Communications: Low-power television: Short-range, low-cost TV stations are in the offing as the FCC prepares to establish broadcast requirements

Stations that operate at power levels of only 10 to 1000 watts instead of many hundreds of kilowatts promise to do for television in the United States what FM did for radio: provide local outlets for special interests, minorities, and ethnic groups. Low-power TV stations will be affordable; a no-frills version may cost less than $120 000 — about 5 percent of the cost of a conventional station. With their limited range, low-power TV stations can be designed so as not to interfere with conventional stations.