Catholic Diocese in Cape May County, New Jersey said they need $150,000 to put a lower power FM on the air and operate it for two years. It will just be airing EWTN Radio 24 hours per day, no staff, no studio, just a satellite dish, computer, low power transmitter and antenna lease? Doesn't that sound far too expensive? Does EWTN charge low power stations a fee for carrying their programs?
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EWTN Low Power Station
- Thread starter fichteradio
- Start date
fichteradio said:
That seems a little high ... but I don't know their specifics on "how" they are figuring that cost.
No charge for carriage of EWTN programming, it's free. I think this was a station I applied for for the local group.
Typical startup for an lpfm should be $20k max for equipment. I can build them for 10k. What the other 140,000k is for is anybody's guess.
Typical startup for an lpfm should be $20k max for equipment. I can build them for 10k. What the other 140,000k is for is anybody's guess.
ChiefEngineer said:
The other $$$ is so whomever is "in charge" .. meaning drives by once a week to ensure that the transmitter is still there and still pumping out automated programming from down south takes home 65k a year! (I want that job)
I am certain that the extra money is being allocated to lease expenses for the transmitter, tower and satellite receivers plus utilities and not just paying for a drive by engineer. But continuing on that last theme we have a local American Family Radio outlet at 88.1 MHZ has been transmitting dead carrier for at least a month that I am aware.
Is that a violation and could they be forced to forfeit the license?
Is that a violation and could they be forced to forfeit the license?
nmoore6676 said:
Good question...
Theoretically they're required to run a legal ID on the hour. For years, stations have been getting away with running this ID pretty much any time they want.
Is this a full station or a translator? If it's a translator, it may be IDing in a way that's not audible on an ordinary radio. The free speech provisions of the First Amendment would seem to guarantee the right to not speak at all.*
Now... while I can't cite it and may be mis-remembering, I thought I read of the dismissal of a complaint against a station that ran dead air for days without IDing. From what I remember (and again, this may be a defective memory) the argument was that the station was not "operating".
Presuming the FCC *does* consider weeks of dead air without IDs to be a violation, I highly doubt they would regard it as sufficiently serious to revoke the station's license.
* that said, one should note the Commission ruled a TV station in Alabama did not "operate", for the purpose of avoiding the loss of their license for being off the air more than a year, by broadcasting a few hours of test pattern. They expected some kind of programming.
nmoore6676 said:
What's the location of AFR 88.1 Mhz ... The City...
No one listens to low power FM stations.
xmusicmatt said:
Ottumwa, Iowa and it is listed with 250 watts ERP. According to radio locator it is a repeater for WAFR and per the FCC data is actually owned by AFR. I have e-mailed them and so far received only an auto-reply. Likely no one is listening however there are community groups who would love the opportunity for a local radio voice.
nmoore6676 said:
K201CJ, a translator. (you can tell because there's a number in the callsign) Translators located outside the coverage area of the primary station and which are fed by means other than off-air reception must be owned by the same organization that owns the primary station. Obviously, Ottumwa is a LONG way outside the coverage area of any Mississippi station, and they sure aren't going to receive WAFR off-air
They probably don't have long to live. A different religious organization* holds a permit for a full-license station on 88.3. When KQLF comes on the air, 88.1 will be required to sign off. (or move to a different frequency, but I see no evidence they've filed the FCC paperwork necessary to make that move)
Anyway, in the short term it is possible this station is IDing in Morse Code. Such IDs are usually not audible on an ordinary radio.
* "SOUND IN SPIRIT BROADCASTING, INC", which I've never heard of.
w9wi said:
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