Before tne
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20554
B
FCC 74-1264
25221
In the Matter of
Amendment of Part 73 of the Commission's
rules to provide for pre-sunrise opera 
tion by U.S. class II AM stations assigned
to the Bahamian I-A clear channel 1540 kHz.
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o R DE R
Adopted: November 19, 1974; Released:November 29, 1974
By the Commission: Commissioner Robinson absent.
1. In line with an agreement reached September 4,1974, by
exchange of notes between the governments of the United States and the
Commonwealth of The Bahamas, most U.S. class II daytime stations assigned
to the frequency 1540 kHz are, for the first time, eligible to operate
prior to their licensed sign-on times. In addition, the agreement provides
an opti ona 1 mode of pre-sunrise operati on for :fi-Ye' class II fiJllUme'sta 
tions assigned to 1540 kHz. The purpose of this Order is to implement the
terms of that agreement by amending section 73.99 of our rules to provide
for the issuance of pre-sunrise service authorization (PSA's) on 1540 kHz.
2. By way of background information, the North American Regional
Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA, 1950), to.which both governments are parties,
confers a Bahamian I-A clear channel prlorlty for the use of 1540
kHz, presently assigned to radio station ZNS, Nassau (20 kW, DA-l, Unl.).
The same agreement also recognizes a class I-B clear channel assignment on
1540 kHz at Waterloo, Iowa (KXEL, 50 kW, DA-N, Unl.), but makes no provi 
sion for pre-sunrise operation by the class II U.S. day timers assigned to
the same channel.
3. The new agreement permits the use of co-channel class II
stations' daytime antenna systems, with reduced power input, on the follow 
ing basis: (a) operation between 6:00 a.m., local time, and sunrise,
Bahama Islands, with 25 uV/m (10% skywave) protection of the Bahamian
boundary; and (b) the use of authorized daytime power between sunrise,
Bahama Islands, and licensed sunrise times at U.S. class II station loca 
tions. However, because of the 500-watt limit on PSA operations imposed
by the 1970 U.S.-Mexican "pre-sunrise" agreement (TIAS-702l), such opera 
tions by U.S. stations on 1540 kHz must observe the 500-watt power ceil 
ing applying to PSA operations generally under 73.99 of the rules. More 
over, all such operations must, in accordance with section 73.99, protect
the 0.5 mV/m 50% skywave contour of co-channel KXEL, Waterloo, Iowa.
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4. Overall, the benefits to be derived from this agreement are
severely limited because of the KXEL protection requirement, which is the
controlling factor in all cases. Specifically, of the 41 U.S. daytjmers
assigned to 1540 kHz, 15 located east of Waterloo Are too close to
KXEL's protected nighttime contour to qualify for PSA consideration. Of
the additional 23 stations east of Waterloo, permissible PSA powers will
range between one (1) watt and 45 watts, again because of the KXEL pro 
tection requirement. The remaining three (3) co-channel daytimers are
located west of Waterloo, and will therefore be able to sign on (with
500 watts) at 6:00 a.m. local time or sunrise, Waterloo, whichever is
later. In these three cases also, KXEL is the limiting factor, but only
as to time rather than as to power.
5. Permissible modes of operation for the 31 U.S. stations
(26 day timers and five (5) fulltimers) eligible for PSA's on 1540 kHz are
tabulated in Appendix A, which takes into account Bahamian and domestic
(KXEL) protection requirements, as well as fulltime foreign class II pro 
tection requirements and the antenna characteristics, whether directional
or non-directional, of all stations concerned. Because of the relatively
few stations on 1540 kHz and the limited operating benefits involved in
this situation, permissible powers and sign-on times have already been
determined by computer methods. Accordingly, upon receipt of a letter
requesting a PSA on 1540 kHz, accompanied by a description of the method
to be used to reduce licensed power to the level specified in Appendix A,
a PSA will be issued without the interference studies normally submitted
in connection with such applications.
