Drove through Quakertown yesterday for the first time in awhile and saw a sign on the edge of the borough to tune into 1620 AM for borough information. It sounds like one of those highway advisory radio stations but airing nothing but Quakertown info like paying your sewer bills on time, keeping your property clean, etc. etc. I looked it up when I got home and they also supposedly broadcast high school games. I can't find anything official on this station. Is it licensed as one of those low power highway things or is it part-15? It puts out quite a strong signal through the borough of Quakertown but quickly dies going up Rt. 309. Interesting little outfit. Wonder if anyone listens. Even my non-radio geek wife said "more towns should do this sorta thing" when I was listening in the car.
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AM 1620 WQYV
- Thread starter Route 222
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https://www.theintell.com/e3d5e896-0993-11e7-836b-e76f06a07858.html
10 watts, its a TIS
I'm not sure high school sports games fall under the premise of what TIS are allowed to do since TIS are non commercial. I guess you could run them if you didnt do a single commercial or underwriting announcement the entire broadcast.
A.) TIS have audio bandwith limited to something less then regular broadcast stations
b.) Theyre probably feeding it with a regular old radio
A few years ago the FCC allowed TIS stations to increase their audio bandwidth from 3 kHz to 5 kHz, so it shouldn't necessarily sound any worse than WPHT (whose audio bandwidth is also restricted to 5 kHz due to their use of IBOC / HD Radio). But many TIS stations use an ordinary telephone line to feed the audio to the transmitter, so if it sounds like the audio is coming through a telephone, that's because it probably is.
And according to the FCC rules, TIS stations are only supposed to broadcast information of relevance to travelers (hence the name Travelers' Information Service). They're not supposed to even relay NOAA weather radio unless there's a weather warning currently in effect, even though countless TIS stations rebroadcast NOAA all the time.
But enforcement of this rule is pretty much non-existent. The last time I heard of a TIS station getting in trouble for carrying non-approved programming was almost 20 years ago.
Just like the unofficial "high school football game PSSA" that many daytime-only AM stations take advantage of, the FCC either doesn't know or doesn't care.
And according to the FCC rules, TIS stations are only supposed to broadcast information of relevance to travelers (hence the name Travelers' Information Service). They're not supposed to even relay NOAA weather radio unless there's a weather warning currently in effect, even though countless TIS stations rebroadcast NOAA all the time.
But enforcement of this rule is pretty much non-existent. The last time I heard of a TIS station getting in trouble for carrying non-approved programming was almost 20 years ago.
Just like the unofficial "high school football game PSSA" that many daytime-only AM stations take advantage of, the FCC either doesn't know or doesn't care.
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Everything I have read indicates TIS stations are very restricted on programming. Perhaps the FCC is less concerned with programming considering the migration of listeners away from AM radio and views such efforts as a way to gain listeners and awareness as a good thing. Obviously it's programming not for money but service to the community.
This is an interesting town. They have their own concert promotion team that brings in name touring acts to perform. Not many towns I know of do that.
https://quakertown.org/government/parks-recreation/concerts
https://quakertown.org/government/parks-recreation/concerts
A buddy of ours from down that way, a moderately active DXer as well, says she hears some curiously good music on a 1620 station near her. I don't have her phone number handy -- she calls here -- but I will ask next time if WQYV is the station.
Some of those LPAM things can get out really well, depending on the exactitude rulebook interpretation. A DXer / poster appears on other forums who has some interesting theories about how the FCC rules can be adhered to and still not be adhered to.
So perhaps this is not a TIS station in question?
Some of those LPAM things can get out really well, depending on the exactitude rulebook interpretation. A DXer / poster appears on other forums who has some interesting theories about how the FCC rules can be adhered to and still not be adhered to.
So perhaps this is not a TIS station in question?
It would have to be a TIS station. The FCC does not license any AMs for under 250 watts fulltime these days. This is a 10 watter. TIS stations have a letter and numeric call sign: WQYV920, so they can say WQYV but the legal ID is WQYV920, Quakertown.
Just thinking, The agenda of the FCC is to license stations to serve their communities. While a TIS station is restricted in programming, any non-TIS programming could easily be described as programming that fits the FCC agenda and on a band that is losing listeners..
At any rate it's a very interesting station and I'm hoping the FCC is okay with what they're doing.
Just thinking, The agenda of the FCC is to license stations to serve their communities. While a TIS station is restricted in programming, any non-TIS programming could easily be described as programming that fits the FCC agenda and on a band that is losing listeners..
At any rate it's a very interesting station and I'm hoping the FCC is okay with what they're doing.
AS a TIS, it cant play music. SHe may be hearing WDHP in the Virgin Islands
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