STATEMENT OF CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL Re: Updating FM Broadcast Radio Service Directional Antenna Performance Verification, MB Docket No. 21-422, Report and Order (May 19, 2022). Antenna technology is evolving. You see this very clearly with FM radio stations. Right now, more than one-fifth of our FM radio stations use directional antennas. These antennas increase the operating power of a station in a specific direction while still respecting the interference ratios that are essential for shared use of these airwaves. This is smart—and spectrally efficient. But our rules governing these antennas need an upgrade. That’s because unlike other broadcast services, FM stations choosing to use directional antennas are required to provide signal measurements from physical antenna mockups. With high-quality computer modeling tools now available, this policy no longer makes sense. A group of broadcasting stakeholders brought this to our attention last fall. We started a rulemaking to address this discrepancy. We took a close look at the record and the need to incorporate evolving technologies into our policies. As a result, today we adopt an order to allow FM broadcasters to submit verified computer models for directional antennas, like their AM and television broadcasting counterparts. I want to thank the agency staff who worked on this effort, including Holly Saurer, Tom Horan, Al Shuldiner, Jim Bradshaw, Lisa Scanlan and Tom Nessinger from the Media Bureau; Michelle Schaefer from the Office of Economics and Analytics; Susan Aaron and David Konczal from the Office of General Counsel; and Belford Lawson from the Office of Communications Business Opportunities.