Calvary Chapel Makes Mockery of LPFM Rules

[bossbill]

The commish has now decided that it's okay for Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls to own a number of LPFM stations, as long as they hide the details so it appears to be a local entity...

Following the Bremerton, WA announcement last week, there's several more today from the FCC Daily Digest:

CALVARY CHAPEL OF THE PASS. Reinstated the Application for a new Low
Power FM Station in Banning, CA.

CALVARY CHAPEL OF YAKIMA. Reinstated and Granted the Application for
a new Low Power FM Station in Yakima, WA.

CALVARY CHAPEL OF THE SANDHILLS. Reinstated and Granted the
Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Aberdeen, NC.

CALVARY CHAPEL OF MANITOWAC, INC. Reinstated and Granted the
Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Manitowac, WI.

CALVARY CHAPEL OF RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA. Reinstated the Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

 

[xmusicmatt]

> The commish has now decided that it's okay for Calvary
> Chapel of Twin Falls to own a number of LPFM stations, as
> long as they hide the details so it appears to be a local
> entity...
>

I would not mind them owning LPFM's in those towns if they programmed them LOCALLY, Each church did their own local thing for their own local community, it would be cool... but CCTF will just install a satellite dish and pipe in CSN and shove a legal ID at the top of hour and call it a "service to the community".

<P ID="signature">______________
Lenks
Program Director/Music Director
X Music Online
The X
Today's Best Music
http://www.xmusiconline.com/</P>

 

[wxctintern]

Some could very well be locally programmed. WCSE-LP 100.1 FM is licensed to Calvary Chapel of Southeastern, Connecticut and it's locally programmed. Don't believe me check out WCSE-LP Ledyard, CT.

 

[jason97]

> Some could very well be locally programmed.

I think the key word is some.
From what I've heard, most of them are simply satellite-fed, except the programming is delayed a bit because using an LPFM the same way as a translator is prohibited.
I've said this before, I'm not against Christian/religious broadcasting, but it's too bad that the licenses aren't being granted to organizations that will truly provide a locally-programmed/produced/originated service.<P ID="signature">______________
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=492543&Board=askus>RIP Doug Fleming</a></P>

 

[jegrant]

> > Some could very well be locally programmed.
>
> I think the key word is some.
> From what I've heard, most of them are simply satellite-fed,
> except the programming is delayed a bit because using an
> LPFM the same way as a translator is prohibited.
> I've said this before, I'm not against Christian/religious
> broadcasting, but it's too bad that the licenses aren't
> being granted to organizations that will truly provide a
> locally-programmed/produced/originated service.

From what I gather, it appears they may be recording (what I assume to be) the CSN feed onto a hard drive, then play the programs back in a different order than they were originally broadcast on CSN.

But I honestly thought the FCC began allowing this from the first filing window, since they approved the "M&M Community Development, ___Insert Location____ Branch" applications, for the "JAMCENTRAL . COM" hip-hop stations.

Seems like the same setup to me.

 

[radiomike]

Just to clarify the LPFM rules: There is nothing in the rules to prevent an LPFM station from running satellite NETWORK programming 24/7. This could include World Radio Network, BBC, or some other NETWORK source. And this could be live off the bird or dealyed.

LPFM stations are PROHIBITED, however, from rebroadcasting ANY radio station, no matter how it is relayed. This would include off air, microwave, internet, satellite, or recorded. Thus, it would be illegal to record the CSN translator satellite feed and play it back on an LPFM, as this feed is the broadcat of a LOCAL station.

However, many of the religous broadcasters have a network "clean feed" that is stripped of their station IDs and such, or many of the sydicated programs are sent to stations or available as downloads. Thus, what may seem like a prohibited arrangement could be perfectly legal.

Unless the station actually checked the box indicating it would be local eight hours a day, the LPFM does not have to be local. This could be important if you want to challenge a station, if it was awarded a license based on that preference. The FCC does not view local as pulling stuff off satellite and time shifting it for "local" playback.

 

[gethigh]

> > The commish has now decided that it's okay for Calvary
> > Chapel of Twin Falls to own a number of LPFM stations, as
> > long as they hide the details so it appears to be a local
> > entity...
> >
>
> I would not mind them owning LPFM's in those towns if they
> programmed them LOCALLY, Each church did their own local
> thing for their own local community, it would be cool... but
> CCTF will just install a satellite dish and pipe in CSN and
> shove a legal ID at the top of hour and call it a "service
> to the community".
>
this is why Churches don't deserve to have LPFM's. besides, there isn't one creative bone in the church's broadcasting body

 

[rdalton]

> Unless the station actually checked the box indicating it
> would be local eight hours a day, the LPFM does not have to
> be local. This could be important if you want to challenge a
> station, if it was awarded a license based on that
> preference. The FCC does not view local as pulling stuff off
> satellite and time shifting it for "local" playback.

The Calvary applications checked that box.<P ID="signature">______________
http://www.RichardJDalton.com</P>

 

[jason97]

Thanks for the clarification, Mike. (n/t)

What I put in the subject line.<P ID="signature">______________
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=492543&Board=askus>RIP Doug Fleming</a></P>

 

[radiomike]

> The Calvary applications checked that box.

Then go get 'em! File an FCC complaint.

 

[Desert_Ear]

How do they get around the part of the rules that require 75% of the non-profit corporation's officers reside within 10 miles of the station?

