Franken FM for Pittsburgh

[gimmus]

We thought that mandated DTV for all low-power TV stations would end the Franken FM issue. Apparently, not so.

http://bit.ly/e8M1td

It's a new filing by the owner of WPBA-LP, the low-power channel 6 in Pittsburgh. As described in the filing by Venture Technologies Group, LLP, they propose to convert the station to digital and use custom signal processing to provide a space for an analog FM station within their 6 MHz channel. (87.9)

Venture has filed an identical application for their LPTV-6 station in Los Angeles, and they have at least two other LPTV-6 stations. If they get the FCC's approval of this non-standard DTV operation, I anticipate other LPTV-6 stations following suit.

 

[gimmus]

The "regular" URL

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=101421321&formid=346&fac_num=189317

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Thought that was "Al Franken al the time"

 

[gimmus]

No, it's a method where a LPTV station programs its audio as an FM station and not a TV, often blowing off the video entirely. The Franken FM's that appeared in the last few years have been fought as a mis-use of the rules and it was thought that making them go digital would stop that.

Now we have a broadcaster that wants to do a LPTV digital station in Pittsburgh on CH6 but with new technology developed by Pittsburgh based Axcera to drop an analog FM carrier in there as well at 87.9.

If this is allowed it will bring many applications for the same thing. Technically it is against the rules but with loopholes some are exploiting it. To me it would seem more logical to put all DTV stations in the UHF band to make it a more level playing field. It's either a TV or an FM but the commission just won't decide. While 87.9 is channel 200 it is very very rarely licensed for FM. I believe there is only one.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Thought that was "Al Franken al the time"

HA! At least they'd be at the far left end of the dial! ;D

 

[Rallen1st]

Thought that was "Al Franken al the time"

The name intrigued me too... I'm sure most of you already googled it... but if you didn't... here's how it became Franken-FM...

http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Franken_FMs.htm

 

[w9wi]

Now we have a broadcaster that wants to do a LPTV digital station in Pittsburgh on CH6 but with new technology developed by Pittsburgh based Axcera to drop an analog FM carrier in there as well at 87.9.

I read the Axcera paper linked from their application.

It's certainly interesting and changed my opinion on whether you can clear enough spectrum in a DTV signal to make room for an analog FM carrier.

I'm still not convinced it will actually *work* though. I mean, it *will* clear a hole in the spectrum -- but whether you can stuff an FM signal in that hole and have receivers still able to receive the DTV signal, I'm not nearly so sure. The intent of Axcera's development is to keep the DTV signal away from the channel edges & avoid interference to two-way services on adjacent channels. (there are, for example, restrictions on the use of channel 51 to avoid adjacent-channel interference to services in what used to be channel 52)

In the intended application, there would be *nothing* in the spectrum being cleared out. Receivers can deal with that. In this FrankenFM case, they intend to stick an analog FM signal there. I still very much doubt you can do that and have the TV side still work.

Of course, these FrankenFM stations really *don't care* if the TV side doesn't work. But I think the FCC probably cares.

In the KZND-LP situation in Alaska, the LPTV-6 station didn't even bother transmitting a visual carrier. The Commission called them on the carpet for that. (and they lit up a visual signal with some unrelated material. The regs explicitly allow that.)

My suspicion is WBPA will receive the same reaction if they do something that makes reception of their TV signal impossible.

 

[FreddyE1977]

all of this is making a really good case for just making Channel 6 go away
and expanding the lower end of the FM band.