Indiana Stations And Community Of License

[greenboy]

Thanks Flying-Dutchman. I hope that LPAM does get aproved as I am trying to work on my PART-15 AM it would be nice to legally
get more than 1 milliwatt.

Greenboy

 

[justalurker]

I confused about something, I thought translators were only allowed to rebroadcast the signal of the originating station, in other words no original programming at all. I thought the rules were the same for comm and non comm broadcasters. If anyone could clarify what the differences are between translators,boosters and LPFM'S and what they can and can not be used for I would appreciate it. I thought I knew the differences but this thread opened some Questions in my mind. I was also wondering if the FCC is going to allow low powered AM stations to broadcast on translators or boosters to help improve there coverage. I know this is not an engineering board, but I saw an engineer on here so I thought I would ask.

The rules are the same but different ... it depends on if it is a commercial or non-commercial translator (the location in the FM band) and whether the translator is entirely within the protected coverage of the main station. YES - translators (comm and non-comm) must repeat the signal of their main station. The exception is 30 seconds per hour where the feed can be interrupted to acknowledge or solicit local support.

Translators pick up a signal from one station and transmit that signal on a different frequency than the main station. Boosters pick up a signal from one station and transmit that signal on the SAME frequency as the main station. Boosters MUST be within the protected contour of the main station.

Translators can be within or outside the protected contour of the main station. Commercial translators that cross outside that protected contour (even if only a little bit) cannot be owned or controlled by the same ownership as the main station. Non-commercial translators can cross outside the protected contour (even across the entire country) but must be owned by same ownership as the main station. Commercial translators CAN be fed by non-commercial translators that are fed across the country by other means.

Commercial translators WITHIN the protected contours of their main station that are co-owned can be fed by any terrestrial means. This works nicely when terrain gets in the way and a translator is used for filling shadows.

Non-Commercial translators co-owned by the main station can be fed by any means, including satellite. This is where the satellitors come from.

Flying-Dutchman covered LPFMs better than I can.

There is a rulemaking in progress that will likely allow AM stations be translated on FM ... and the FCC is flushing out the 7000 pending translator applications from 2003 by limiting each remaining applicant to 10 remaining requests. Life is busy at the FCC.

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

The FCC hopes to set a new LPFM filing window sometime next year. With the new rules,

thousands of new channels will be open in the USA. New stations will sign on in Indiana towns

that have lost their station or never had one. There will be new service in the towns around Indy

and perhaps in Indy itself. LPFM stations can be built for under $10,000.

 

[RDO]

LPFM stations can be built for under $10,000.

Does that cost include all the legal stuff and engineering work before you even get the license?

Because I want to be one of those with an LPFM license in Indiana, so I need to start saving.

 

[kirkiefan]

Yes! The operative word here is "Loophole" which is how so many suburban and out of town stations have managed to move their studios to a larger community and giving lip service to its C.O.L. If you're bloddy rich,you can petition the FCC to have your way. Average small town broadcasters don't have the big bucks so they suffer or get sucked up by the clustercasters. Small market radio no longer has a kerosene cat's chance to survive.

Thank you Clear Channel and all the others for getting away with murder!
Corporate radio is no longer a "public trustee" or a public service...it's a piggy bank for the fortunate few.

 

[shortbaldguy2007]

I grew up in Hendricks county and I remember when the old WART in Plainfield moved to Indy, then when WGRT in Danville did the same. We lost our local coverage. Then the station in Brownsburg went on the air and we had local radio again. But alas, it soon went the way of the others. I would love to see local radio again, if for nothing more than local HS sports. I know it's hard to do these days, but a guy can hope, can't he?

 

[Timewarp]

Someone on the Cincinnati board wrote this poem about the new FCC ruling. Very funny!

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,88320.msg666574.html#new

Twas the night before Christmas, When All through the station
not a dj was stirring, thanks automation
With prep sheets and headphones all locked in a trunk
Their positions not needed, Come! Holiday funk.

The GM's and Managers all snug in their bed
While visions of bonuses danced in their head
Away to the freestore ex-employees did flock
the same place they spoke for when they were a jock.

