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Domain: beatworld.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to beatworld.com.
Comments · 7
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Re:how is it not always good?
"While I agree that there are definitely more valuable things to fight for, it should be noted that the airwaves over which the networks broadcast are public property. In other words, it belongs to you and me and the rest of the American people."
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why put your effort to something that is made solely to make a profit for some corporation.
The airwaves DO technically belong to the public. That's why we should be fighting for LPFM (low power FM) and other broadcasting that actually benefits the public. Take the airwaves back from the corporations who refuse to share the broadcast space with the public. -
Re:Don't Let Howard or Janet come over.From this article:
Roy Neset's Tioga, N.D., farm isn't quite in the middle of nowhere, but it's close. Neset wanted to listen to talk radio while cultivating his fields on his tractor. But the only radio station in the area plays country music and refused to change its programming.
So Neset bought a low-power radio transmitter, got written permission from a Colorado station to carry its signal and began transmitting that station via satellite. Neset's station extends only about five miles in each direction, most of which consists of his farm. His station is also listened to by a handful of people in the area.
When the local radio station manager learned of Neset's broadcasts, he complained to the FCC's field office in Minneapolis. The FCC sent an agent to Tioga on at least two occasions to monitor the station. On learning that Neset was broadcasting on 88.3 FM without a license, the FCC convinced the U.S. Attorney in North Dakota to file a lawsuit.
During a hearing, the FCC admitted that Neset wasn't interfering with any existing station. In fact, no FM stations broadcast in the area. But the agency stuck with its argument that it's illegal to broadcast without a license.
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Re:A few questions for those knowledgable about ra
The FCC has monitoring stations throughout the U.S.
And for many areas without stations they are quite infamous for little black vans with lots of antennas on top and very small white letters that say "FCC"
The FCC are not idle people, and they not only track you down (if you are radiating RF it's emberassingly easy in case you didn't already know), but they confiscate your equipment also, and you will not see it again. Also, you might have to come up with serious cash for the fines.
Contrary to what you might think, they still chase after CBers with illegal amps too.
I'm someone with a ham license, and am somewhat disappointed with Bruce for advertising something like this, as it goes against the ham ethos of responsible use of technology (esp. radio). If not for his own sake, but for others that will ignorantly decide not to go with the seemingly innocent 100mw version, but those who decide bigger is better and move up to 3 watts, which blows the doors off part 15.
I say seemingly innocent, because if you pump this out your standard home fm antenna as suggested by some, these are almost always a yagi that has gain and will certainly exceed the 250uW at 3 meters.
If enough of these pop up, you can count on NAB to become the next dirty acronym on slashdot, as they become more proactive in squelching (pun convenient) the competition. Except that these guys have a vast amount of caselaw/FCC resources to help back themselves up with.
I truly believe that there is a need for Low Power FM broadcasting, contary to what NAB and NPR propaganda tells you. But breaking the law rather than working to change it is not the way here.
I can't help but wonder if Bruce didn't confuse AM Band with FM band concerning power levels. Without pulling out my calculator, I don't see how 100mW can be legal for FM unless you are using an extremely long length of coax. I believe that the max you can have going to the antenna is around 1 mW.
I hate to take of the rose colored glasses on this one, but it's a bad idea all the way around.
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LPFM? We need more local and internet stations.
I am significantly less concerned about the future of Low Power FM than I am about the fact that Clear Channel owns some 70% of the market. I haven't heard decent music on the radio in years, and (coincidentally) I hear the same music in Arizona as I did in Minnesota. Not only do I hear the same music, but I hear the same station names with the same cheesy slogans but with different numbers.
Low Power FM isn't really all that useful because one is almost never in range to hear it. Minneapolis had a LPFM station for a while called The Beat. I lived 5 miles from the station and couldn't hear it. They were unliscensed and subsequently got shut down by the FCC in a well documented media event. The Beat now does a nice internet radio stream. And I think that internet radio has much more potential than LPFM ever will.
The summary is Low Power FM just isn't all that. Internet radio can be all it could have been and more, and allows the user greater control and allows more distrubuters into the fold. This effort would be much better spent protecting internet radio and fighting back against companies such as Clear Channel. -
Beat Radio (and the LPFM fight)Indeed, the low power FM radio issue has been fought hard for by a local Minnesotan, Alan Freed and his LPFM station, Beat Radio. Beat radio began its broadcasts on 97.7 FM on July 21, 1996. On Nov. 1, 1996 Agents from the FCC raided Beat Radio's studios and seized the broadcast equipment.
