That is incorrect. Commercial radio stations operate in the commercial band of radio (basically 87.9 thru 107.9 MHz). The FCC exists partially to protect this band so that only commercial entities that have legally obtained a license can operate and broadcast within that band. The FCC does not exist to promote "cultural diversity" as you suggest in the post above. These are not public frequencies that anyone can just pop up an antenna and start broadcasting, which is why pirate radio stations are illegal. If you want public airwaves that's what the amateur radio and CB bands are for.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
That is incorrect. Commercial radio stations operate in the commercial band of radio (basically 87.9 thru 107.9 MHz). The FCC exists partially to protect this band so that only commercial entities that have legally obtained a license can operate and broadcast within that band. The FCC does not exist to promote "cultural diversity" as you suggest in the post above. These are not public frequencies that anyone can just pop up an antenna and start broadcasting, which is why pirate radio stations are illegal. If you want public airwaves that's what the amateur radio and CB bands are for.
None of what I posted is "incorrect". Your reply is somewhat out of context to what I posted. Everyone here knows the specifications of the FM band, that commercial licenses are assigned by the FCC and this is not the pubic band we are discussing.
These are all public airwaves regardless of the FCC technical designation of public band. Official public frequencies are not part of this discussion. My reference to "public" is that we have a representative government elected by the people of this country that created the FCC to:
FCC said:
The comments in quotes are directly from the FCC charter. They have failed their mission.
Back in 2008 the FCC commissioner explains their failure further.
FCC said:
They are useless. Let the pirates reign.
Last edited:
Well Said! I would like to see a station like 87.7 turn alternative but it is what it is. I just wish that new station played old school hip hop with r&b. Old School 103.9
Those words were written for a nascent industry about 80 years ago, when there were fewer than 600 radio stations in the whole country and no alternatives. Today there are over 15,000 stations, plus the Internet and countless streams and news sources. The words have to stand in the context of the society radio must serve; it is vastly more diverse and fragmented today so serving the whole consists of each station serving a small part. And some parts can't be served by radio any more.
Pirates are dangerous. Their equipment generally is crummy, cheap and poorly installed and it often interferes with other services out of the band.
I was on a flight inbound to Miami some years back (Miami has a surplus of crappy pirates) on final approach. Suddenly, the pilot applied full thrust to the engines and came out of his descent into a steep climb and bank. We went far around over the Everglades, and the pilot came on and explained that a Kreyol-speaking radio station had overriden the communications with the tower on his approach and he aborted the take-off. All operations were switched to another channel.
I don't want citizens dying due to shitty pirate gear interfering with police, emergency and aircraft operations.
Last edited:
They have been repeated and reaffirmed as part of their charter and the recent updates to the telecom Act. I even provided you quotes from the FCC commissioner as recent as 2008.
NYC is over served. Rockland/Westchester are under severed. You don't allow a station that has served these areas for 60 years to relocate outside of the region. This is exactly what is not supposed to happen as explained by the commissioner.
Whether the FCC exists or not, crime will still happen. This is why legal remedies-authorities exist and should take appropriate action in cases of interference.
MTNProductions
Banned
As you know, I have a lists of DJ's will do their final shows on WFAS-FM this Friday or Monday. Jolana Smith will do her final morning show from 6-10 AM along with Hartman from 3-7 PM, he will also do his final afternoon drive show and Ron James from 7-midnight. He will also do his final shows on WFAS-FM, plus all of the DJ's will be saying goodbyes and reflecting back on the station's history. I will be recording this show off of iHeartRadio this Friday or Monday. By July 4th, I will record the launch of an urban AC station. I hope some people will be waiting for this.
Oh..you folks are basically circling the drain with most of these replies, let's stick to the interesting more important questions...like...
Will Cumulus break out the WHEEL OF FORMATS AGAIN?!
Will Cumulus break out the WHEEL OF FORMATS AGAIN?!
The WFAS-FM move was approved in 2007. The commissioner made his comments in 2008. The FCC adopted their Rural Radio proceeding in 2011 which, among other things, makes moves like these much more difficult.
Sure, I am done, you can get back to shilling for the FCC and the corporate radio monopolies.
Last edited:
Just because an archaic concept has been reiterated by a political appointee does not mean that the concept is valid.
In the case of radio, metro area listeners show by their measured actions that they vastly prefer the major stations over the little suburban stations, even within the coverage areas of those outlying stations. People identify more with the umbrella city and metro their community is part of than with the individual components.
