The only problem you may run into is the TS client program picking up your mapped audio through your PC's sound card from your station programing.
You would have to make sure of one of two things to keep that from happening.
1. Shut off the stream server during the meeting.
2. Make sure the TS client is looking at microphone and not line in or mapped sound (ie direct sound).
Let's put it this way. Setting up TS client is 100 times easier than setting up an encoder to encode to a stream server.
If any of you can set up a stream server, encoder, or sign up to join a forum, the TS client is even less complicated than any of those.
Simply install, enter the given information to connect to the TS server, connect, and your there. You can set the program to activate by "VOX" or "push to talk". I recommend push to talk because that VOX junk can cause lots of problems by kicking in and out over a mere breath or tap noise or something else and make everyone hear gaps and skips, making the entire meeting useless.
Yes I've used TS before, even used it to record my station's program "The Z-Files" with two other co-hosts, one in Georgia and one in Canada. Worked flawlessly.
Want to hear how good the quality is, go to my station's site and look in the Z-Pod section for the archived shows of The Z-Files.
TS also lets you set the amount of bandwidth to be utilized on the TS server program. Since this is all voice stuff, we don't need even 56k worth of bandwidth. 24 or 32 is more than enough. Unless anyone here has such a slow connection it barely hits 14kps like an old style dialup, I would be surprised your able to log into THIS site anyway! 98 percent of the content on the web today is geared for broadband and fast PC's, the snail pace days are long gone.
So no excuses!!! Remember, you have a pool of technical people present who are not so easily fooled! :p
PS..I think we should leave the word "The" out of the name. NAB does not use the word "The" in front of their title so why should we? Besides, we want this to have some kind of recognition to what it is, and NALPB, given two distinct recognizable things in there...ie NA and LPB, that should ring a bell in every broadcaster and engineer's head, including the FCC.
Just my thoughts.
RFB
In regards to # 3 and # 6, it should be the responsibility of each participating station to adhere to "good taste" programing for the network itself. In other words, submitted programs for the network should be "radio friendly". If stations that are a part of the network wish to air some odd ball x-factor x-language x-whatever then those types of programs should be exchanged and listed OUTSIDE of the network and each station itself airing that programing take on the responsibility themselves and not put the entire network on the line.
We are trying to demonstrate that our operations are serious and that we take our operations seriously, from A to Z. We want to demonstrate that our interests are in serving the public interest (for real), and not demonstrate hap hazard control or decision or intentions. That kind of thing will kill any effort put forth by many who get involved.
I'm not saying discount any sort of programs that may be good for any particular station and it's audience, I am merely suggesting we keep the network itself, it's programs and content radio friendly and in good taste so that we are not showing irresponsibility, which will kill any effort in trying to show the FCC that us low power broadcasters can be just as detailed and just as technically top notch as those big guys who seem to have a bad habit of violating rules repeatedly spanning years.
Let's not follow their footsteps.
As to copyright material, again it is each station's responsibility to meet those RIAA/ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/DRMA requirements. If your station already has those things taken care of, or if your station streams on a provider such as Live 365 or other that covers your arsie, that does not cover everyone else in the network if they are not also streaming on those provider's systems.
Programs containing commercials that are submitted to the network should have those commercials removed from the program and segment it for break insertion. A run time sheet should be included with each submitted program. You can't air a spot of some little mom and pop shop in your town in another city on another station. Interstate tariff rules apply here and we too will have to look at those things just like the licensed stations that stream have to abide by as well.
Just more thoughts.
RFB
I downloaded team speak for linux but I've hit a major roadblock. It is a .run file that I can't seem to open. It keeps opening gedit and showing nothing. I've tried the synaptic package manager and the archive manager and both have failed. I'm a linux newbie, so if there's code that has to be entered into the terminal, I will need to know what to type. I need help.
