FCC Outlines Final Geotargeting Rules for Radio Broadcasters
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a draft of its final rules for FM geotargeting, expected to be approved in November 2024. These rules will govern how broadcasters use FM boosters to deliver hyper-local programming for up to three minutes per hour.
Key Points:
Quarterly Certification: Stations must file public interest certifications to ensure programming doesn’t exclude or disadvantage minority or socio-economic groups.
Booster Rules: A cap of 25 boosters per primary station is set, though waivers may be requested in special geographic cases.
Applications & Notice: Applications will be processed on a first-come basis. Broadcasters must notify the FCC 15 days before originating programming on boosters.
Interference Protections: Broadcasters must predict and mitigate interference before booster construction. Complaints of predicted interference can be filed but frivolous ones will not be tolerated.
Synchronization Standards: The FCC chose not to impose a uniform synchronization requirement, leaving flexibility to broadcasters.
Emergency Alerts: Tests showed that EAS alerts can override booster programming, addressing FEMA’s concerns. State EAS plans must be updated accordingly.
Political Advertising: Boosters carrying program origination must comply with the same political programming rules as full-power stations.
Technology: While the rules are technology-neutral, they mainly apply to the ZoneCasting system from GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS), the leading geotargeting provider.
The FCC’s pending rules aim to formalize how geotargeting can be used in radio, balancing innovation with safeguards for interference, emergency alerts, and public interest. If adopted, they will take effect 30 days after being published in the Federal Register.
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