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National Association of Microbroadcasters

kk7cw · 2006-07-07T01:37:41Z

Prior to the creation of LPFM by the FCC, there was a very active association of low power community broadcasting advocates. The organization evaporated the year after the first LPFM window opened (at least the website disappeared). And now it would appear, the same political pressure needs to brought to bear. The recent filing of a Part 15 study by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), has made oblique suggestions that low power transmitters provide unbearable interference and limits their ability to financially maintain their licenses. Hogwash. The "Trojan Horse" of the digital world (satellite radio, ipods, P2Pmusic, ect.) has stolen their thunder, along with internet streaming radio. Prior to the creation of LPFM by the FCC, there was a very active association of low power community broadcasting advocates. The organization evaporated the year after the first LPFM window opened (at least the website disappeared). And now it would appear, the same political pressure needs to brought to bear. The recent filing of a Part 15 study by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), has made oblique suggestions that low power transmitters provide unbearable interference and limits their ability to financially maintain their licenses. Hogwash. The "Trojan Horse" of the digital world (satellite radio, ipods, P2Pmusic, ect.) has stolen their thunder, along with internet streaming radio. HD radio is sucking some serious wind. The new radios necessary to pickup the new service suffer from poor signal sensitivity and a price tag that would choke a horse. Internet radio is spreading like wildfire. Most households in the U.S. already have a personal computer that comes with software able to listen to streaming audio. Plus, many programs like WinAmp are free and play nearly any streaming format including the new AAC+ codec. So, maybe now is the time to renew efforts to petition the FCC for a low power AM band with commercial capabilities. The recent victory in Congress by LPFM advocates to eliminate the 3rd adjacent channel protection requirement is very significant. Why not lobby Congress for the new AM service? That is how LPFM came to be a reality. The FCC continues to cater to licensed broadcaster organizations, while at the same time the U.S. Congress is hearing from their constituents about the dismal service mega-corp broadcasting is providing to small communities. Remember the incident a short time ago when one of Clear Channels "robot" stations would not the answer the call of local emergency management regarding a need to evacuate a town. A formal complaint was filed with the FCC. Clear Channel is, just now, answering the complaint with an energency preparedness system for their "robot" stations. I remember the day when that kind of response would have produced a sanction of some sort from the feds. The NAB and other organizations representing licensed broadcasting are current living with a false sense of security with the acceptance of HD broadcasting from the FCC. So far, the results seem to be following the same trail of tears left by broadcasters over quad-FM and Am stereo. The NAB and like organizations are vulnerable at the moment. My thought: let low power broadcasters find the new technologies listeners would be willing to pay for and listen to. Let the big boys make the big bucks and preserve their licenses and maintain stock values for thier investors. Let the microbroadcaster be the pioneer, again. Of course the mega-corp broadcasters would have to learn how to share the spectrum. And to establish the impetus to begin this pioneering effort, Part 15 broadcasters should band together into a national organization for the purpose of forwarding the growth of a new low power community broadcaster service. A national organization could raise funding to hire a professional lobbyist to forward the issues important to Part 15 broadcasters. And funding to hire a FCC attorney to cut through the volumes of barnyard material shoved at federal regulators (the NAB Part 15 study). A national organization to provide the opportunity for Part 15 broadcasters to gather in Washington, D.C. to develop consensus on the cogent issues and demonstrate to Congress and regulators we are unwilling to lay down and just take whatever fate falls to us. A march on Capitol Hill to get the attention of Congress is worthwhile. And now finally, the missing ingredient. We need to establish leadership willing to take a "whatever it takes" approach and begin developing consensus and a politiocal will among Part 15 broadcasters; leadership to develop an organization, a solid active membership and a treasury capable of getting the job done in D.C. If that person is you, step forward and raise your hand, hoot and holler. Let us know who you are. There's a bunch a folks willing to follow and commit to your success. How about you? What are your ideas? What are your possibilities?

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Anonymous

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AM1690WOQ,

I don't take ownership of any of your statement. Nor would I want to. Your cynicisim regarding the NAB will never win a battle, forget the war. I did ask for people, like you, to flesh out a positive direction with ideas that other people can get behind. You might quit complaining about life as you understand it and begin controlling your environment. Maybe we could figure out how to help each other get what the other one wants. If its your idea, you must have thought it up more than a decade ago when a national association of low power broadcasters existed. As I have already pointed out, it went by the wayside after Congress acted on LPFM. Now, take the time and allow the rest of us the revelation of the scope of your imagination on the subject. We wait patiently.

Marshall Johnson, Sr.
Senior Pastor, President
Rhema Christian Fellowship, Inc.

Rhema Radio - The Word In Worship
AM 1660 - FM 101.3
http://www.rhemaradio.org

Whatever.

