daytimer carrying nighttime football

[breannaamyjo]

we have a daytimer in our market that has been broadcasting high school football games on friday nights. We just realized they shouldn't be on after dark - obviously a daytimer - and want to know what the FCC does in this sort of situation.

They also stay on for election results.

is there a difference between staying on for something like elections, compared to a football game?

we don't want the FCC tocome calling in our area, but this is a direct violation as far as I know.

any suggestions? and what would their penalty/fine be?

 

[oldiesstation]

Looks like you answered your own question when you said you don't want them(fcc)to come calling.If you do ,you better be sure your facility is up to date,public files, eas,etc.I remember years ago a station reported another to the commisssion.Well, as it turned out the inspectors went to the other station as well.Just happens the tower was about 3 miles from the approved site.Guess who got a nice fine??Maybe the daytimer has post sunset authorization.hard to guess since i don't know what facillity you're talking about.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

we have a daytimer in our market that has been broadcasting high school football games on friday nights. We just realized they shouldn't be on after dark - obviously a daytimer - and want to know what the FCC does in this sort of situation.

They also stay on for election results.

is there a difference between staying on for something like elections, compared to a football game?

we don't want the FCC tocome calling in our area, but this is a direct violation as far as I know.

any suggestions? and what would their penalty/fine be?

Unless you want to get visited, don't report them.. and unless you report them, nothing will be done........... and even if someone else reports them, expect to get a visit from the FCC anyways.

The penalty for operating past sunset when you're a daytimer is usually like $5K or $6K.

If you PM me and tell me where and who the station is, I'll check and see if they have a "PLAN" for night power or Post Sunset authority.

When they are on past sunset, is their signal weaker then during the day?

 

[bossbill]

Many original daytimers received post-sunset and also very limited night power. One in Olympia was like 7 watts or 26 watts, or something in that range. On 920 kHz, it actually could be heard several miles away, covering most of the immediate market.

And there may still be a few AMs around that are authorized fulltime but operating "specfied hours" due to market size. My first station was 1 kw fulltime with specified hours of 6:30a-6:30p and 8a-4p on Sunday. Then the station would stay on air for ballgames and election returns.

 

[boiseengineer]

Don't ya know that's officially called "High School Football Nighttime Authorization". Used by many daytimers around the country.

 

[radiogooroo]

Don't ya know that's officially called "High School Football Nighttime Authorization". Used by many daytimers around the country.

I always thought it was PSSA or Post Sunset Sports Authority.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Don't ya know that's officially called "High School Football Nighttime Authorization". Used by many daytimers around the country.

I always thought it was PSSA or Post Sunset Sports Authority.

The High School Football Authority/Authorizaiton is just a hoke, obviously.. but a good one

If a station had a health Post Sunset Authority it could theoretically use that to do football games, but in some cases, the PSSA would expire (2 hours) before or during the middle of the game!

 

[Rockin Rob]

Not sure if this would qualify as the same thing (probably not), but WPAZ/Pottstown PA is 1K Day and an authorized 52w night, yet they CHOOSE to sign off at 7PM (6PM Sundays). They are an affiliate of the (World Champion) Philadelphia Phillies and fill the local stopsets with PSAs or "live read" weather/LID. The thing is I could have sworn this was a daytime-only station. Much to my chagrin, I discovered the nighttime auth.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Not sure if this would qualify as the same thing (probably not), but WPAZ/Pottstown PA is 1K Day and an authorized 52w night, yet they CHOOSE to sign off at 7PM (6PM Sundays). They are an affiliate of the (World Champion) Philadelphia Phillies and fill the local stopsets with PSAs or "live read" weather/LID. The thing is I could have sworn this was a daytime-only station. Much to my chagrin, I discovered the nighttime auth.

They were one of the daytimers probably assigned night power by the FCC around 1990.. and that's different then Pre Sunrise/Post Sunset Authority.

There's nothing saying you have to stay on past sunset even if you have night power.. and if you sign off earlier, there's nothing stopping you from staying on well past sunset when events such as sports play by play warrant it.

 

[bossbill]

Unless the rules have changed (and they certainly could have), a fulltimer is required to be on air at least 2/3 of the hours between 6am and 6pm and 2/3 of the hours between 6pm and midnight, or something like that. "specified hours" was specific authority given upon request to small market fulltimers who could not afford to stay on the air at night, and may be somewhat of a dinosaur with today's technology where it is less expensive to stay on 24/7 than pay somebody to sign on and sign off.

Pre-sunrise and post-sunset authority was to allow daytimers to be on the air during morning and afternoon drive time even in the midst of winter.

I was not aware of authority to permit a daytimer to stay on air for football games. Again, maybe that one passed me by.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Unless the rules have changed (and they certainly could have), a fulltimer is required to be on air at least 2/3 of the hours between 6am and 6pm and 2/3 of the hours between 6pm and midnight, or something like that. "specified hours" was specific authority given upon request to small market fulltimers who could not afford to stay on the air at night, and may be somewhat of a dinosaur with today's technology where it is less expensive to stay on 24/7 than pay somebody to sign on and sign off.

Pre-sunrise and post-sunset authority was to allow daytimers to be on the air during morning and afternoon drive time even in the midst of winter.

I was not aware of authority to permit a daytimer to stay on air for football games. Again, maybe that one passed me by.

I know some stations that have peanut night power who just choose to sign off at sunset rather then use their single digit night pwoer.


If a station

 

[nd2023]

Unless the rules have changed (and they certainly could have), a fulltimer is required to be on air at least 2/3 of the hours between 6am and 6pm and 2/3 of the hours between 6pm and midnight, or something like that. "specified hours" was specific authority given upon request to small market fulltimers who could not afford to stay on the air at night, and may be somewhat of a dinosaur with today's technology where it is less expensive to stay on 24/7 than pay somebody to sign on and sign off.

Pre-sunrise and post-sunset authority was to allow daytimers to be on the air during morning and afternoon drive time even in the midst of winter.

I was not aware of authority to permit a daytimer to stay on air for football games. Again, maybe that one passed me by.

I know some stations that have peanut night power who just choose to sign off at sunset rather then use their single digit night pwoer.


If a station

Would it cost more than just the electricity to have automated music at night instead of signing off?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

If you're off the air, you don't have to pay BMI/ASCAP/SESAC fees.