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Miami/Fort Lauderdale LPFM caught with 1000 watt ERP!

davideduardo

davideduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
Per Inside Radio today:

"It was a low-power FM in name only. The Federal Communications Commission says an LPFM in the Miami market didn’t just overshoot its licensed 100-watt signal by a little. Instead, Enforcement Bureau field agents discovered that “Voice of the Caribbean” WZPP-LP Hollywood, FL (96.1) was on the air with 1,022 watts. That amounts to 811% of the power authorized by the FCC."

www.insideradio.com

FCC Says Florida LPFM Was Blasting More Than 1,000 Watts.

The FCC says a Miami-area LPFM operated at 1,022 watts, 811% over its 100-watt limit. The case reignites debate over boosting LPFM power limits, which the FCC has repeatedly rejected
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com

Note that the Inside Radio article has some significant errors, such as calling Hialeah "South Miami" (Hialeah is NE of the city limits of Miami proper for those unfamiliar).
 
Pretty Lame! They were supposed to be less than 50 watts ERP because their HAAT exceeded 30 meters.

There's no way most LPFM's can go nondirectional with even 250 watts without causing problems for other broadcasters.
 
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I in no way condone illegal operations.

But one would think they might have gotten away with twice their licensed power 48 X 2 = 98, watts, 3 db if my math is correct. but come on, over 21 times the power. How did they get caught? Did someone did the right thing and ratted them out or actually the FCC van caught them looking for pirates? Would this qualify as an "unfit brardcaster".

Back in days of class 4 AMs (now C) a certain KY station that was supposed to go to 250 watts at sunset would be "accidentally late" and stay at 1kw till 6pm until Dec.24th. It was a friend of mine's "'first station". He worked 6 till midnight. He would come in, read rip and read news at 6pm while the PD would fill out his entire shift's transmitter readings after he switch it to 250 watts. My friend said he was legal and like Sholtz on Hogan's Heros " I saw nothing".
 
The FCC needs to take a look at Revolution 93.5 next. I should not be able to pick up that station in west Broward, indoors, in stereo, and on a radio with no external antenna.
 
This one almost got me too. The FCC agent was talking TPO, not ERP. Let's say, you are licensed to be 50 watts ERP. Your coax is 66% percent efficient. The transmitter needs a TPO of 150 watts. That's if you use an antenna that's both horizontal and vertical.
 
What was The Blizzard, an LPFM in Flagler BEach FL was fined under it's original owner, a "church" for running like 400 some odd watts way back in... 2004 I think . I had the cojones enough to contact the owner and ask why.. he said "because it was available to him through the transmitter". He "sold" it Chris Lash. Pretty sure the original owner is dead, as is Lash

Lash ran it with a Westwood one oldies format using the Storq feature but paid cash since the barter version wouldve contained commercials. I know an LPFM that did similar in Alaska with another WW1 Storq format. (music, imaging, all on air content from the station and network sat on a computer at the station, jocks VT'd and it pushed the VT's to the station PC)
 
Cold Coffee said:
This one almost got me too. The FCC agent was talking TPO, not ERP. Let's say, you are licensed to be 50 watts ERP. Your coax is 66% percent efficient. The transmitter needs a TPO of 150 watts. That's if you use an antenna that's both horizontal and vertical.
Click to expand...

@Michi would be the expert, but IIRC the license for a LPFM has both TPO and ERP specified.
 


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