When from DC there came came such loud chatter
Did the FCC just say that local did matter?
To get the full word I turned on the news station
no word was forth coming.Crap! Syndication.

Desperate to prove I heard what I heard
I looked to the sky, the bird has the word.
Alas Sirrius and XM they're voice tracking too
just more canned programing for me and for you.

Yahoo and Google, I turned to the net
wiith my DSL modem at the speed of a jet
Found Nigerian Money and Hookers with humps
All not what I wanted, but my card balance jumped

And then on the home page of Radio-Info
came news of a union that many had hoped fo'
A mischievous picture of Randy Appeared
and even the Journal drew Sam with a Beard

On Tribune, On Local buy Entercom and Cume-less
what the hell buy Citadel, Westwood One and Emmis
time for fun, make some noise and go raise some hell
the chemistry is there with Michaels and Zell.

So I leave these thoughts whether probable or not
anything thing is better than the crummy hand we've got
To all in Radio-Info land I hope your future's bright
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!


Rumourmonger with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

I had to get a laugh out of that one!

 

[gr8oldies]

So are all the 100 or so residents of Battle Ground really going to gather around the radio to listen to "Battle Ground Today"? Somehow I won't hold my breath. You can't have a 6000 watt stick in Battleground and not broadcast to Lafayette. I'm having my doubts that anymore you even have an audience of people who live, work and play entirely within the bounds of a town like Danville. More than likely they work in Indianapolis or another suburb, shop at Castleton or Lafayette Square, and listen to Indianapolis radio stations. What exactly is the definition of "serving your community of license?" Swap shop? High School football? School lunch menus (gotten easily off the school's web site)? In 2007, what programming will attract that exurban audience...again, that doesn't consider itself "Danville first and only"? What if we have government mandated public affairs programming and nobody cares?

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

Good point. No doubt, airing that Battleground town meeting would hurt WASK. Not
only their ratings, but in the pocket too. There are better examples like Springfield,
Ohio-population 70,000.

You wouldn't find me at a town hall meeting let alone listening to one. Maybe just a little local news.

 

[gr8oldies]

We've talked about Springfield before and how it's virtually impossible to get Springfielder's to live, shop, work and play in their own community, let alone listen to "Springfield-only" radio. I was one who tried to make it work in Springfield and burned myself out trying.

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

This biz can leave a sour taste in your mouth at times. Next year the FCC will open
a filing window for thousands of new small local FM stations. There are many who
will want to try this.

There are always those who will think they can do it better. They will come.

 

[justalurker]

LPFM stations can be built for under $10,000.

I wish I could turnkey a translator for under $10,000 (engineering fees, transmitter, receiver, antennas, coax, etc.). There are some savings since the receiver and receive antenna are not needed (and a chunk of coax). But the other stuff (studios and studio equipment, processors, etc) more than make up for that.

$25,000 ???? I wouldn't commit to starting a LPFM unless I had at least that much available and was sure that the ongoing costs could be covered (from the power bill to tower rental, if needed).

Does that cost include all the legal stuff and engineering work before you even get the license?

The legal and engineering work can vary. There are some decent folks who will do an engineering filing for $1000 ... then you pay the legal council on a retainer for his work. Most of that cost depends on just what it is you want to do and how many changes you have to make along the way. If you can make a plan and stick to it and don't run into problems at the FCC these costs can be kept down.

 

[justalurker]

The "serving locals" will be met pretty easily. If the FCC requires a viewer advisory board from that community the station will just have to seek the listeners they want to serve to be on it. Unless there is some sort of requirement for "open community meetings" about the station these boards should be easy to set up.

Get some people from Battle Ground who work in Lafayette ... ask them if they want information about Lafayette on their local station. Most will say yes. The token mentions of happenings in the community of license may not even be needed ... certainly no boring board coverage. It all depends on what the "listener advisory board" wants ... and while the board could complain to the FCC during the next license renewal if they are not listened to, I hardly see a listener board being binding.