Broadcasting Archives
Want to Start a
Radio Station? What are Your Options?
1. Apply for an
Low Power FM radio
station. Even with passage of the Local Community Radio
Act of 2010,
it will be "summer 2012" before the long-awaited FCC filing
Window for LPFM. Rules and requirements are currently being
developed. No one know exactly and how the FCC will
implement the new law, including the FCC. 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.
LPZW Ghost Stations (Lacking
Power, Zero Watts)
by John Broomall, Christian Community Broadcasters
11/23/09 "Pirate Jim" maintains the best website for
LPFM stations, their formats, and if they stream. (See right
side of CCB website home page.)
WSVB-LP 95.1 Trinity Baptist Church, FL Christian/3ABN - You
will not believe this!!! This afternoon I spoke with a
member of Trinity who is in broadcasting. Even tho the FCC
database indicates that this station has been on the air for
years, it has never operated. Seems the county
never gave approval for a tower. Also, I was told that the
church (Baptist) would never air 3Angels which is Seventh Day
Adventists. (I was doing research for 3Angels - they said they
needed to verify if the station was on the air.)
WXLJ-LP, 97.7, East Harwich
MA (report that the station has been silent since 2008) ...
KQRZ-LP, 96.3, Hillsboro OR
(apparently, the school ('licensee') shut down and the
transmitting antenna was taken down as well)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10/10/09 - Someone once said CDBS had more than 34,000 errors.
If true in the past, hopefully this is no longer true today.
The FCC database does need to be cleaned and ghost stations
removes; after all, someone else
might want the frequency (if and when we have another window).
The problem is not only unbuilt CPs. Many licensed stations
have been silent for more than a year - the FCC is required to
cancel their license, but hasn't.
It gets worst. There are stations listed as licensed and
operating, that do not exist and have not existed for years.
Here are some real examples without the call letters or location:
In July 03 the FCC dismissed an LPFM station's License
to Cover off the air because a full-power had moved in and
complained. It is listed still as "CP Off Air".
At one time the FCC bragged that this was the only LPFM to lose
its license because of encroachment. (Guess you can't
"lose your license if you never had it.
In May 05 another LPFM went on the air and received its license.
It has not existed for years (there is no record when its ceased
operation).
Another LP received its license in 03 and renewal in 05. A
couple years ago the owner got a "real job" and moved
out of state. He never told the FCC that the station did not
exist any longer.
Finally, in November 04 an LPFM went on the air and filed its
License to Cover. It was not allowed by the property owner
to remain at the site so went silent. By the time the FCC
issued a license ten months later, the licensee was out of business. The
license was returned to the FCC by the Post Office as
"Address Unknown." The listed phone was
disconnected and emails to the organization bounced. The FCC
still list the station as "Licensed" today.
In discussing one of these situations, a FCC staffer said,
"... so do you want to make a Federal case out of this
........?"
How many more ghost stations are there? No one knows!
Do any of you want to be a "radio-active ghost buster"?
"Pirate
Radio" - Not the Way to Start an LPFM (See
FCC
BSTA-20061206AFZ)
2/9/07 -
New Licensing Loophole Involves Influential Senator (http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0207.htm#021207)
"Radio Goldfield," a pirate station run by seasoned
citizen Rod Moses out of his trailer in Goldfield,
Nevada (population 440) has received special
temporary authority from the FCC to operate a 100-watt FM outlet
without an official license until such time as the FCC opens another
LPFM filing window. How did he do it? Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid's ringing endorsement, in correspondence to the agency,
probably sealed the deal:
Radio
Goldfield programming brought regular weather reports to this
high-desert area of Nevada, where conditions can abruptly change
in often times dramatic ways....Radio Goldfield programming also
included timely and reliable information on law enforcement,
public safety and school activities that helped the residents of
Goldfield stay informed and engaged in their community. Moreover
the station broadcasted Sunday religious services that were
listened to faithfully by those living too far from a place of
worship or those simply too feeble to make a weekly journey there
practicable.
That,
plus oldies pumped from an MP3 player. Rock on, Rod. I can't find
record of this STA on file in the FCC's
databases, but Moses did receive a warning
letter from the Enforcement Bureau in August of last year for
broadcast piracy. He shut down within 24 hours of contact, however,
which appears to have helped his cause (yet also runs somewhat
contrary to LPFM law). Special
Temporary Authority status typically runs for six-month
periods, with a "limited number" of renewals
available.
