FCC Pre-sunrise and Post-Sunset Calculator on the Fritz

Congress changed Daylight Savings time to begin three weeks earlier and end three weeks later. This means that for three weeks this month and again in October many daytime only stations don’t sign on until after 7AM. The FCC recalculated Pre SunRise and Post SunSet Authorizations (PSRA and PSSA) to try to avoid the obvious impact to these stations. The FCC ran its modified PSRA/PSSA calculator and re-issued all the PSSA and PSRAs. Unfortunately, the FCC’s program was buggy and all these authorizations have been recinded.

Now it appears that not only is the program buggy, but hopelessly so, and it won’t be fixed until at least next fall.

This is horrible for poor AM stations stuck with loss of their morning drive time. It seems to me that stations need a special three week reprieve this spring.

Heck, if the FCC can authorize a pirate with an STA, they should be able to accommodate this emergency with a fix. Just as a trial balloon – Daytimers can begin operation at 7AM for the three weeks in March 2007 at 500 Watts or their day power level (whichever is lower) without regard to interference.

Since the FCC has to start over with PSRA and PSSA authorizations, it is time to re-think the whole world of transitional hour operations. I have prepared a draft petition for rulemaking that would reform PSSA and PSRA operations to be more logical and rational. I will provide a link here when I get it posted.