From the Portland radio board:
No idea what these other pirates might be.
No idea what these other pirates might be.
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They got DJ Alan
- Thread starter SeattleObserver
- Start date
That's my reaction as well. All the BIG issues that need FCC leadership and they are usually nowhere to be found. But the minor stuff ... they are ON IT.
Then again, it seems to parallel the whole DC mindset, where it's all about how things LOOK, but let's not do any of the heavy lifting....save that for the person who has my job after I'm gone.
Then again, it seems to parallel the whole DC mindset, where it's all about how things LOOK, but let's not do any of the heavy lifting....save that for the person who has my job after I'm gone.
Under a fairly new interpretation of the FCC rules, interference that would be prohibited from other U.S. stations is now allowed from Canadian stations.
Thanks partly to the urging of a well known Seattle broadcast engineering firm, the prohibition against received interference is now interpreted as only interference coming from stations regulated by the FCC. Obviously, Canadian stations are not regulated by the FCC.
This new mindset has allowed the FCC to grant stations along the border that will knowingly be blasted by more powerful Canadian stations. Without this improved way of understanding the FCC rules, several new stations and upgrades of existing stations around the Puget Sound would never have been allowed.
The result is more stations for everybody. You may not be able to hear them over the interference, but they're out there serving the public good.
Just not very well.
Thanks partly to the urging of a well known Seattle broadcast engineering firm, the prohibition against received interference is now interpreted as only interference coming from stations regulated by the FCC. Obviously, Canadian stations are not regulated by the FCC.
This new mindset has allowed the FCC to grant stations along the border that will knowingly be blasted by more powerful Canadian stations. Without this improved way of understanding the FCC rules, several new stations and upgrades of existing stations around the Puget Sound would never have been allowed.
The result is more stations for everybody. You may not be able to hear them over the interference, but they're out there serving the public good.
Just not very well.
There was a mention in one of the recent NAB daily headline emails about government folk from WA (McDermott, Adam Smith, and one other, I believe) seeking regulation about cross-border signal guidelines. Goal is to prevent US stations from being wiped off the map as the band gets more crowded. Anyone following this?
D
DJ Alan
Guest
Yup... they got me fair and square. The FCC was in my apartment building with meters looking for me on 11/1. They didn't knock on my door as far as I know. I heard about it from my apartment managers and shut the transmitter off the next morning at 9am. Many listened to the station (and even first discovered the station) during drive times, when they would be stuck in downtown traffic or on I-5 so I wanted to give those listeners a hearty 'thank you' and to let them know it was the last unlicensed broadcast they would hear from Spunk Fm and that they could still get the station online and via mobile phone.
I tried to contact the FCC but couldn't connect with anyone at the Kirkland office. About a month later I received the official NOUO and contacted the Kirkland office again, a receptionist took my message and I got a call the next morning from the 'Acting Director' of the Kirkland office. Kristine has retired, the new Acting Director is Larry Zanella and he sure seems like a very nice guy. We had a great conversation about the station and I expressed my desire to get the station licensed. Local offices don't deal with licensing anymore, just enforcement, but Larry gave me the contact info that he knew of to start the licensing process. There is no fine that I am facing... In fact Larry was happy to hear that I had shut the transmitter down the day after the first visit. I had resumed broadcasting with my transmitter at part 15 levels but also turned that off so I can get the power levels 'verified' as to being in compliance with Part 15.
I would be in trouble if I had kept broadcasting and defied the FCC NOUO order... that would truly be foolish to do. The whole goal is to get licensed. If I would have been fined and had charges brought against me, then I would not have ever been able to get a license as the rules currently stand.
In the end, everything is OK. Larry is a great guy, I never have had any anger towards the FCC at all, I want to work with them to get Spunk FM back on the air legally. You can still get Spunk online and mobile anyway, so the mission of the station lives on right now. Now my mission is to start my Indiegogo campaign to pay for the lawyer and other costs to get the licensing started. Here we gooooo.... long process but it has always been part of the mission and part of the plan from the start. Newspapers and magazines want to do articles on the station and my efforts.
Not all pirate stations are on a mission just to 'break the law' and defy the government. My station is meant to make the world a better place, one listener at a time, one small community at a time... and it has already literally saved at least one life that I know of. Many more listened because they like my mix and the upbeat sound of the station. It is working.
If you want to help the mission at all, go to the stations Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SpunkFMSeattle and share your thoughts on what Spunk FM means to Seattle.
Have a GREAT EVENING!!!
DJ Alan
I tried to contact the FCC but couldn't connect with anyone at the Kirkland office. About a month later I received the official NOUO and contacted the Kirkland office again, a receptionist took my message and I got a call the next morning from the 'Acting Director' of the Kirkland office. Kristine has retired, the new Acting Director is Larry Zanella and he sure seems like a very nice guy. We had a great conversation about the station and I expressed my desire to get the station licensed. Local offices don't deal with licensing anymore, just enforcement, but Larry gave me the contact info that he knew of to start the licensing process. There is no fine that I am facing... In fact Larry was happy to hear that I had shut the transmitter down the day after the first visit. I had resumed broadcasting with my transmitter at part 15 levels but also turned that off so I can get the power levels 'verified' as to being in compliance with Part 15.
I would be in trouble if I had kept broadcasting and defied the FCC NOUO order... that would truly be foolish to do. The whole goal is to get licensed. If I would have been fined and had charges brought against me, then I would not have ever been able to get a license as the rules currently stand.
In the end, everything is OK. Larry is a great guy, I never have had any anger towards the FCC at all, I want to work with them to get Spunk FM back on the air legally. You can still get Spunk online and mobile anyway, so the mission of the station lives on right now. Now my mission is to start my Indiegogo campaign to pay for the lawyer and other costs to get the licensing started. Here we gooooo.... long process but it has always been part of the mission and part of the plan from the start. Newspapers and magazines want to do articles on the station and my efforts.
Not all pirate stations are on a mission just to 'break the law' and defy the government. My station is meant to make the world a better place, one listener at a time, one small community at a time... and it has already literally saved at least one life that I know of. Many more listened because they like my mix and the upbeat sound of the station. It is working.
If you want to help the mission at all, go to the stations Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SpunkFMSeattle and share your thoughts on what Spunk FM means to Seattle.
Have a GREAT EVENING!!!
DJ Alan
DJ Alan said:
Alan, What Larry didn't tell you is that you are already out of the game as far as LPFM is concerned. Once you've gotten a NOUO, LPFM rules prohibit you from getting a license. These were specifically written into the LPFM license application. Incredibly you can still get a full power commercial license. No doubt this is "FCC payback" to the pirates who slammed the commission for so many years. There was talk of taking that "pirate provision" out of the LPFM application but I've never heard of any follow up on the proposal.
Since he hasn't been convicted of anything in a court of law, he is not a pirate.
And since he's not likely to receive anything other than a warning, he's still not a pirate.
And unlike Alan, I DO have quite a few bones to pick with the FCC. But there's not much point.
And since he's not likely to receive anything other than a warning, he's still not a pirate.
And unlike Alan, I DO have quite a few bones to pick with the FCC. But there's not much point.
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