Questions remain about the potential impact of allowing digital radio stations to increase their power on the aviation industry, nearly two years after the idea was first floated. It means that when the Federal Communications Commission votes this month on improvements to HD Radio, the question of power increases will remain on the sidelines. Instead, the Commission will solely consider rule changes to asymmetric sideband operation, giving FMs the option of using different power on each digital sideband.
“This asymmetric sideband operation will allow stations to operate with different power levels on the upper and lower digital sidebands, as a way to facilitate greater digital FM radio coverage without interfering with adjacent-channel FM stations,” the draft order (MB Docket No. 22-405) concludes. If adopted, stations could make the change without having to request experimental authorization. Broadcasters will simply need to file a notification with the FCC that the station’s facilities have changed.
