Sign my petition to create a licensed LPAM service in the expanded band!

Right now is a perfect moment to introduce something new and creative for the tattered medium wave band, I welcome this petition by fjockey and I encourage everyone to consider signing.

There was another group working on LPAM, but they seem to have cooled down, although I'm looking for a trace of that effort so perhaps two groups could work together.

I would like to be educated by anyone who knows what the forces happen to be which might oppose LPAM. I assume NAB and NPR would be against it for their own reasons, although I can't imagine the existing licensed stations would care much based on the generally lackluster quality of what they present. They seem bored by radio, so one wonders why they're in it.

I also would like to see this thread open a stream of thoughts and opinions on this subject, as there's definitely a need which is larger than Part 15 can fill.

The FCC apparently has an 'AM Revitalization Plan'

I signed.

I signed this as well

I signed also.

I didn't know why I needed to give my street address and postal code...but I agreed with you and signed.

Mark

I signed it.

This is a very well written petition that hits the sweet spots. I recommend everyone who cares about the future of AM radio to sign in.

I agree an LPAM service would be a good idea, but a petition will not get it done. I'm afraid it's just not that easy.

In order to get all our ducks in a row, a great deal of engineering qualifications must be written out in complete detail so as to be presented to Congress. It must all be there, and in legal terms.

While the engineering principles already exist, defining what is legitimate and appropriate for a new type of low power mid-band AM broadcast service is not.

The reason the last try at this failed is because it simply wasn't well enough done....there just weren't enough knowlegible people to assemble a really solid approach. Congress and the FCC expect a very professional, complete, well thought out, and practical presentation, together with the support of as many Congressional members, preferably frm both sides of the aisle, as possible.

Remember it has to go through both the House and the Senate. We need to establish relationships with the FCC and lawyers and members of Congress who are interested and willing to help us write it the right way.

FWIW, this is how Prometheus did it with LPFM (IIRC it took literally hundreds of people) and the recent regulation changes concerning adjacent channel restrictions which now allow more stations to be born, especially in areas of dense population. Still, the biggest hurdle was with commercial translators which were originally supposed to share equally with LPFM Community Radio Service, but that contradicted the intent of the new rules to give priority to Community Radio startups - one big problem was that the big-time owners of commercial FM had already boiler-plated many thousands of translator applications. Eventually, the FCC board decided that was unnecessary and inappropriate, and virtually set aside most of the translator applications, which paved the way to finally open the CP application window for Community Radio.

I bring all that up just so we aren't naive about the process we have to go through.

Also FWIW, I think it would be far more practical to re-light Class C Non-Commercial AM Band Service. I'm not certain why it was abandoned (I'll try to research that when I have time), but I believe it was a policy thing. IOW, the rules are all still on the books.

AM is commonly de-tuned or otherwise reduced in ERP to meet service area needs and night ops (because of skip), so, at the least this could serve as modelling for low power non-commercial ops.

IOW, we may not have to try to establish a "new" service at all, but rather change the ERP minimums according to service area instead of, or in addition to, night ops for NC radio. E.g., some commercial stations have to drop to 10 watts at sunset. That would be just about right for an LPAM-style daytime service area.

Any radio legal-eagles around here can speak to this idea? If it can be so, then maybe we'd just have to petition to re-open NC AM band radio service.

Ok, I'm reading one of these documents tonite and tomorrow...32 pages. So far, no mention of re-opening non commercial AM radio service.

The commercial aspect won't fly because of restrictions imposed by Congress, but overall a well-written proposal. Anything commercial is subject to filing windows/auctions. I think an on-going filing process would be great.

I formed my non-profit for an LPFM on April 25, 2001. I was finally able to file October 17, 2013, and the CP for WDXD was granted Feb. 6, 2014. LPAM needs to be faster without the filing windows.

Signed it and copied a link to the hfunderground. com forum. should get you 20 more soon.