first place because the portion of the FM band reserved for NCE operations butts up against Channel 6, spectrum-wise. As a result, the potential for interference to Channel 6 operations from stations in the NCE-FM band was thought to be considerable, leading the Commission back in 1985 to impose extra hurdles in the path of new and improved NCE-FM service in order to shelter Channel 6. For all you spectrum historians, NPR's petition for rulemaking provides interesting background about the development of the protection requirements. According to NPR, the increased sensitivity of today's television receivers - particularly in the wake of the DTV transition - warrants reconsideration of the standards. NPR even has two studies, conducted by its own labs and by the highly-respected techno-gurus at Hammett & Edison, which it cites in support of the proposition that the interference rule no longer serves any real purpose.