Add in the fact that the local advertising base has changed with the Walmartization of America... with the chain stores and big boxes... and the significant reduction in local businesses that can afford radio advertising. When the revenue dries up, local service is no longer possible in many suburban operations.
But the folks who wrote the rules in the 30's had no idea this would happen. In fact, they thought a big "regional" station was 5 kw day 1 kw night on AM. That's not true any more, either.
Rockland and Westchester are part of the New York City metro. There is a reason why the FCC rules speak of "community of license" and not "city of license" and why, in the ascertainment era, community leaders from the area of service, not just one city, had to be interviewed.
So, with virtually all the significant NYC radio stations serving Rockland and Westchester, that area is definitely well served.
You do if it is technically possible, as the technical aspect is the main focus of the FCC... everything else is ancillary.
And, for its first 20 years, WFAS-FM duplicated the AM with no separate programming and a big 100 watts of power. Hardly any "service" in that.
So you know operating a pirate is a criminal act. It endangers public safety, as well. Yet you say, "Let the pirates reign". How do you reconcile the two?
The concepts of diversity, competition and equitable distribution of radio licenses are just as valid now as they were then. But I suppose some people only want this when it works in their favor and will mock political appointees for echoing sound policy.
Rockland and much of Westchester have very little in common with NYC. At least Westchester still has several options while Rockland has none on FM. What is available on AM like WRCR is such low power it does not cover enough of the county. There are markets much smaller than the population of Rockland county that have a wide range of diverse FM formats serving the community.
If NYC was predominately white and Rockland/Westchester were predominately what was considered minority groups, there were be outrage in these forums, cries of racism and public protests. But I suppose what amounts to cultural genocide of one culture on the airwaves has some how become acceptable.
It is foolish to believe that operating without a license will automatically mean interference. It is like saying we must ban all gun ownership because anyone that owns a gun is going to automatically start shooting people.
Sure, I am done, you can get back to shilling for the FCC and the corporate radio monopolies.
Dude grow up! You keep complaining a whining because you cant get your rock format. You looking bitter right now. Just give it up. Criticizing peoples comments because there tired of you complaining about no rock stations is nerve racking.
I disagree. In the 30's, there was AM radio and AM radio. There were no portable music devices. No FM. No Internet, no streaming, no online news sources. A typical top 10 market like Cleveland had 4 or 5 stations in that era. And outlying areas had none or one station. Most listening was at night, and it was predominantly network programming.
Move ahead to the 50's. The FCC had financial reporting requirements. Lying in them was a mortal sin. And half of US stations from the 50's into the 80's did not make money. At the same time, the viable facilities in each market generally increased three- or four-fold. By the 90's, consolidation was about the only answer, save for a drastic thinning of the herd.
Stations were cutting back on news and live programming because they could no longer make money. And by the end of the decade of consolidation, new media started fragmenting the audience. There is an astounding diversity, greatly increased competition and a broad distribution of voices. As the Millenials increasingly listen on devices other than radios, OTA radio... and the licences... are something of decreasing value and importance.
You and those appointees are viewing radio as only AM and FM. The public views satellite, Pandora and streaming in general as radio. Your point of view is too narrow by today's standards.
Rockland and Westchester are still part of the New York Metro. That's the unit the FCC uses to look at ownership caps and other aspects of operation.
And my point is that those local markets have lost a significant part of the independent merchant revenue base that sustained local radio in those smaller markets. WFAS-FM had lost more than 60% of its billing over the last 10 years, and it's options likely were to move or to go to a brokered, ethnic or religious format. The move is making better use of the facility as it gives more options to more people.
If you look at the ethnic composition of the NYC stations, you find plenty of facilities that have huge non-Hispanic white audience. There are, thus, plenty of options.
You are equating the lack of alternative rock with some kind of ethnic bias. There is no such thing. Any NYC operator only has to look southwest to Philly to see that the alternative station in the Clear Channel portfolio is that company's poorest performer in revenue and has a miserable .3 power ratio. That is what makes the format so unappealing... it is a tough and underperforming sales proposition, even with big numbers.
Name a pirate that is not interfering with the protected contours of a licensed station. If there were a "vacancy" on the dial that was technically available, it would have gone to a new allocation or a translator or even a LPFM.
