FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFI C E O F 
T HE CHA I RMAN 
The Honorable Angus S. King 
United States Senate 
359 Dirksen Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator King: 
March 19,2014 
Thank you for your letter regarding the Pen Bay Islands Community Group ' s (PBICG) 
application for a new low power FM (LPFM) station in Vinalhaven, Maine. 
As you are probably aware, the window for LPFM applications closed on November 15, 
2013 . The Commission received more than 2,800 applications. Because the broadcast 
application process is highly technical, the Commission staff initiated extra steps to inform 
interested entities of the requirements under our Rules in advance of the LPFM filing window. 
The Commission recognized, as you did in your letter, that the entities most likely to apply for an 
LPFM application would need additional assistance. The agency anticipated a large number of 
applications and conducted outreach to ensure that all applicants were aware of the rules and 
procedures required for submission of an LPFM application. To that end, the Commission's 
Media Bureau announced the filing window and procedures in June 2013 and conducted two 
instructional webinars for potential applicants. The Bureau also developed online channel 
finders and posted documents on the FCC's LPFM webpage to provide additional guidance. 
As you note, the PBICG' s application was dismissed on December 5, 2013 for failure to 
meet the minimum spacing requirements required by Section 73 .807 of the Commission's Rules 
(47 C.P.R.§ 73 .807). The dismissal letter stated that under existing Commission Rules, such 
"short-spaced" applications are dismissed without an opportunity to amend. The Media Bureau 
is reviewing a Petition for Reconsideration filed by PBICG, and will address the issues raised in 
the petition as expeditiously as possible. 
I appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be of any further 
assistance. 
Sincerely, 
Tom Wheeler