I just found this whole section on Ofcom's web site about how they handle community radio. Essentially, they have a max signal strength of about 5km (about 3 miles). This is far less signal strength than our LPFM which has a max of 100 watts.
A quote from their guide PDF:
"They generally have a small coverage area (usually up to a 5km radius). "
It's starting to sound like between Canada's higher Part 15 equivalent of 1000uv @3m, and the UK encouraging small community radio, the very same type that I proposed, the United States is *way behind* in local, community radio.
This is sad, and only encourages me to keep pushing for real, small, community radio.
EDIT: One last thought - why is it that people are against us even trying to get something good done for communities? If other countries are accepting of getting communities their time on the airwaves, why the pushback here in the US, by people that really haven't shown any interest in helping other out in the first place?
http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-broadcast-licensing/community-radio/
We could bring up that we are behind as far as low power community Radio goes. WE could bring up the UK allows for stations to go 3 miles. However the reason that the FCC dropped the 10 Watt LPFM licensing was they didn't think that was a useful way to take up a portion of the airwaves. Sad as this may be as many college campus's could benefit from 10 Watt radio stations and they really do cover quite a bit of range as I've talked about. I'm trying to think of a better more professional way to present this idea as well. I do know that when the petition is final broadcasters as well as the FCC will be looking or ways to tear this idea apart and simply tell us to wait for a filing window for the LPFM licensing (which again someone who is just starting or a hobbyist this won't do). Remember as a licensed station we have to keep files and if we miss these filing's its a 15000 fine. So I don't think I want to dabble in a license that is for certain. Nice however and we can use this information to forge forward just keep in mind I don't think the requirement of the same sort of public inspection files would be the way to go for the hobby broadcaster what so ever. Especially if its the type of station where you can't play ads to support the cost of all the equipment and the liability. Yup the more I think about this I think extended part 15 is the way to go and we'll just have to come up with concrete reasons why in a way they can't tear us to shreds when we try. Now its time to think like the suits think. Actually can we say that Radio for the suits is what should even be the goal or intention of Radio? And if not how can we plead this as part of our case?
Another good find macdev, another world example of what we are talking about.
Everything that's said about improving low power FM and the various examples we can show involving other countries gets me thinking about the mindsets we encounter.
In radio media generally there is the mindset of "serving the community," and it seems to be the only point of view around. Yet most licensed stations don't actually do anything to "serve the community." When it comes down to it a few small stations "serve" by reading "PSAs" (Public Sevice Announcements), ranging from advice like "don't drink and drive" or "brush your teeth on both sides," and they promote community events like "Poetry Night at the Pub" and "Hobby Symphony Orchestra in the Park."
Aren't there other "mindsets" we could have to justify broadcasting?
The FM expansion detractors have a negative mindset that's worth their time to go on-and-on about what a bad idea we have in our fantasy world.
My mindset is that we should populate the airways with good sounding people who do interesting programs, community welcome - serve yourself.
theLegacy and others. I know that the FCC said that 10 watts and under was not a good use of the airwaves. But sometimes what organizations say and what the real reasons are are two different things.
You can cram a lot more 10 watt & under licensed stations into the same airspace as 100+ watts. That means much more administration (remember, there's still all that paperwork) and enforcement for the FCC. And they already have difficulty with enforcement with the resources they currently have. I suspect that's the real reason they were against very low power stations (although they'd probably never admit it).
That's why I think a licensed service with exactly the same paperwork as LPFM's isn't going to fly. My opinion is that it's either got to be 1) an unlicensed service with higher field strengths, but not too high - Canadian BETS or maybe a bit more or 2) some form of simplified licensed service that is as self-regulating as possible, perhaps with its own dedicated channels - similar to the amateur radio service.
I would go for #1 as having the best chance of succeeding. There are lots of arguments to use to support it, such as using Canada as an example. Selfishly, I would go for something like 2000uv/m at 3 meters, as there's a good chance that Canada would follow the example of the U.S. if it did manage to go through.
AR,
Let's say what you're saying is true. A lot of that "paperwork" can be filed electronically by the station. Weekly power reports, etc. All electronic. Sure, someone has to go through it, but in this day and age, I'm sure they can find a way to flag things that look strange.
Here in the UK there have been several attemps to re launch DAB radio over the years.
Analogue fm was meant to be vacated by this year, but as the takup of DAB has been poor, they have been adding in all digital radio (satellite, internet etc), to get to the magical 50% tipping point to trigger the changeover.
This still has not happened and recently the government has abandoned the set date to end analogue licences.
To get on the first rung of Community radio usually requires setting up a limited company and doing applying for several restricted service licences.
These rsl's run for up to 28 consecutive day period, and only 2 rsl's are allowed per year.
Fm erp is 25w erp max with antenna haat of 20 metres.
These rsl licences are expensive !
There is also am available with 1w eirp, but the 28 days can be split up over as much as a year period, this is used for football home matches.
We have low power licence exempt fm "modulators" for 10b foot type range.
Whilst the exempt devices have a legal limit of 50nw, all these devices seem to use the earth wire of the short line in jack wire, so range is very limited.
Can't say i have ever seen a decade/desktop type of transmitter device over here under the exempt use.
We don't have any low power license exempt am devices like part 15 am, pity really !
Paul.
The more I read about how expensive it is to be licensed I think anything other than extended part 15 is not what we should shoot for. We need to remember that it will kill the hobby for many folks if we start to raise the bar as far as how much this would cost. The idea is so anyone who is interested it Radio and common sense could run a micro powered station. If we start to require a license it could start the ball rolling for a huge increase of what you pay per month. Not a road I want to travel that is for certain. So I just want to make that clear in what I want to try and get to become a reality.
Being licensed doesn't necessarily mean cost and paperwork. Amateur radio operators are licensed, but there's only one initial fee (no yearly fee, as far as I am aware, there's certainly nothing in Canada) and little to no paperwork (station logs perhaps).
I suspect that anything over Canadian BETS maximums will require some form of licensing. But that's just my opinion.