AM Measurement Data

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is revising this Information Collection to reflect the FCC’s September 22, 2017, adoption of the Third Report and Order in MB Docket No. 13-249, FCC 17-119, In the Matter of Revitalization of AM Radio Service (AMR Third R&O). In the 2015 AM revitalization proceeding, the FCC proposed streamlining certain technical requirements to assist AM broadcasters in providing radio service to consumers. For example, many AM stations must directionalize their signals during some or all of the broadcast day in order to avoid interference with other AM stations. Maintaining a directional signal pattern can be technically complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Such stations are subject to a variety of rules requiring signal strength measurements and other engineering analyses to ensure compliance with their authorizations. In the AMR Third R&O, the FCC eliminated, clarified, or eased several of the rules governing AM stations using directional antenna arrays, which comprise almost 40 percent of all AM stations. First, the FCC relaxed the rule for partial proofs of performance of certain directional AM antenna systems, by reducing the number of field strength measurements required. Second, the FCC modified several rules pertaining to AM stations that use Method of Moments (MoM) models of directional array performance. MoM modeling allows broadcasters to verify antenna system performance through computer modeling, as opposed to sending engineers in the field to take field strength measurements. Thus, a proof using a MoM model is less expensive than taking field strength measurements of an AM station’s directional pattern.

The latest form for AM Measurement Data expires 2021-03-31 and can be found here.