I did some tinkering and finally got it installed!!!! I'm on there now. I'm free friday so I think our meeting should be then.
first off ,
X1600 cool beans , glad you got it going.
Ubuntu is mucho goodness in an ugly world.
Carl and RFB.
As for the RIAA/ASCAP etc.
I think each station will have to cover this on the're own.
That being said I can get bumbers that are not under ASCAP/BMI etc.
I write them LOL.
On Stations that might be doing the X Rated stuff or perhaps even the right VS Left or the dreaded Christian VS Agnostic .
Well perhaps we should do as Washington and Franklin and those guys wanted , Let it be truly free provided that the swearing is kept to Damns and ass and such .
No F Bombs ..
You take Howard Stern or Mr T Hip.
Both were outside of the norm , But Mr T Hipp was trying to teach and trying to get a point across and Howard was just a playground kid turned loose on the public.
But should Howard not be on the Air ? Yes he should be on the Air as long as he fits into the standards of the network.
Prejudice is not a good thing no matter where you stand.
Keep them posts coming , We are leaning .
Friday is good for me guys , How about you ?
This discussion about visualizing a part 15 organization is beneficial as a discovery and learning experience.
I am already starting to write a "position paper" to clarify those ways in which my station can interface with a part 15 radio network, but I may not submit that paper for the planned Friday meeting, simply because I think it will apply later on, as the network develops.
A couple of points however, I think are already true, and deserve to be part of the official minutes of the meeting.
RFB has previously offered an FTP upload/download site for program distribution, and I think his FTP service should be nominated as the network's distribution hub.
This newest network suggestion comes from Lefty Gomez, and he might be nominated as the "project director" or whatever title is best.
Right away there could be an audio network ID (i.e., as in "This is NBC -bong-bong-bong"). I can already start to add the network IDs at the tail of the LPH.
Propose Part15 network meeting.
Friday August 10Th 2012.
Time of the meeting.
4:00 PM PDT / 7:00 PM EDT.
1 Political Value of our group.
We need to work together to create a system that will allow us to have a fair and honest system to vote for rules and the name of the network.
2 How to make our network have value to each community that we are broadcasting to and how to make our network have a value to everyone who takes part in it weather they are a broadcaster or just a person who listens to the shows.
3 I plan to propose that every station on the network is truly independent of every other station and that each Station has an equal vote on the subjects that face the network.
4 I also plan to propose that no one owns this network and further more it can not be sold or turned into a profit based network. However I fully want to encourage each station owner to try to sell adds for his or her station and I hope that every station can sell adds for the shows that are coming to them from the network.
5 Should the network have a website that is independent of all of our stations ?
And that is the case should we all take part in it's direction and how it looks.
Or should just one person take care of it and should that person interdependent of all of the station owners ?
6 Every Station owner at the meeting will have an equal vote the first meeting.
Every Station owner will be able to offer ideas or even propose any idea or thought.
7 I am not the leader , But I will help to set the meeting's agenda and rules ..
each meeting from the first night on will be under the rules we set.
I truly want this network to be fair for everyone of us and I truly want it to have meaning for all of the stations and all of the listeners of our network and our stations.
Nothing is set in stone at this time.
So please understand I am just trying to get it on the road , I have no plans to be the focal point of this network.
There are people in this group who have a better understanding of the Laws and how radio should be than I do.
I want to offer the world a better radio environment and perhaps even shows that bring a smile to peoples mugs or perhaps they might even start a station and further the cause 🙂
If all of this seems OK to you folks .
Then lets get started this Friday.
If not or if there are issues please feel free to post your thoughts.
weather your agree or not with any of this , I welcome your thoughts.
Sincerely
Lefty Gomez
please also post if you plan to be at the meeting.
my email is [email protected].
Drop me a line and I will add you to the list and post here.
Also I will give you my phone over email , so if there are any issues we can work though them..
I plan on being there as long as nothing comes up.
I'm planning to participate as well.
