USA: Less constraints for US radios

Removing the constraints of duplication of programs "is preferable to a struggling station reducing programming or going off the air entirely" said Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC
Removing the constraints of duplication of programs “is preferable to a struggling station reducing programming or going off the air entirely” said Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has lifted the ban on broadcasting the same programme (simulcast) on several FM and AM stations. The regulation was introduced in 1964 and has been updated several times (the last time in 1992) to take account of developments in a market where competition is increasingly fierce. It is estimated that in FM no broadcaster will be able to repeat the entire programming (until now the limit was 25%), but the greater flexibility should help to overcome the crisis, favouring format changes and facilitating the transition of medium wave channels to digital. Ultimately, it should be the service offered to listeners that gains. More details and official statements can be found here.

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