NTIA Seeks to Curtail Use of Out-of-band Frequencies by Broadcasters

The Office of Spectrum Management of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) sent a letter to the International Bureau of the FCC on Sept 29, 2005. The letter cites three instances of interference from private shortwave broadcasters in the last 12 months dating back to Nov 2004. The NTIA letter lists 115 Federal Fixed and Mobile Service frequencies in the shortwave bands.

The NTIA sent the letter to the FCC on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA owns, operates and maintains a very large high frequency radio system known as the FEMA National Radio System (FNARS). The NTIA letter asserts that the receivers in the FNARS HF network use current technology and still receive interference from shortwave broadcasters operating 13 kHz away from the FEMA frequency. The letter requests that the FCC immediately remove from the broadcast schedule any frequency located plus or minus 13 kHz from the listed FEMA frequencies. The combined spectrum identified for protection by NTIA in the letter totals over 2000 kHz.

The FCC has authorized private broadcasters on select out-of-band frequencies on a non-interference basis for many years. Broadcasters recognize they must quickly vacate the frequency in the event of actual interference and have promptly done so when asked by the FCC. The NTIA contends that interference, when it occurs, cannot be resolved in a timely manner.


Licensees learned of the NTIA letter after the B05 schedule had been finalized and many broadcasters had already printed and distributed their frequency schedules expected to go into effect on October 30, 2005. The FCC International Bureau is in the process of evaluating the letter and talking to NTIA and FEMA. The FCC will issue instructions to licensees when a decision is reached.

If the NTIA / FEMA request is granted by the FCC, it would displace 120 hours of broadcasts by 14 private shortwave licensees. The three broadcasters with more than 20 hours in jeopardy are EWTN Global Catholic Radio, Family Radio and World Harvest Radio.

Some of the licensees scrambled to find new frequencies before B05 went into effect. Those that chose not to change, but to wait for the outcome of the FCC decision, were authorized those frequencies under the following condition in their B05 authorizing letter:

"In addition, we note that the National Telecommunications Information Administration has requested that some of the out-of-band frequencies be removed from the Commission's HF Broadcast Schedule. (See attached letter) The Commission is still evaluating this request, however, you are on notice that you may have to vacate certain frequencies depending on the outcome of this request." -----

Source: NASB Newsletter December 2005