If you look at the gear pirates use, it is not type accepted, it is obviously... from looking at the price... cheap and that combination means the stuff is not going to adequately protect from spurs and harmonics. And the morons who install pirates are generally challenged by plugging in an extension cord, so they create further issues when installing a whole system. Most don't have good audio control devices (an Optimod or an Omnia likely cost more than the whole pirate station) so they overmodulate, distorts and otherwise pollute the airwaves. The one or two exceptions do not prove anything.
They may refer to it all as "radio" but their opinion in this matter is irrelevant and you are giving too much credit to streaming services. The public is aware of the cost related to streaming services compared to the free availability of the local FM station. There is also the issue of the limited availability of a wireless connection particularly in rural areas such as Rockland and Westchester, compared to the availability of the local FM. If any place needs an FM station more in that respect it is outside NYC.
I do not see mobile usage or broadband costs dropping any time soon and with a continuing down economy there is still going to be competition between the two due to affordability. Free radio vs paid streaming.
It should not be. There should be consideration of the population and it's ethnic diversity.
A signal, format and marketing failure. Another female oriented format with a weak signal in an already over saturated market certainly did not help with billing. WFAS suited me fine for local news and traffic reports while daytime driving between Westchester and Rockland. However night time I found they were a mess for which increased antenna height and power probably would have done wonders.
The majority of formats are predominately geared to minority groups and women. Let me put it this way, one would find it just as lopsided if they traveled to nations in the Caribbean, Central/South America or Africa and found the majority of the music formats were American top 40 hits. One would complain about the loss of music from that culture.
If the FCC did not exist perhaps it would also be easier for pirates to get their hands on better equipment that would limit interference. As far as vacancy on the dial or translators look what happens. It ends up being a simulcast of a big city station like 94.3 here in Rockland now simulcasting PLJ. That frequency should be serving the community. The FCC is also doing nothing now to limit same channel interference from pirates. What is the point of having an FCC if they are not doing any of these things nor following the charter. That is probably why we already see pirates lighting up rural areas around the city.
If the FCC relaxed their rules we would not be having this discussion about pirates or abolition of the FCC and the lack of local coverage outside of the city.
Actually, what the listener perceives to be radio is all that is important. Listeners believe, essentially, that any audio content that does not have simultaneous video is, indeed, radio. So present day AM and FM stations have to realize that they are not in the transmitter business but, rather, in the content business. The distribution method is whatever is appropriate for the intended audience and among Millenials and many Gen Xers a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet,
You are applying Baby Boomer standards to Gen X and Millenial priorities. The mobile device is the center of most of those groups world. And they want all their entertainment centered around their mobile device. They don't buy radios, they buy mobile devices. If a radio station is not on the mobile device, they won't listen to it.
Users of mobile see a device with a mobile, phone and texting plan to be their main entertainment and communication expense. They will build the rest of their budget around this. I have seen research among some lower income groups and they are even more dependent on mobile devices as often that is the only expense they are willing to make.
You also have a dated view of "community". Ask. You'll find that the most common definition of "my community" is not the town or area a person lives in... it is the person's "own" community of FaceBook and social media friends. "Community" no longer means "geography" but, instead, online groupings who may be neighbors or half way around the world.
The signal is what is possible given spacing and class of station. The only way to increase a bit was to move south, in fact. So blaming a signal that had no possible improvements in situ is a copout.
The format did make much more money in the past... nearly 2.5 times the more recent billings. The change is due to the gradual elimination of local businesses that used to use radio by chain operations and the bad economy.
But they could not do that on either AM or FM. Like most US radio stations, there is very little chance for technical facility improvements.
No, they are not. It's just that there is not a format that you want. That's the whole thing.
Gee, when I was programming in Lima, Peru way back in the mid-80's 17 of the 21 FM stations were 100% American CHR, AC and rock music. The first station I owned in Eucador in the 60's played 50% US Top 40 hits, and my second and third stations played all or mostly US-sourced music. Today, the CHR and AC stations tend to be predominantly English language music and the rock stations have about 80% English music... and they are generally market leading formats.
Pirates are illegal. That, and limited budgets, are why they can't get decent equipment.
You are confusing rules with the laws of physics. Separation and interference requirements are based on propagation of signals. You can not change that to suit your illegal pirate agenda.
Getting back on topic:
The new Radio 103.9 New York website is live http://www.radio1039ny.com "New York's NEW HOME for R+B is Radio 103.9".
Old website http://www.WFASFM.com is live (for now). as of this posting.
The "Hartman" was on-air today (Wed. 6/25) promoting upcoming promotional events for the current station.
