FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Michael E. Capuano 
U.S. House ofRepresentatives 
1414 Longworth Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman Capuano: 
July 27, 2015 
Thank you for your letter on behalf of your constituent, Touch 1 06.1. I appreciate your 
interest in this matter and am pleased to provide the enclosed letter on this issue from the Chief 
of the Audio Division of the FCC' s Media Bureau. 
If you have any additional questions or need any further assistance, please do not hesitate 
to contact me. 
Sincerely, 
Federal Communications Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
The Honorable Michael E. Capuano 
U.S. House of Representatives 
1414 Longworth Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Dear Congressman Capuano: 
July 27, 2015 
Thank you for your inquiry on behalf of your constituent, Touch 106.1 , which produces 
programming for communities of color. Touch 106.1 would like a Special Temporary 
Authorization ("ST A") that would allow it to operate a radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. 
You request information about the Commission' s procedures for granting STAs. I appreciate the 
opportunity to respond. 
Commission rules define ST A as authority to allow broadcast operations for a limited 
period at "variance from the terms ofthe station authorization." Because STAs are defined in 
terms of existing station authorizations, they are generally available only to existing licensees 
and permittees. Touch 106.1 does not yet hold a permit or license so, as you note in your 
correspondence, it would like to obtain temporary authority under Section 309(f) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. That provision allows the Commission to grant an 
STA prior to licensure, in exceptional circumstances. Specifically, an applicant with a pending 
application that is subject to Section 309(b) notice requirements may file an ST A application (on 
an unnumbered form called "STA Engineering Request") requesting temporary authority to 
operate before action on the pending application. The Commission may grant an ST A under 
Section 309(f) if "otherwise authorized by law and if it finds that there are extraordinary 
circumstances requiring temporary operations in the public interest and that delay in such 
temporary operations would seriously prejudice the public interest." Touch 106.1 can submit 
such a showing in an ST A application when it files a corresponding application to construct a 
new station. Any such application and STA application would be submitted electronically 
during a "window" - a designated filing period during which new broadcast station proposals 
can be filed. We do not have any plans to open an FM window - either low power or full power 
-at this time, and cannot predict when one might occur. 
We last opened an LPFM filing window in October 2013 , and received over 2,800 
applications, including sixty-eight seeking to establish LPFM stations in Massachusetts. Touch 
106.1 did not file an application in that window. We have since acted on all of the 
Massachusetts applications and on the great majority of the applications from other states. 
Among the applications granted from the 2013 window are seven for new LPFM stations serving 
the Boston-area communities of Auburndale, Boston, Dorchester, East Boston, Lynn, and 
Woburn. Several months prior to opening a filing window, we announce the window on the 
Commission' s web site, www.fcc.gov. Touch 106.1 can learn offuture filing windows by 
monitoring that site. 
There are several actions that applicants can take while awaiting a filing window. Touch 
106.1 is already pursuing one of those ideas by transmitting its programming over the internet. 
Another idea that Touch 106.1 might pursue is to determine whether the permittees of any of the 
new Boston-area LPFM stations have excess air time that they would be willing to let Touch 
106.1 use. If so, the LPFM station would remain authorized to the existing licensee but may be 
willing to air programming produced by Touch 1 06.1 . Third, Touch 106.1 may wish to contact 
licensed radio stations in its area to explore the possibility of using a digital channel for its 
programming. 
I hope that this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of 
further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
p~~ti 
Chief, Audio Division 
Media Bureau