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FCC Supports Neighborhood Radio
RevMike writes "According to this story from the Associated Press, the FCC is recommending to Congress that restrictions on low-power FM stations be relaxed. The FCC found that low-power FM stations can be operated in the gaps of spectrum between major stations without substantially interfering with those major stations. If Congress adopts the FCC's recommendations, it will loosen the stranglehold that companies like ClearChannel have on the airwaves."
I've been doing this for a while, and I've known a few guys to get busted, but mostly it's unenforceable as it is. Why not make the law reflect that?
If you chose to operate an FM transmitter outside these parameters, you would be considered a "pirate" in the eyes of the FCC, and you can be discovered, even though these rules are enforced unevenly. Sometimes a 1 watt station goes unnoticed by local licensed broadcasters, so a complaint is never filed and the FCC never finds out about it. Anecdotally, we have also heard of cases where FCC agents have turned a blind eye to 1 to 3 watt stations, if it seemed like they were not bothering any licensed broadcasters. At this level, despite operating at up to 75 times the legal limit, the actual power is so minuscule that the agent decided not to pursue the case. (This is akin to a cop pulling you over for speeding, but deciding to not give you the ticket because they think you're cute. You may be able to get away with it, but let no one fool you into thinking that it is actually legal.)
Some members of Prometheus Radio Radio Project were involved in pirate broadcasting. We did this because we believed that the broadcast regulations of this country are fundamentally unfair. We ran great community radio stations in defiance of the wealth-based structure of our broadcast system. The FCC eventually confiscated our stations, but announced that they had gotten the message of our -civil disobedience and that they were going to create a legalized low power fm radio service. We decided to stop pirating and work with the FCC to build a permanent new community radio service for this country. There is still a movement of unlicensed pirate stations that continues to operate in defiance of the broadcast regulations, which truthfully have only gotten slightly better as a result of LPFM. Morally we are sympathetic to these operations, but from a practical standpoint we do not devote our work to assisting them. We focus our efforts on the stations that are going to be able to become permanent fixtures in their communities, that are able to serve diverse communities because no one needs to worry about having their door busted down for operating without a license.
If people don't want to hear what they have to say, they should be asked to just stop listening. There a lot of people that complain about material they should have no right to complain, especially when it is voluntary. On the other hand, if lies are being told, slap them with the law. We must all be careful though. Stations like this won't be making a lot of money like most of the current ones you find, so any fines should be fair. Imagine how easy if would be to shut down one of these small stations with a nice big fine. I'm sure Clearchannel would be a supporter of heavier fines for slander and such.
My only fear is that some idiot doesn't do his homework and step over an existing radio station's frequency. Gifts like this from the FCC are few and far between - it would be nice if independent radio was allowed to flourish without some meathead screwing it up for everyone. Ah my faith in human nature...
"As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
a) Clear Channel alone controls 60% of Rock radio.
b) Clear Channel owns stations in 247 of the 250 major radio markets.
Check out this article for more information on Clear Channel's operations.
And thats not to mention the number of venues Clear Channel now controls.
(This message brought to you by a former employee of Clear Channel Chief Randy Michaels, from when he was just a station manager.)
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order- Ed Howdershelt Via Tass