6. Authority for the adoption of this Order is contained in
sections 4(i), 303(c), and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended. Since the changes effected by these amendments reflect i nter 
national agreements which have already entered into force, and since they
re 1ax existi ng requi rements without impos ing new burdens on any party,
compliance with the notice and effective date provisions of the Adminis 
trative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) is not required and would serve no
useful purpose.
7. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, That, effective December 3,
1974, section 73.99 of the rules IS AMENDED in the manner set torth
in Append i x B.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Vincent J. Mullins
Secretary
Appendices A and B
NOTE: Rules changes herein will be covered by T.S. 111(72).6.
APPEitDRA
The following stations may, pursuant to a PSA, operate with the power
indicated delivered to their daytime or critical-hour antenna systems, as
appropriate, commencing at 6:00 a.m. local time: (asterisk denotesfull~
time station)
KBXM Kennett, Mo. 3 watts
KCTO Columbia, La. 14 "
KGLA Gretna, La. 24 "
KLKC Parsons, Ks. 2
"
KNEX McPherson, Ks. 2
"
KZRK Ozark, Ark. 6
"
WADK NeWpDrt. R. I. 2
"
WANL Lineville, Ala. 5
"
WBRY Woodbury, Tenn. 2
"
WCOX Camden, Ala. S
"
WIFM Elkin, N.C. 1
"
WJGA Jackson, Ga. 4
"
WJJT Jell ico, Tenn. 1
"
WKKR Pickens, S.C. 2
"
WKXR Exeter, N.H. 3 "
WKYK Burnsville,N.C. 1 "
Wr1.R Hohenwald, Tenn. 2
"
WOGA Sylvester, Ga. 7 "
*WPTR Albany, N. Y. 11 "
WRCP Philadelphia, Pa. 45
"
WRGM Ri chmond, Va. 7 "
WRPL Charlotte, N.C. 2
"
WSWG Greenwood, Miss. 7
"
WTKM Har:tford, Wise. 4
"
The following stations may, pursuant to a PSA, operate with 500 watts power
delivered to their daytime or critical hour antenna systems, as appropriate,
commencing either at 6:00 a.m. local time Dr at sunrise KXEL, Waterloo,
Iowa, whichever is later:
KASA
*KBES
*KBUY
KEDA
*KGBC
*KPOL
KZEL
Phoenix, Ariz.
Bellevue, Was.h.
Ft. Worth, Tex.
San Antonio, Tex.
Galveston, Tex.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Eugene, Ore.
APPENDIX B
Part 73 of Chapter 1; Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, is amended
as fo 11 O>'IS :
In section 73.99, paragraphs (a)(l) and (b)(l) are amended and a NOTE is
added following paragraph (c)(2) to read as follows:
§73.99 Presunrise service authority.
(a) * * *
(1) Class II stations operating on clear channels, except those operating
on Canadian I-A clear channels and those located east of co-channel
U.S. class I-A stations.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(1) Class II stations operating on Mexican and Bahamian I-A clear chan 
nels to commence operation with their daytime antenna systems at
6:00 a.m. local time, and to continue such operation until the sun 
rise times specified in their basic instruments of authorization;
and other class II stations, where eligible under paragraph (a)(l)
of this section, to commence operation with their daytime or
critical hours antenna systems either at 6:00 a.m. local time, or
at the time of sunrise at the westernmost class I station located
east of the class II station (whichever is later), and to continue
such operation until the sunrise times specified in their basic
instruments of authorization: Provided, That the permissible power
to be specified in the PSA shall not exceed 500 watts (or the
authorized daytime or critical hours power, if less than 500 watts),
or such lesser power as may be determined by computations made pur 
suant to paragraph (c) of this section.
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(cl * * *
(2) * * *
NOTE: PSA applicants for the Bahamian I-A clear channel (1540 kHz)
need not submit the ni ghttime interference study requi red of other
PSA applicants under this subparagraph. Instead, the Commission
will assign a power and time of commencement of pre-sunrise opera 
tion consistent with the provisions of the U.S.-8ahamianpre-~un­
rise agreement (1974) and the protection requirements of U.S. 1-8
and foreign class II fulltime station assignments on this frequency.
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