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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced new regulations allowing FM booster stations to air limited programming different from their main stations.
According to the updated rules, broadcasters can now provide up to three minutes of unique content each hour on FM booster stations. This change aims to enhance these stations’ ability to serve their communities more effectively.
In the past, FM booster stations were limited to rebroadcasting the signal of their primary station, primarily to enhance coverage in regions suffering from poor reception due to geographical obstacles like mountains.
Recent technological advancements now allow broadcasters to use these boosters to provide customized content to various sections of their service area.
The newly established regulations create a formal structure for the processing, licensing, and oversight of this service, which had previously been operated under a temporary experimental allowance since April 2024.
This framework allows broadcasters to permanently offer hyper-local content such as news, weather updates, and targeted advertisements aimed specifically at smaller communities within their coverage areas.
“This decision reflects the FCC’s commitment to empowering broadcasters with innovative tools to better serve their audiences,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