That was a blow to Beat Radio, but they didn't quit. They took the FCC to court and they are winning!
Additionally, Beat Radio was able to make it back on the air, nationwide from feb. to oct. 1998 on these stations:- Minneapolis/St. Paul: WWTC 1280 AM
- Phoenix: KIDR 740 AM
- New York: WJDM (now WWRU) 1660 AM
- Los Angeles: KPLS 830 AM
- Denver: KKYD 1340 AM
- Chicago: WAUR 930 AM
- Ft. Worth/Dallas: KAHZ 1360 AM
- Kansas City: KCAZ (now KUPN) 1480 AM
- Philadelphia: WPWA 1590 AM
- Detroit: WCAR 1090 AM
So, yes, from all the watching I've been doing, the LPFM issue is BIG here in the Twin Cities (as a previous poster had noted.)
Remember, the airwaves are public property, or at least, they shouldn't be only accessible to the rich or powerful corporations, right? It seems to me that if the public doesn't have control of the flow of information, we're that much closer to being led wildly astray. And, the rules governing LPFM seem to fit closely with deciding just WHO has the chance to control that flow of information... -
Beat Radio (and the LPFM fight)Indeed, the low power FM radio issue has been fought hard for by a local Minnesotan, Alan Freed and his LPFM station, Beat Radio. Beat radio began its broadcasts on 97.7 FM on July 21, 1996. On Nov. 1, 1996 Agents from the FCC raided Beat Radio's studios and seized the broadcast equipment.
That was a blow to Beat Radio, but they didn't quit. They took the FCC to court and they are winning!
Additionally, Beat Radio was able to make it back on the air, nationwide from feb. to oct. 1998 on these stations:- Minneapolis/St. Paul: WWTC 1280 AM
- Phoenix: KIDR 740 AM
- New York: WJDM (now WWRU) 1660 AM
- Los Angeles: KPLS 830 AM
- Denver: KKYD 1340 AM
- Chicago: WAUR 930 AM
- Ft. Worth/Dallas: KAHZ 1360 AM
- Kansas City: KCAZ (now KUPN) 1480 AM
- Philadelphia: WPWA 1590 AM
- Detroit: WCAR 1090 AM
So, yes, from all the watching I've been doing, the LPFM issue is BIG here in the Twin Cities (as a previous poster had noted.)
Remember, the airwaves are public property, or at least, they shouldn't be only accessible to the rich or powerful corporations, right? It seems to me that if the public doesn't have control of the flow of information, we're that much closer to being led wildly astray. And, the rules governing LPFM seem to fit closely with deciding just WHO has the chance to control that flow of information... -
Beat Radio (and the LPFM fight)Indeed, the low power FM radio issue has been fought hard for by a local Minnesotan, Alan Freed and his LPFM station, Beat Radio. Beat radio began its broadcasts on 97.7 FM on July 21, 1996. On Nov. 1, 1996 Agents from the FCC raided Beat Radio's studios and seized the broadcast equipment.
That was a blow to Beat Radio, but they didn't quit. They took the FCC to court and they are winning!
Additionally, Beat Radio was able to make it back on the air, nationwide from feb. to oct. 1998 on these stations:- Minneapolis/St. Paul: WWTC 1280 AM
- Phoenix: KIDR 740 AM
- New York: WJDM (now WWRU) 1660 AM
- Los Angeles: KPLS 830 AM
- Denver: KKYD 1340 AM
- Chicago: WAUR 930 AM
- Ft. Worth/Dallas: KAHZ 1360 AM
- Kansas City: KCAZ (now KUPN) 1480 AM
- Philadelphia: WPWA 1590 AM
- Detroit: WCAR 1090 AM
So, yes, from all the watching I've been doing, the LPFM issue is BIG here in the Twin Cities (as a previous poster had noted.)
Remember, the airwaves are public property, or at least, they shouldn't be only accessible to the rich or powerful corporations, right? It seems to me that if the public doesn't have control of the flow of information, we're that much closer to being led wildly astray. And, the rules governing LPFM seem to fit closely with deciding just WHO has the chance to control that flow of information...