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2007/Mar-14-Wed-2007/news/13133393.html
The following must be "cut and pasted" into your browser: http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0048/t.3983.html
http://radiomagonline.com/viewpoint/radio_licensewho_needs_license/
Q&A "How to Start & Operate a Community Radio Station"
Answers to the following questions are being developed by CCB and will be include in a book CCB is preparing. Anyone with questions now can contact JohnBroomall @Yahoo.com
What
types of "community radio" exist? What is LPFM?
Can I have an LPFM station in my community? How large an area will my station cover?
Where should I locate my station? (AM) What are my programming options?
How much will it cost to start the station?
How much will it cost to operate? Who can apply? What if I do not have a non-profit organization?
How long must my organization has been in operation? What can serve on the organization's board?
When can I apply? How can I apply? What happens after the FCC filing window?
What happens if several groups all want the same frequency? What happens when I get my construction permit?
What equipment do I need and where do I get it? Where do I mount my antenna?
How do I select the right antenna and transmitter? What
types of "community radio" exist? Low power FM (LPFM),
Internet Radio, Part 15 AM, carrier current, and audio subchannels
(to a full-power). Unless otherwise noted, Q&A's below
relate to LPFM. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Low Power FM was created
by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in January
2000. Non-profit organizations were permitted to file for
stations during four "FCC filing windows" from June 2000
to June 2001. Today, 858 LPFM are on-the-air; of these, 52%
are operated by churches and Christian ministries, primarily with
music programming. Formats range from KGOD-LP airing Scripture
24/7 without commentary to stations offering "God's
County," (Christian country music format).
Christian Community Broadcasters was founded by John and
Henri Broomall in early 2000 to assist churches, ministries,
schools, and other community groups file for, construct, and operate
LPFM stations. CCB has assisted more than one hundred
"communicasters" (community LPFM / NCE groups), from basic filings to
the most complex technical and regulatory challenges. This
primary purpose of this website and its various links is to provide
current and accurate information about LPFM, equipment, programming,
music licensing, and underwriting ("paying the
bills"). Please read and then contact CCB with
your questions: 678
880-0676 or
JohnBroomall @ Yahoo.com Two
basic requirements must be met
by all prospective broadcasters: (1) the opportunity to file and (2)
the availability of a frequency. After a wait of seven years,
the FCC is expected to open a filing "window" in 2009. The decision to file must be made as soon as
possible. Procrastinators will have to pay more and will have
to make hasty decision once the FCC makes its official notice.
CCB will conduct a free preliminary study to determine if a
frequency is available in your area. There are few to no
opportunities in or near large metropolitan area ... while there are
multiple frequency in small towns away from major population
center. Your first step is to contact CCB 678
880-0676 or JohnBroomall @ Yahoo.com
HATT
Power Calculator LPFM
and the Thin Air Decision
IRS and NCE
Regulations
Arbitron Changes Audience Reporting Procedures
FCC
Launches Major Payola Investigation
FCC
Low Power Actions
11/1
Translators - A New Insight from WGRV-LP
Progress on "Sale" of LPFM Permits / Stations
Waiting on the FCC for a License - How Long?
Emergency
LPFM Station Serves New Orleans
Arbitron
Ratings for LPFM
Who is the
National Low Power Broadcasters Association? A Mystery!
KYRR-LP 93.3, Nevada City, CA,
claims to have "one of the ten largest LPFM audiences in the
USA." It quotes the website for the "National Low
Power Broadcaster Association", www.nalpb.com
as its authority. While this claim might be true, the cited
2/25/08 "Current Ratings in the USA" is bogus.
The "survey" supposedly give the audience share of 15 LPFM
stations. KYRR is real, so is WORZ-LP and KCVE-LP. WFBP-LP
was real; it also was the first LPFM station ordered on the air
(years ago) because of full power encroachment.
The others 11 are
real stations: low power TV or full power commercial or NCE radio /
TV . Unfortunately, the call letters, frequencies, and
location don't match. There is nothing indicating who took the
"survey" and no way to reach the NALPB - no names, no
physical address no phone number, and email address. The
"fill in the blank" contact form apparently does not work
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