Piling on to Carl's excellent post:
> Regarding Item # 3 ... "Network programming must be 'Good for the Public'" Comment: this might conflict with Item # 6 in some cases. If TNAOLPBN is "un-owned", who, then, will "judge" "what is good for the public?" The Christian faction may want to disallow the atheists, the political activists might be at odds with the strictly conservative. Programs with commercial content might not be acceptable for non-commercial stations. Talk stations might wish to avoid music content.
If content is to be distributed via FTP, then this isn't as big of a deal because not everyone would be obligated to pick up all network programming. To me, it's a "to each his own" issue. Making programming available is, to me, "too the good of the public." Democracy Now and LRN have vastly different political points of view, but by both making themselves available to Part 15ers, they're producing things "for the good of the public." We can then choose whether or not to air them.
One thing we *can* do is list available programming for FTP access in our communications -- either internally with each other or externally over a website. I'd list genre (music/talk/et al), if it is stream-safe or requires an ASCAP/BMI license, has any warnings (profanity, for example), of course, the weekly upload/availability time and format (e.g., 320k MP3). Of course, a broadcast clock is also a big part of things as it allows others to add in local breaks.
> Regarding Item # 4 ... "Meeting will be recorded and posted." This is great because sound bites will become available as "Low Power in the News" on the LPH;
Speaking of great programming, LPH is it. That's the type of program we should be distributing and playing on our stations.
> Regarding Item # 6 ... "All Part 15 stations welcome" What about a possible X-rated station or a paramilitary station broadcasting instructions for "building smart-missles"?
Prudence should fit here. Most Part 15ers are attempting to live within the spirit and the law of FCC rules and be legal. The Supreme Court has stated that there is no First Amendment freedoms for pornography, so we could each get nailed for distributing that, even online. Advocating illegal activity or treason is probably another thing that's out-of-bounds. To me, stuff that is well beyond the bounds of legality is probably where we draw the line as to what we accept and distribute and what we don't.
wow I just read your posts crimsonace.
both you and Carl are teaching me things.
Anyway would you to take part in the meeting ?
I will add you to the list if you would like to take part.
All of these points will be talked about.
We will all share in the direction of the network and have a set of rules to keep all of our shows and stations legal .
Talk soon I hope.
Lefty G
I believe the primary foundation for all of this should be one thing only....COMMON SENSE.
Now do we want this thing to take off on the wrong footing or do we want something to actually move forward and for the better?
Debating about X shows or foul mouth shows etc etc is mute. Why? Because we all know darn well that kind of stuff does not fly on terrestrial airwaves, licensed or not. And we are not talking about building a network of internet stream stations, we are talking about networking a bunch of low power terrestrial stations that send out signals on the public airwaves, which is something different than what is on the web.
The last thing we need is the assumption that this network endeavor is a "whatever flies" ordeal. If respect and notice is expected, then this had better be set up with that in mind from the get go.
Let's look at this thing like the licensed stations would and start to build it with a dose of common sense. We can ignore the big boy's lack of public interest and what the public wants, that is where we come in anyway, and part of forming this network to begin with...to create a moving force that is doing good in communities and it's time it gets noticed.
Not noticed for it's X content or foul mouth colorful lack of vocabulary.
RFB
X and foul-mouthed content is for the pirates, which is what we're trying NOT to be.
I believe a cadre of responsible broadcasters should, and will, stay within the letter and spirit of the law. The goal should be to produce high-quality programming, and I think we're here because we love radio, not because we want to have a medium to shock people.
The other issue -- the Supreme Court has ruled that obscenity is NOT protected by the First Amendment. Profanity is generally not allowed per the FCC. You can get yourself, and us, sued by throwing it out on the public airwaves, even if it's a Part 15er, if it's heard by the wrong person.
I emailed you earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it appears I'll be working on Friday night, so I won't be able to take part, but feel free to add any thoughts I throw in.