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Michelle posted on Part 15 AM&FM Hobby Broadcasting yesterday during a meeting about Pirate Radio. As you Should know myself along with New Radio Revolution has been vocal about this since June 5, 2015 with flea based support outside The Initiave for 4 yrs. But our continued reality check on the now dying status of AM broadcasting as a way of gainful business may have swayed the scale towards our side and Michelle Bradley should be honored for gutsy actions on her part.
According to her post things look in our favor as the FCC was open to the idea and the NAB did not seem hostile (A big surprise). She pointed out the difference between non profit Hobby Broadcaster and a Pirate who tries to make money and who breaks all laws while doing so.
I’d advise All to get on Facebook and join in the action. ABOUT TIME!!
Can you provide a link to the post?
I wouldn’t get too excited at this juncture about a meeting. Being receptive doesn’t mean at all that the FCC will do anything about the state of Part 15 AM broadcasting. In fact, if there were no next steps discussed, it means very little. That’s why I’d like to get more information about the meeting, if I could.
I’ve discussed the possibility of ISS getting the Talking House certified under RSS210 in Canada. Bill Baker was receptive, took the information (copying others within his organization) but no commitments were made. Therefore, I’m not holding my breath until I see something more substantive.
I don’t want to sound like an old curmudgeon, but there’s wishes, and then there’s reality.
Here’s the post from Facebook…copied as couldn’t figure out how to link to this one post.
Michelle Bradley
Admin · Yesterday at 12:48 AM
Greetings from Washington, DC. I did spend the day at the FCC in various meetings. I did have one meeting with Chairman Pai’s advisor on media issues. During these types of meetings, I normally express in person various positions of REC Networks on various pending rulemaking proceedings as well as other items of interest. This is no different than other industry associations such as the NAB, etc. do.In the meeting with Pai’s advisor, who has been a good friend of mine for quite a few years now, we did talk about Chairman Pai’s and Commissioner O’Reilly’s campaign against pirate radio. REC takes an overall supportive issue on those efforts however I did say that I did not want to see the effort become a witch hunt on Part 15 broadcasters, especially if they accidentally have something turned up just a little too high, etc. Pai’s advisor has made it clear that they are definitely distinguishing between the Part 15 hobby broadcasters and the problem stations, such as the ones in New York.
Even though Part 15 is not handled in the Media Bureau, but instead in the Office of Engineering and Technology, I did suggest that we look at some ways that we can improve the Part 15 intentional radiators, even slightly, such as using the BETS-1 Canadian standard for FM (100 uV/m at 30 meters instead of 250 uV/m at 3 meters) and looking at extending the 3 meter limit on AM antennas including allowing ground systems. I did answer a few questions on part 15 coverage and station configuration. (remember, baby steps here… we can’t ask for too much)
While the meeting had a lot of other stuff on the plate, I just wanted to report back to the group, that Part 15 intentional radiators did get a few minutes of time on the top floor of the FCC building today and the conversation was very positive. Nothing is going to come out of it as a result of this meeting, but I did break the ice today. But, this is more of an OET issue than it is a media issue but is something that is in the REC arsenal of positions.
Need like 1w to 4w and like 9 to 10 meter ground on am so you could get 5 to 8 miles range with a good car radio.
32.8 Ft antenna or ground would be pretty impressive. Yup at that length 1-4 watts would do nicely on AM that is for sure.
Thing of it is we need folks who aren’t too wish washy on this subject and we really need to get more involved that will state the facts as they are for AM. I think I’ve done quite well with my analogy of the reality of the now to become obsolete band called medium wave or AM Radio. Even hobbyists will have a hard sell to get listeners but at least it will be legal.
What I would really like to see is the lower end of the FM band opened for non licensed stations you just pay a fee to get a frequency assigned to you. It would be 81.1 to 87.3 180w or 250w and a 180ft high antenna. This would be nice you would get 20miles car radio maybe more range but would never happen.
You are right it will never happen. At least Michelle knows not to ask for the moon and to take “baby steps”. Asking for the equivalent of BETS-1 in Canada is more realistic and the idea of the expanded FM band down to 81.1 and a portion of this for hobby radio is good. Like New Zealand. If the band is officially expanded the radios would be made for the expanded band for N. America like the AM expanded band was.
O.K. The United States has gone through an Administration Change and Democrats run the House and half of The Senate. Some of the FCC’s main five heads at the top are gone, including Commissioner Pai, who played “Politics” with big time broadcasters and a certain FCC Attorney, who in my mind hates the little broadcasters, yes he hates even the small commercial broadcasters that prefer to be on AM Only!
With that said, now is the time for Michelle Bradley and other Part 15 Broadcaster Advocates to make a push with the FCC to allow more for Part 15 Unlicensed Broadcasters, the people who have some sense and will make things work with a bit more power. A change to the Antenna and Ground System for AM Part 15 Foks would help and even raising the power from 100 mw to 500 mw. As a former, retired, commercial AM radio station owner/licensee, a bit of advice to all. If we file a rule making to upgrade Part 15 AM broadcasting on the AM Band in the United States, DO NOT ASK, NOR PUSH the FCC for too much!!!! We must do this in conservative steps! Believe me, I’ve been involved in other FCC Rulemakings in Part 73 of the FCC’s Rules, and I know how they can be in the Audio Division of the Commission!
In addition, we have to watch if some FCC Attorney that represents the high and mighty Commercial Broadcasters who are NAB and their State Broadcasters Association members! They will try to fight something so stupid as filing against us on a small Rule.
I wonder sometimes if Unlicensed Broadcasting Rules should have been moved from Part 15 to Part 73 like LPFM. The FCC under Barack Obama’s Administration screwed up and did away with allowing LP-10s on FM in 2012.
Richard Fry has come up with a fantastic AM antenna system for Part 15 AM Broadcasters that SHOULD BE ALLOWED! Can we get everybody, including Engineers, Retired and Currently Active to get on board with this because Part 15 AM Broadcasters can become small clients for them?
Problem is this discussion comes up on the forums but will do no good here.
It has to be presented to the FCC. To Congress people at election time when they will listen to you.
If it’s approached in the wrong way the fear is that it could backfire and you could loose what you have now.Maybe if you contacted Michelle Bradley and tried to get something to present to the FCC it may be a start.
Sometimes I hear that the FCC is taking suggestions from the public and that’s the time to speak up.
I’m not in the USA so I can’t be of much help as I don’t think the FCC cares about what people in another country think.Mark,
I spoke to my Consultant Engineer/Advisor who is a SBE Member. Michelle Bradley can’t do it alone in Washington, D.C. It is going to take a high powered FCC Attorney to file a Rule Making in my behalf with a few others that might want to join in. This will cost money I don’t think any of us have. The CRTC (Canada) will most likely go along with the FCC in the United States, according to him.
The Republican Party was still in power when Michelle Bradley went to Commissioner Pai and the FCC. Pai was hung over that churches and others stream on line on platforms like Facebook, the Church’s Website or other Internet platforms. Facebook has now teamed up with Spotify to assist on this.
I guess the Terrestrial Radio Bands have been so abused in the past by pirates and big media corporations want the public off the AM and FM Band as they try to make digital work. Just a thought.
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