The FCC dismissed the application for review (AFR) from...

The FCC dismissed the application for review (AFR) from Mariana Broadcasting that urged the commission to review the Media Bureau’s decision allowing New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to cancel its license for FM translator W276BX, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Mariana lacked standing to file the AFR, the FCC said in a memorandum opinion and order (http://fcc.us/1jFBCy4). On the AFR file date, Nov. 1, 2010, Mariana “had neither an agreement with NJPBA to rebroadcast its AM signal over the translator at issue or acquire the translator license,” the commission said. The bureau’s cancellation of the license wasn’t causing any injury to Mariana “because it had no reasonable expectation to use the facility with its AM station,” it said. Commissioner Ajit Pai said he would like to vote to grant the AFR to Mariana. Mariana presented a compelling case “for why it would be in the public interest for WGHT(AM), a daytime-only station, to have an FM translator,” he said in a statement referring to Mariana’s station (http://bit.ly/1fSi4aq). “Going forward, I hope that the Commission soon will open an FM translator window for AM stations” so WGHT and other stations will have an opportunity to improve local service, he said.