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Mexico Says Hang on a Minute!
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Mexico wants U.S. radio regulators to re-think their decision to allow AMs to go IBOC at night and FMs to operate on the extended hybrid digital carriers.
Our neighbors to the south say they are not happy the FCC authorized its recent “final” IBOC rules governing broadcast transmissions without first coordinating those through international treaties.
In a letter to Chairman Martin filed in the IBOC docket, the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Commission, which regulates communications in Mexico, states that “until technical criteria” have been established between the agencies to allow “optimal and efficient development of analog and digital radio broadcasting along our common border,” the commission should hold off on the two points made earlier.
Sources tell me they believe Mexico filed the letter so it would have standing in any proceeding on IBOC and to have a way to adjudicate interference claims for the border area. Indeed, the group also refers to possible interference from U.S. IBOC stations to Mexican stations as a reason to have the coordination completed according to treaties first.
The FCC handles coordination with the State Department, so perhaps the timing isn’t all up to the FCC.
Interesting development. As we recently reported, Mexico has agreed in principle to allow border stations to use FM IBOC, and that decision needs to be finalized and printed in Mexico’s version of the Federal Register.
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