Do all of the 75% (of the corporate main office) own homes in each of the cities listed in the post?

Or, has that requirement been dropped?

DE

 

[wernerradio]

> > Some could very well be locally programmed.
>
> I think the key word is some.
> From what I've heard, most of them are simply satellite-fed,
> except the programming is delayed a bit because using an
> LPFM the same way as a translator is prohibited.
> I've said this before, I'm not against Christian/religious
> broadcasting, but it's too bad that the licenses aren't
> being granted to organizations that will truly provide a
> locally-programmed/produced/originated service.
>
I use to volenteer at a Calvary station, it is a full power station (not a LPFM), they could have simply ran it off the bird 24/7 but they don't. The only person paid is the manager the rest is all volenteers, they do air some local underwriting. All of the programming is controlled locally, it is all voicetracked, but local, a morning show and afternoon drive show, christian rock program on Fri and Sat nights. They rent space in a strip mall where the station is ran out of. Its probrally about a 50/50 mix of local and satelite programming also. Hopefully that is something they will do with their LPFM stations. <P ID="signature">______________
Joshua Werner
http://www.wisconsinbroadcasting.com
90.3 WRST-FM Oshkosh
Station Manager & Webmaster
http://www.uwosh.edu/wrst
[email protected]</P>

 

[radiomike]

> How do they get around the part of the rules that require
> 75% of the non-profit corporation's officers reside within
> 10 miles of the station?

This requirement is ONLY applicable if it was used in points criteria claims for MX filings. LPFM stations do not have to be locally owned.

 

[rec]

> This requirement is ONLY applicable if it was used in points
> criteria claims for MX filings. LPFM stations do not have to
> be locally owned.
>

That is not correct for the first window.
See §73.853(b)

(b) Only local applicants will be permitted to submit applications
for a period of two years from the date that LP100 and LP10 stations,
respectively, are first made available for application. For the purposes
of this paragraph, an applicant will be deemed local if it can certify
that:
(1) The applicant, its local chapter or branch is physically
headquartered or has a campus within 16.1 km (10 miles) of the proposed
site for the transmitting antenna;
(2) It has 75% of its board members residing within 16.1 km (10
miles) of the proposed site for the transmitting antenna; or
(3) In the case of any applicant proposing a public safety radio
service, the applicant has jurisdiction within the service area of the
proposed LPFM station.

 

[rec]

> LPFM stations are PROHIBITED, however, from rebroadcasting
> ANY radio station, no matter how it is relayed. This would
> include off air, microwave, internet, satellite, or
> recorded. Thus, it would be illegal to record the CSN
> translator satellite feed and play it back on an LPFM, as
> this feed is the broadcat of a LOCAL station.

That is only the case if the LPFM carries the CSN feed that is used to feed KAWZ-FM to the satellators. If there is a CSN feed that does not have the KAWZ IDs, then technically it's legal (e.g. the "clean feed").

> preference. The FCC does not view local as pulling stuff off
> satellite and time shifting it for "local" playback.

I believe there was recent case law to back this statement.

 

[101_9]

> The commish has now decided that it's okay for Calvary
> Chapel of Twin Falls to own a number of LPFM stations, as
> long as they hide the details so it appears to be a local
> entity...
>
> Following the Bremerton, WA announcement last week, there's
> several more today from the FCC Daily Digest:
>
> CALVARY CHAPEL OF THE PASS. Reinstated the Application for
> a new Low
> Power FM Station in Banning, CA.
>
> CALVARY CHAPEL OF YAKIMA. Reinstated and Granted the
> Application for
> a new Low Power FM Station in Yakima, WA.
>
> CALVARY CHAPEL OF THE SANDHILLS. Reinstated and Granted
> the
> Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Aberdeen, NC.
>
> CALVARY CHAPEL OF MANITOWAC, INC. Reinstated and Granted
> the
> Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Manitowac, WI.
>
>
> CALVARY CHAPEL OF RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA. Reinstated the
> Application for a new Low Power FM Station in Rancho Santa
> Margarita, CA.
>
go to the seattle board (pg.2?) and look at the RESPONSE FROM SEN.CANTWELL
This is the answer I got when I address that same question.(is this local?)
BTW she will get plenty more letters from me in the future.(2 a week)

 

[level42]

OK, seems that a bit of clarification is needed. First off, CSN is not associated with Calvary Chapel. From www.csnradio.com: "CSN International/Calvary Satellite Network (CSN) is a non-profit, Christian, radio ministry and is not part of any other group, organization, or corporation, including those with similar names and/or similar goals". Second, the LPFM's are not owned by a single group. All are owned by individual churches that decided on their own to puruse a radio ministry. Third, there are NO LPFM's rebroadcasting CSN. Some of the LPFM's are running some of the same pastors that are broadcast on CSN (Adrian Rogers, J. Vernon McGee, Greg Laurie, etc...). Some of this programming may come via satellite (but not from CSN), it also may come from FTP, CD's, etc. The one Calvary Chapel LPFM that I have been involved with runs local pastors and church services, local events/news, local interviews, etc. I believe that many others are doing the same. The misconception is that all of these LPFM's are controlled by one entity...which is not true. There is no governing body over these locally-ownded LPFM's and the local churches are free to do with them as they see fit for their community. Religious/Spiritual programming is special interest programming just like public radio, etc. Just wanted to clear up a few inaccurate statements. Thanks.

-Chris Hall
www.reelaudio.net