EMF & FCC regs

[MightyFrenchman]

How is it that satellite-fed stations owned by groups like K-Love and American Family Radio don't have to obey the FCC regulations that require a station to have a studio in the city of license or within a certain contour of the signal? The purpose of the regulation is that the station be available to serve the local community, be aware of local needs, etc. Where is the public file, required by FCC regulation, kept for the public to see? How is it that these groups don't have to obey the rules and regs that other stations do?

 

[ngriffin]

It's called a main studio waiver. The FCC will grant them to non-commercial stations if they can show that maintaining a local studio would be a burden. From the number of them, they must not be too hard to get. I believe that the licensee still has to maintain a public file in the city of license (often times at a law office or public library) and have a local or toll-free number.

There have been some non-comms busted for not having waivers. The one that comes to mind is the AFR station in Wichita a few years back.

 

[bkeim]

Yeah that is true...the studio waiver has a statement that says something along the lines of "Seeing how (Company) is a non-profit broadcaster, with limited funds, it is in best interest to serve the community from a centralized location. "

 

[northernlightsmedia]

I would not say the EMF has limited funds would you?

 

[Field_strength]

Actually, having a "local studio" is not hard to do. The AFR station in our market has a local studio. It's just a mixer, mic, and CD player mounted into the same rack as the transmitter. I guess as long as they can originate programming, it counts as a local studio.

 

[Chuck]

The "gottcha" is when the transmitter is located outside of the City of License. That is fairly common. Then a waiver is required.

 

[radiomaps]

The Facts. What the FCC main studio rule actually says.

The Main Studio Rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2005/octqtr/47cfr73.1125.htm

For FM this is the 70 dBu (50,50) contour.

How the Commission interprets the rule:

(Copied from: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2006/DA-06-664A1.html):

Section 73.1125(a) of the Rules requires the licensee of a broadcast
station to maintain a main studio at one of the following locations:
(1) within the station's community of license; (2) at any location
within the principal community contour of any AM, FM or TV broadcast
station licensed to the station's community of license; or (3) within
twenty-five miles from the reference coordinates of the center of its
community of license as described in Section 73.208(a)(1). In
addition, the station's main studio must serve the needs and interests
of the residents of the station's community of license. To fulfill
this function, a station must, among other things, maintain a
meaningful managerial and staff presence at its main studio. The
Commission has defined a minimally acceptable "meaningful presence" as
full-time managerial and full-time staff personnel. In addition, there
must be "management and staff presence" on a full-time basis during
normal business hours to be considered "meaningful." Although
management personnel need not be "chained to their desks" during
normal business hours, they must "report to work at the main studio on
a daily basis, spend a substantial amount of time there and ... use
the studio as a home base."

Doesn't matter if the transmitter is or isn't located in the city of license. A microphone and mixer at a transmitter site in a rack next to the transmitter wouldn't qualify for a main studio (no meaningful staff presence, public file, etc.).

 

[Chuck]

Re: The Facts. What the FCC main studio rule actually says.

Doesn't matter if the transmitter is or isn't located in the city of license. A microphone and mixer at a transmitter site in a rack next to the transmitter wouldn't qualify for a main studio (no meaningful staff presence, public file, etc.).

Thanks for the clarification. It's great to actually learn something from these boards. In any case, EMF seems to be the masters of getting waivers. They are in the process of taking over KTPB in Kilgore, TX. The issue of the main studio has cropped up, and many residents are quite unhappy about EMF's answer. They plan no local presence. The sale is still pending FCC approval. It has been in limbo for several months.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

How is it that satellite-fed stations owned by groups like K-Love and American Family Radio don't have to obey the FCC regulations that require a station to have a studio in the city of license or within a certain contour of the signal? The purpose of the regulation is that the station be available to serve the local community, be aware of local needs, etc. Where is the public file, required by FCC regulation, kept for the public to see? How is it that these groups don't have to obey the rules and regs that other stations do?

The local station in Indy had a main studio waiver but this didn't transfer with the sale. K-Love has a studio in Greenwood (COL Greencastle) and has no waiver but based on the $$ EMF has expect it.

 

[C414B]

Re: The Facts. What the FCC main studio rule actually says.

Doesn't matter if the transmitter is or isn't located in the city of license. A microphone and mixer at a transmitter site in a rack next to the transmitter wouldn't qualify for a main studio (no meaningful staff presence, public file, etc.).

Thanks for the clarification. It's great to actually learn something from these boards. In any case, EMF seems to be the masters of getting waivers. They are in the process of taking over KTPB in Kilgore, TX. The issue of the main studio has cropped up, and many residents are quite unhappy about EMF's answer. They plan no local presence. The sale is still pending FCC approval. It has been in limbo for several months.

And thank you for the KTPB update! I've been wondering what the status of that transaction is.

 

[Chuck]

Re: The Facts. What the FCC main studio rule actually says.

And thank you for the KTPB update! I've been wondering what the status of that transaction is.

So do a lot of people at Kilgore College. They though this would be past them by now.