Posted : 15/07/2006 1:18 pm

Anonymous

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Posts: 0

AM1680WOQ,

I truly apologize if you are offended by my words.

However, policymakers don't care who came up with the idea(s) or how much weight we individually give to "our" important issues. Their only concern is that the ideas make sense and appear to be of service to a large and growing group of Americans. In politics that is called consensus. Consensus gets attention. That requires that we put our "turf wars"aside and focus on gathering facts, evidence and data to support our point of view. An important side issue: the facts, evidence and data from a couiple of years ago won't get the job done. Policymakers need NEW compelling reasons to take up our cause and fight for us.

Truth has no owner. Learning how to communicate the truth to people who have "bigger fish to fry" will be, and is, our challenge. Carping with each other over who presented the germ of an idea lacks importance in the broader scope of the issues and arguments. If anyone needs attribution for an idea, let me be the first to offer it right now.

When your frustration with the FCC, the NAB, the Part 15rules limitations or me have sufficiently motivated you to do more than offer "Whatever", I personally welcome your input and your assistance in moving forward. No one person on this forum has all the answers. I certainly do not. However, compromise leading to consensus requires maturity and an overriding sense of responsibility to the cause. Are you game, or just ticked off at me?

Marshall Johnson, Sr.
Senior Pastor, President
Rhema Christian Fellowship, Inc.

Rhema Radio - The Word In Worship
AM 1660 - FM 101.3
http://www.rhemaradio.org

Posted : 15/07/2006 11:18 pm

Anonymous

(@Anonymous)

Posts: 0

My post was just a question, and that's it. I have always thought Part 15 operators should band together much like the NAB or the ARRL. I wasn't asking for money, nor would I. Looks like my post got out of hand and misread, or maybe I miscommunicated my intent, or something else, I don't know, but it seems that it got blown into this current hate that I rather not be in.

I love Broadcasting. That's why I'm employed in Television. And I love the fact I can start a tiny radio station in my own backyard that's fully legal. I don't want the NAB to step in and say that my tiny station is doing harm to a 100,000 watt megastation as this report states, and take that away. There is no way I could, the 100,000 watt station would kill my .01 watt FM station anyway in a urban area. Those in rural areas or small towns, there is more of a chance of interference. I'm not calling the people at NAB mean or nasty, afterall they look out for the broadcaster. They do make a point though about dropping the "F" bomb over Part 15 that is valid.

If you can come up with a organization that would be something like NAB, then more power to you, and I would support said group. Then I would be "game".

And for my "whatever" comment, I just couldn't believe a question I would pose would get out of hand, I get blasted for it, then that person turns around and start a new subject on it. I did call you on it, and received the post that I replied to with the "Whatever" statement. It could and should have been handled in a different and more positive way by both of us. That's working together, this is not.

As for me, I'm done talking now because I'm tired of being blocked by someone or belittled by people or whatever. I would like to spend my time doing something positive in my community, then sit on some stupid computer going around and around. In other words, I'm dropping the subject.

Yours Truly,

Mark W. Shannon

Posted : 16/07/2006 4:58 am

Anonymous

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Posts: 0

While surfing the web for (what else) radio broadcasting info, I came across this interesting radio service from Ofcom known as the Radio Restricted Service License.

It's an easy-to-get sub-LPFM /LPAM service for non-profit orgs. For AM the power is limited to 1 watt, for FM it's 50m/w. There are no specs for antennas but the service contour is limited to 13 km or a little over 8 miles. The stations can run commercials. As a rule for FM, these RSL stations are assigned 87.7 Mhz. Ofcom is very interested in the programming these stations offer, the emphasis being on local/regional programming. When an organization applies for a license they have to indicate what type of programming will be offered.

Given that Radio Ready to Grow has recently petitioned the FCC for an increase in AM part-15 levels to 1 watt, this RSL service really articulates why such a power increase could be justified.

Read about it here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/
DB52

Posted : 26/07/2006 6:55 pm

Anonymous

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Sign the free radio petition if you support all types of free radio & and to see the fcc stop shutting us down http://www.petitiononline.com/SFRadio/petition.html
Also run a radio forum http://www.radiopirates.co.nr/

Posted : 30/07/2006 9:33 pm

Anonymous

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Posts: 0

I worked in Radio for 9 years as a jock. Have done layout and some editing of large 48 page internationally distributed newsletter for a 501c7 org. I also ran my own internet radio station. It was called FaithRock Radio. Unfortunately funding it on my own became impossible. We were a Christian Music station but believe me we weren't a satellite station. We were all about programming. I have done website work and more. On several boards I have seen the need for a part 15 publication. Perhaps we could tie the needs together?

Neal F. Fischer

Posted : 27/02/2008 8:02 am

Anonymous

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Posts: 0

Neal F. Fischer

Posted : 27/02/2008 8:02 am

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