File Prefixes

Ever since the 1920s, when an application was filed at the FCC or it's pre-1932 predecessor, the Federal Radio Commission, the file number that was used by the agency to track the application always contained an element that would identify the type of application was filed.  For example, if you saw a prefix of "BLH" before a file number, that told you that it was a license application on a full-service commercial FM station.  

When the FCC launched the License Management System (LMS), it did away with file prefixes.  REC had always opposed this concept as it took an important reference element from each application.  To address this, we decided to create our own file prefix system.   These file prefixes are the ones that we use in our eLMS in order to clarify the application types.