cursing, etc. on air

The only penalty is being taken off the air. Most of the long-time equipment and guidance providers like Ramsey and Panaxis have stressed this for quite some time.

The theory is that if you're using a portion of the spectrum that is already regulated, and you can be easily received by the general public (like using the AM BCB) you're stuck with what ever decency standards the FCC is enforcing for the other users.

Web streaming is a better alternative for legal, less restricted content broadcasts, although the ISP or stream provider might pull the plug if you started offering NAMBLA dating tips or advocating violent sedition.

About the only way to really get rude is in print. Alternative newspapers and magazines have a history of being more protected.

So, how the @#$%* do you like that?

hahaha, thanks!

i have a show on a much bigger FM station (250w) and i know there are all kinds of insane penalties, like $7000 for saying f*** on the air. since FCC licensing isn't needed, i didn't know how much influence the FCC even had on part 15ers. but i guess you can inherently get away with more, since less people listening = less people that can file a complaint.

i'm new to part 15 radio, so i really don't know all the specifics yet. is there also a required number of times (per hour) that a station must identify themselves? i've read that you're not supposed to make up your own call letters, but is it ok to make a name? (ie, "The Fox", etc.)

i might as well tack on another newbie question, while i'm on a roll. i'm thinking of starting my station using an AMT3000 with no external antenna. i know it's hard to guess how setups will work, but is it necessary to have an external antenna to reach distances of 1+ miles? my goal is to transmit solidly to a whole college campus, which is about a 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile square.

I believe scwis is right on with his reply.

Given the current FCC trend, yes, the penalties are indeed quite stiff.
They *CAN* shut down a Part-15 station due to this kind of thing. My
advice to everyone is - DON'T DO IT.

You can basically call your station any name you want. It's
not totally wrong to use call signs, even. I have, for several years, with no problems. Many folks here use station names connected with their
comunity - Edgewater Radio, Manteca Community Radio, etc. Just steer
clear of anything being used in your location and you should be okay.

I live in a somewhat rural area and used an antenna mounted ona pole about 15' high and had a range of about 2 miles in all directions.

The property where I live now has a contract for sale on it, so I'm beginning to dismantle my station. I'll put it back up when we get to
our new location, which I now think will be in South Georgia - just over the Florida line. I'm getting ready to get out of Florida.

You can have a Legal Part-15. My station ran without ever having one problem with the FCC - ever.

Hi!

There isn't any problem with calling your station a name, but there's a couple of things to keep in mind. First of all make sure you don't use a trademarked name. I wouldn't use "monster" or "magic" for radio, there are others. It's also a good idea not to identify yourself in a way that would grossly mislead listeners as to your location. If your station is in New York you wouldn't want to imply that you are broadcasting from Chicago. That gets into rules about station identification that may or may not apply to part 15.

The FCC can take your station down for such a thing and fine you. Play it safe and don't drop the "F" bomb. You could also harm other Part 15 stations by giving them a bad name. Think CB Radio.

-MWS

Whats CB? (just kidding)..

I asked the question of the FCC a while back: "I wanted to stream an internet radio station, however it prides itself on being completely 'free speech' in that they can say anything and play the non-radio edits of heavy metal, darkwave, etc. Do I need to worry about content on a Part15 station?"

The answer was close to this (It's been a year and a half, I'm paraphrasing, I'm sure): "There's really 2 kinds of part15. If you are using one of the little things to broadcast cd's or mp3's, then chances are, you won't pass your yard, and you can do what you like. However, if this is for the community radio type part15 AM, where you are likely to hit a larger area, you still need to abide by the rules. They aren't specific to one type of broadcast - they are general for all airwave broadcast."

Again - keep in mind, this was me trying to remember specifics from 2003.