"New York's Best Mix of R+B" is the branding on the Twitter and Facebook pages which include cover photos
of images of Luther Vandross, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and Mary J. Blige, indicating an Urban AC format.
Info on the website confirms the launch date and time: Friday afternoon 7/4/2013 at 1:03 PM ET.
No other site has mentioned a "dark time" other than the posts above or on the dentist board.
If they actually went dark, I'd imagine it would be no earlier than 11:59PM ET on Thursday night 7/3/2014,
thus leaving only 13+ hours of down time.
Also confirmed is the lineup (most of it previously posted from various sources such as AllAccess and RadioInsight):
Mornings: Tom Joyner
Middays: Sharon "La Loca" Montero (from middays at WPYO "Power 95.3" Orlando)
Afternoons: D.L. Hughley
Evenings: Marc Clarke (from evenings at WHUR Washington)
When one considers the current spotty signal reception in the 5 boroughs of stations such as WFUV 90.7 and WVIP 93.5 that broadcast from the same location as WFAS-FM will be, I feel that this station will be fighting an uphill battle to gain traction.
On the other hand, Cumulus is plugging in two syndicated shows and will operate the station frugally, thus (hopefully for them) maximizing profit on not stellar revenue. Plus they'll claim to advertisers that they're now a "NY City" station to try to boost $.
Wonder if they'll keep the current "Bronxville" COL?
The new Radio 103.9 New York website is live http://www.radio1039ny.com "New York's NEW HOME for R+B is Radio 103.9".
Old website http://www.WFASFM.com is live (for now). as of this posting.
The "Hartman" was on-air today (Wed. 6/25) promoting upcoming promotional events for the current station.
"New York's Best Mix of R+B" is the branding on the Twitter and Facebook pages which include cover photos
of images of Luther Vandross, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and Mary J. Blige, indicating an Urban AC format.
Info on the website confirms the launch date and time: Friday afternoon 7/4/2013 at 1:03 PM ET.
No other site has mentioned a "dark time" other than the posts above or on the dentist board.
If they actually went dark, I'd imagine it would be no earlier than 11:59PM ET on Thursday night 7/3/2014,
thus leaving only 13+ hours of down time.
Also confirmed is the lineup (most of it previously posted from various sources such as AllAccess and RadioInsight):
Mornings: Tom Joyner
Middays: Sharon "La Loca" Montero (from middays at WPYO "Power 95.3" Orlando)
Afternoons: D.L. Hughley
Evenings: Marc Clarke (from evenings at WHUR Washington)
When one considers the current spotty signal reception in the 5 boroughs of stations such as WFUV 90.7 and WVIP 93.5 that broadcast from the same location as WFAS-FM will be, I feel that this station will be fighting an uphill battle to gain traction.
On the other hand, Cumulus is plugging in two syndicated shows and will operate the station frugally, thus (hopefully for them) maximizing profit on not stellar revenue. Plus they'll claim to advertisers that they're now a "NY City" station to try to boost $.
Wonder if they'll keep the current "Bronxville" COL?
Last edited:
From what I've read the current WFAS programming will end on Monday. So I wonder what happens between Tuesday and Friday? Will they do stunting? And when will they actually flip the switch to the new transmitter? Seems like they would want to do some stunting from the new transmitter to make sure any technical glitches are worked out before the actual station launch on 7/4.
I already answered much of this in my last reply. You are applying city youth stands to suburb standards. Go ahead and try to drive around Rockland/Westchester and see how well streaming works out for you. If they are in their car not listening to music they downloaded to their mobile device then they are tuning into FM.
Oh please, sounds like you drank the Facebook marketing Kool Aid. You are also not keeping up with the rapidly change pace of the social media landscape. Social media has its place and will continue to have it's place in radio despite the Facebook bubble bursting. I posted two studies here already that show you are betting way too much on Facebook. There is another study that predicts Facebook will lose 80% of it's user base by 2017, likely to be replaced by other social media companies.
For which there are groups that have a problem with it. Canada goes so far as to ensure "Canadian content" rule. Of course not saying we should have something like that.
"illegal pirate agenda". LOL. I actually have previous posts here complaining about pirate interference. I thought that maybe by now you got that I am not so much pro-pirate but made those comments out of frustration for what I find to be a useless organization for the half dozen reasons that I listed.
Last edited:
Maybe that will keep the station focus on the Bronx, Lower Westchester and Manhattan. If it is not just another cookie cutter station and focuses on the R&B scene in those areas it maybe worth the listen.
- Status