New 2009 LPFM Bill in Congress Enters the House

Limited Budget?  Want to Start a Radio Station?  What are Your Options?

1. Apply for a radio station.  The next time the FCC will accept applications will be for Low Power FM .... probably "late 2009" with unknown rules and requirements.  Accurate advance planning is impossible.  CCB will provide complete information when it is available, on this website.

2. Start a Part 15 Neighborhood Station for $1,000 

3. Start an Internet Radio Station.  Easy to do.  Reach your community and the world.  Many traditional radio stations stream their programming and there are many thousands of internet only stations. There are many streaming companies offering various packages and options.  Music licensing fees must be considered and licensing rules have just changed again.  Internet radio is limited to computers.  Broadcast radio is still the way to reach people in their cars, when they are eating, or jogging.

4. Leasing an FM radio station subchannel.  "Piggyback" on any existing station's signal. Subchannels have been used for years by "Reading Services for the Blind."  Special fixed-tuned radios are necessary' they can be portable. Sale of these radios can provide additional income for the station operator and commercials can be aired.  Leasing a subchannel can be expensive.  For example, WSB 98.5 in Atlanta charges $10,000 per month.

5. Leasing a Digital Radio Channel.  This is brand new.  All full-power TV stations have been required to go DT - Digital Technology.  Digital radio now exist - there are few DT radio stations. DT radios are not common yet and cost several hundred dollars.  Both Digital TV and radio stations can multi-cast - transmit several channels on the same frequency.  One LPFM station is already being carried by a full-power Digital station on one of its channels.  This is a option now that will be more popular in the future.

5. Carriage by a cable TV system.  Virtually all cable systems carry radio stations - either as the audio for a local classified ad channel or as a separate audio channel.  Some LPFM stations are being carried by cable systems at no charge on their classified channels.

6. Carrier Current Radio. Also called "leaky wire" radio.  The signal is transmitted a few feet from a radiating wire in the ceiling or college dorms, retirement homes, or other "communal" housing.  This form of "broadcasting" is limited to the dorms / residences of the participating organization.