Here's one for the records.....WIFI Forfeiture

[qtpieislit]

So sad, good work gone bad. I actually helped Mike Venditti construct 1460/WIFI back in the 90’s. The original transmitter was a used 5kw Canadian, that he picked up for a song. I think shipping the monstrosity was more expensive than the purchase price. All the studio equipment was also used, and rebuilt to spec. Mike was a wizard at that sort of thing. At the time he also owned 1020/WIBG and that studio was completely tube rebuilt equiptment. Even the power amps were tubes. You should have seen that studio glow in the dark with the lights out. It was way too cool. Mike was an AM magician. Wow, I enjoyed AM radio. Where have those simple transmission systems days gone? Oh yea, the internet! lol.


NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE

Released: June 2, 2008

By the District Director, Philadelphia Office, Northeast Region,
Enforcement Bureau:

I. INTRODUCTION

1. In this Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture ("NAL"), we find
that Real Life Broadcasting ("Real Life"), licensee of station WIFI,
in Florence, New Jersey apparently willfully and repeatedly violated
Sections 73.1745(a), 11.35, 73.49, and 73.3526(e)(12) of the
Commission's Rules ("Rules") by operating station WIFI with excessive
power, failing to maintain an operational EAS system, failing to
maintain an effective enclosure at the base of the WIFI tower, and
failing to maintain issues/program lists in the public inspection
file. We conclude, pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended ("Act"), that Real Life is apparently liable
for a forfeiture in the amount of twenty three thousand ($23,000).


http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-282770A1.html

 

[Rockin Rob]

I assume this means 1460 is off the air. Is the license now up for grabs (probably read "to the highest bidder"), or is the allocation on its way to being deleted?

 

[tom]

I assume this means 1460 is off the air. Is the license now up for grabs (probably read "to the highest bidder"), or is the allocation on its way to being deleted?

Why would you even think that ? It's a fine. Not off the air, not being deleted.

It's a violation of four FCC rules ... EAS, power, public file, tower fence.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Something about the word FORFEITURE which makes me raise the ol eyebrow. Plus, Sam's description made it seem like a eulogy for 1460AM. Perhaps an off dayfor yours truly?

 

[jimwalsh2001]

I watched Mike and Kevin Fennessy co-host a live cast on WIFI from (I think) the Burleigh County Fair in the late summer/early fall of '93. Or it might have been '92, I'm kinda fuzzy on the date as well... :

What I do remember vividly is that those two gentlemen made some real radio magic that day... ;D

 

[K-Tel]

If they don't want this thing, I'd be glad to take it off their hands.

 

[luperm]

Maybe he's a wiz with electronics, but it sounds like he has little regard for FCC rules.

 

[qtpieislit]

Maybe he's a wiz with electronics, but it sounds like he has little regard for FCC rules.

Mike Venditti has since passed on, in the 90’s. The church that owns it and the current CE is responsible for those pesky little excessive power problems, among other basic transmitter maintenance issues.

 

[softmachine]

Maybe he's a wiz with electronics, but it sounds like he has little regard for FCC rules.

Mike Venditti has since passed on, in the 90’s. The church that owns it and the current CE is responsible for those pesky little excessive power problems, among other basic transmitter maintenance issues.

If they weren't maintaining the station, perhaps they don't have the money to do so, and this could mean a sale.

Anything that removes a station from the clutches of a church is a good thing IMHO.

 

[WTUX]

Interesting points. A church owns it. It violates numerous rules and regulations. What is it about church folks and being illegal at the same time?

 

[qtpieislit]

I guess ‘practice what you preach’, is overrated.

 

[cawasinnj]

Interesting points. A church owns it. It violates numerous rules and regulations. What is it about church folks and being illegal at the same time?

Maybe it's like Hebrew National Radio Stations. They answer to an even higher authority.

 

[softmachine]

Interesting points. A church owns it. It violates numerous rules and regulations. What is it about church folks and being illegal at the same time?

Maybe it's like Hebrew National Radio Stations. They answer to an even higher authority.

It's mostly filler and by-products.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Interesting points. A church owns it. It violates numerous rules and regulations. What is it about church folks and being illegal at the same time?

Maybe it's like Hebrew National Radio Stations. They answer to an even higher authority.

It's mostly filler and by-products.

AM1460 - It's Scrapple for your radio...

 

[amfmsw]

Scrapple?...somethin' ain't Kosher here.

I'll bet you dollars to donuts the FCC wouldn't have inspected the direct transmitter power readings if 1460 was still on 4 towers on Burlington Island in the Delaware River. Are they still standing? Just east of the Burlington-Bristol bridge.

 

[cawasinnj]

I'll bet you dollars to donuts the FCC wouldn't have inspected the direct transmitter power readings if 1460 was still on 4 towers on Burlington Island in the Delaware River.

I'm probably missing something obvious, but why wouldn't they?

 

[qtpieislit]

I'll bet you dollars to donuts the FCC wouldn't have inspected the direct transmitter power readings if 1460 was still on 4 towers on Burlington Island in the Delaware River.

I'm probably missing something obvious, but why wouldn't they?

I highly suspect that water foul may not have been particularly invader friendly during the navigate between the dry mainland and the 1460/Burlington Island transmitter site. Or maybe the FCC doesn’t make it a habit to carry around those handy life preservers during inspections, and unplanned encounters with cargo bearing ships. Perhaps it may just been as simple as water vapor recalibration and transport of bulky sensitive monitoring equipment through a subterranean environment on a particularly unsteady flotation device gave one protracted pause for consideration.

http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/piratejim/wjjz.html

 

[amfmsw]

What wonderful pictures! I've never seen them. it was like being in a time warp, except by 1981-2, that alcove was completely overgrown. We would teather the craft to a tree branch, grab the tool boxes, anticipated parts, and march.

Pirate Jim's pics are fabulous. It was indeed a Gates turn key, save an RCA 77dx and EV 666 mics, a CBS Volumax/Audimax, two Magnacord recorders, and a Kahn Symetra-Peak.

Also, the photos failed to show a Gates Vanguard 1 XMTR, which was on the left at the entrance. It was really a great transmitter, their first solid-state unit, except for the final. Easy to service and stable. It was a 1kw backup, and sounded great...much better than the main 5kw.

One correction, it signed off at local sundown on Nov 1 1982, not 10/31. There was a last minute appeal to the FCC by the owners that day, which was denied. I personally gave the last Legal ID, turned off the Plate Voltage, then the filaments, then got flaming drunk. It was the saddest day.

 

[amfmsw]

Wow! all that technology and 30% efficiency! http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/gates-tx.htm

 

[fennessy]

What is happening to WIFI is not unlike a traditional Jewish circumscision. I've never heard of a "clip" like this, without a 15 yard penalty.