Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 11:42 am

Two AM radio stations in the United States were the first to receive approval from the Federal Communications Commission to use FM translators to improve its local coverage area. On March 1, 2007, WGNS was proudly the first radio station in the United States to begin this expanded service to our community.

Now, in addition to hearing the Good Neighbor Station at AM 1450, you can now listen to WGNS on FM 100.5 and FM 101.9. Of course, our over-the-air TV channel 11 coverage will continue.

(Above Left Photo: L-R)  FCC Senior Deputy Bureau Chief Roy Stewart presents Bart Walker the waiver that allows WGNS to use FM. Also at the meeting in Washington, DC was Kingsport broadcaster and past National Association of Broadcasters AM on FM Chair George DeVault. Walker said, "This waiver didn’t just fall out of the sky. We’ve been working on this and making written requests and in-person presentations to the FCC for over a decade. The hard work of two persons who both grew-up in Murfreesboro moved this proposal forward. It could not have been accomplished without FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate and U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon. Changes being considered by the Commission will have a major positive impact on AM broadcasters and the citizens who live in areas served by these radio stations." Ironically, one of the main reasons WGNS sought approval to retransmit on FM 100.5 and FM 101.9 was to give reliable 24/7 communications to Rutherford County residents during natural or man-made emergencies.

The station began FM coverage at 9:00 o’clock Thursday morning, March 1, 2007. By mid morning tornado warnings forced Rutherford County Schools to announce that they were closing two-hours early. Thanks to Commissioner Tate and Congressman Gordon, Murfreesboro residents had a static-free source of emergency information. WGNS is grateful for the written support that strengthened our request to the FCC. Over the past decade, the following service groups made written requests to allow WGNS AM to use FM translators: The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross, Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency, City of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, and Murfreesboro City Schools.

(upper right photo) FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate and U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon, both grew-up in Murfreesboro. As we rang-in 2007, WGNS began its 60th year of service to the Heart of Tennessee. The addition of FM 100.5 and FM 101.9 will help WGNS to better serve residents in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.

(left photo) Congressman Bart Gordon welcomes Lee Ann and Bart Walker to his Washington, DC office where he congratulates them on being granted approval to place WGNS on two FM frequencies.

FCC Makes FM Translators Available To AM Licensees

WGNS was the first AM broadcaster in the United States to begin using an FM translator under the new regulations. However, being the first brought challenges. The station?s two FM translator frequencies were approved on a ?temporary authority?, officially called STA (Special Temporary Authority). WGNS would have to request renewal of these STA?s every six-months. For the following couple of years, the Commission approved a limited number of other STA?s across the nation. They monitored public response closely to make certain there was no interference created to licensed full-power FM broadcasters. 

In addition to these "real world" tests, the FCC had several periods in which the public could issue their thoughts "for" or "against" the proposal. After a couple of years testing the results of this temporary trial service to the public, the Commission determined that the FM translators did not create interference to existing FM stations. The Federal Communications Commission determined that indeed the public benefited from allowing AM licenses (medium wave broadcasters) to use FM translators to "fill in" their service area. 

On May 1, 2009, the FCC formally approved the plan and gave licenses to the AM broadcasters to "fill in" their city grade signal area with FM translators.