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AM Daytimers Association

The Loud and Clear Voice for America's AM Daytime Stations

AM Daytimers Association Membership

Who should join AMDA?

AMDA's mission is to help AM stations interested in initiating or improving the service they deliver to their communities. Stations that fall under these parameters should consider membership:

  • An AM station that is licensed for "daytime-only" operation
  • An AM station that is licensed to operate during daytime hours and has limited pre-sunrise and post-sunset authority
  • An AM station that must dramatically reduce its power at night, resulting in a large percentage of its listening audience being unable to hear the station during night hours
  • Listeners and supporters of AM stations who would like these types of stations to have nighttime capabilities

Why should I join AMDA?

Joining AMDA affords AM station operators and listeners with an opportunity to fully participate in this and future critical rule making processes at very little cost. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making to be issued by the FCC will likely propose changes to existing technical, ownership and programming rules that will require careful and complicated analysis to determine whether or not they are truly helpful for AM daytimers. Past rule changes (like the "AM daytimers preference" in comparative hearings for FM stations and the advent of AM stereo) did not provide the anticipated benefit to AM operators. The AMDA is looking for a more favorable outcome in this round of rule changes by becoming a strong, powerful, united voice for AM broadcasters and their listeners before the FCC.

What are the benefits of AMDA for my station?

AMDA's purpose is to be the one loud and clear voice for AM stations across the country. We don't have the inherent conflict of interest that other groups with memberships comprised of AM, FM and TV station advocates have. We are 100% focused on the survival and prosperity of AM broadcasters. When these proposed rules are released by the FCC, AMDA wants to make certain that the new rules provide AM broadcasters with what they need to compete in today's radio market. At a minimum, the Commission will need help considering:

  • Whether the lesser of the AM station's 2 mV/m contour or a 25-mile radius is the correct geographic limitation for FM translator ownership.
  • How to amend the current rules prohibiting program origination to allow FM translators owned by AM licenses to broadcast local programming.
  • Whether or not hours of operation of the FM translators should be limited to the hours when the AM station is off-the-air or operating at reduced nighttime power.
  • What to do with the thousands of mutually exclusive FM translator applications pending at the FCC since 2003.
  • How to amend rules to give FM translators owned by AM licensees "primary" status to protect them from displacement by full power FM stations.

It is cost prohibitive for every AM broadcaster to hire attorneys, technical consultants and market analysts to determine the best new rules for AM operators. AMDA has the experienced staff on hand to perform the necessary analysis and answer questions about how these new rules will help you and your AM station. Moreover, the FCC has historically given more weight to comments filed by organized trade groups than those filed by individuals. A case in point would be the process that created special "Class A" status for certain low power television ("LPTV ") stations. The LPTV stations organized under a common banner (the Community Broadcasters Association) and took their case to the FCC and then to Congress before getting what they wanted. Without the CBA's involvement representing just LPTV broadcasters in the process, the result might not have happened.

What will it cost to join AMDA?

It costs absolutely NOTHING to join AMDA. As a member station, you will receive updates as the process moves along. Whenever the FCC releases a notice or request for comment, you'll be notified of the nature of the release and any comment deadline. You will also get notice of publicity and marketing campaigns AMDA develops to let the media and the public know about the issues facing AM broadcasters today and how FM translators would help.

At a nominal cost (likely under $200), AMDA members will have the opportunity to join in any comments, reply comments or other pleadings that AMDA prepares to file with the FCC. That's far less expensive than the cost of fully addressing all of these issues in pleadings you prepare and file on your own. In addition, you would be part of a larger, united voice with the success of AM operators as its only agenda.

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