NAB Asks FCC to Clarify FM Digital Power Limit
Broadcasters and Xperi want the commission to align the rule with earlier letters that allowed stations more digital power.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Television
The National Association of Broadcasters and Xperi asked the FCC to clarify how FM HD Radio digital power is calculated, after a meeting with Media Bureau staff on October 29. The request seeks to reconcile the current rule with earlier FCC letters that permitted higher digital power for some stations.
Why it matters
Stations operating below the power their HD Radio modes require shrink digital coverage areas and increase the chance of switching back to analog. The groups argue that running above -10 dBc under the NRSC table would not meaningfully harm stations on adjacent channels.
The rule permits up to -14 dBc of digital power, with a hard ceiling of -10 dBc, based on NRSC power tables used in FCC letters from 2014 and 2021. It remains unclear whether the commission will amend that framework, and aviation groups have not yet finished their review.
The players
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
The NAB is the U.S. trade association representing commercial radio and television broadcasters, and it led the request to clarify the FM digital power rule.
Xperi
Xperi is the company behind HD Radio technology, and it joined NAB in asking the FCC to clarify the digital power calculation.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The FCC is the independent U.S. agency that regulates interstate and international communications, including broadcast power limits, and it is reviewing the request.
The details
NAB, Xperi, and the National Radio Systems Committee met with FCC Media Bureau staff on October 29 to request clarification of the rule. NAB filed an ex parte letter on November 2 describing the meeting, and NAB reported that aviation groups completed compatibility testing and expect another meeting within a month.
Timeline
February 3, 2025: FCC letter capped KBSU at 1.75 kW (-10 dBc).
August 2023: FCC advanced proposals on FM digital power calculation and sideband levels.
September 2024: FCC deferred acting on a maximum FM digital power proposal.
October 29, 2025: NAB and Xperi met with FCC Media Bureau staff.
November 2, 2025: NAB filed an ex parte letter describing the meeting.
Regulatory Context
The request centers on whether the FCC will align its current FM digital power rule with the NRSC power tables it relied on in its 2014 and 2021 letters, which allowed some stations higher digital power. The commission also advanced proposals in August 2023 on digital power calculation before deferring a related maximum-power proposal in September 2024.
Listeners in areas served by FM HD Radio stations could see digital signals that reach farther and remain on-air rather than switching back to analog if the power limit is clarified. The outcome depends on whether the FCC adopts the broadcasters' reading of the rule.
The takeaway
The dispute turns on how the FCC reads its own power tables, and the outcome will determine how far HD Radio signals can reach. Watch for the aviation-group meeting and any FCC action on the pending proposals.
What happens next
NAB reported that aviation groups expect another meeting with it within a month to continue the compatibility review.
Further reading
For related coverage of broadcast regulation, see Television news on the United States.
