The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/pirate_radio/457

Text File | 1993-12-18 | 19KB | 456 lines

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            Articles in this issue include:

Spectrum Leasing/Microradio and    freedom    of speech    (Harold    Hallikainen )
Re: Three A's                        (Dan Bammes)
Re: Clear channels, do they exist?            (Ronald    D. Erickson)
Re: Inactive frequencies                (Charles E Newman)
Re: More on FCC's stricken indecency ban        (Jeff Herman)
Re: Micro Radio                        (Harold    Hallikainen)
radio jobs overseas                    (Larry Kahaner )
good set for bad office    building?            (Richard A Chonak)
WHDH-850AM Boston(was Questions    about WBZ)        (Mark Shneyder 2-4219)

------------------------------


------------------------------

Subject: Spectrum Leasing/Microradio and freedom of speech
From: Harold Hallikainen <[e-mail]>
Organization: NONE

    The following article appeared in the 10 November issue of Radio
World.  It gives some of my thoughts on spectrum leasing and freedom of
speech.  For subscription info on Radio World, write Tadio World, PO Box
1214, Falls Church, VA 22041, phone [phone].


                      Insight On Rules #71

                        10 November 1993


The Fairness of Spectrum Leases?

by Harold Hallikainen
San Luis Obispo, CA


     We're going to take a short detour from our normal path of
trying to keep the local FCC inspector happy.  Instead, let's
take a short look at where broadcasting might be heading.  I hope
to provoke some discussion on the future of broadcasting.


The First Amendment

     I see the first amendment's provisions for freedom of
religion, speech and the press as an expanding sphere of
freedoms.  It starts with freedom of thought, freedom to express
that thought, then allows the use of the available technology to
further express that thought.  At the time of the writing of the
constitution, "the press" was the only mass communications medium
available, yet the constitution was written to not restrict it,
as they may have been tempted to because of its power.  As
additional media have been introduced, some have argued that
these new media need governmental control (content regulation)
because of their poweful influence, the "scarcity of voices", or
because of the use of a public resource (the electromagnetic
spectrum).
     As just discussed, it appears that the "powerful influence"
argument justifying governmental regulation of content didn't
seem to be a strong enough argument for the framers of the
constitution to put content control on the print media.  Although
a free press may be dangerous, it is necessary for a free
society.  It appears the same argument could be used to support
the government staying out of broadcast content regulation, the
current "powerful medium".
     The second argument in favor of broadcast content regulation
is that there are only so many broadcast channels to go around.
While each of us could start a newspaper with a circulation of
five or ten, economics tends to limit the number of print
publications.  By decreasing broadcast station power, a larger
number of stations could be supported by the spectrum without
interference, each with a "smaller circulation."   We can get a
rough idea of the relative scarcity of the various media by
checking the yellow pages of the phone book.  Here, in San Luis
Obispo County, about 22 radio stations are listed.  Six
television stations are listed.  For those subscribing to cable,
probably another 30 to 40 signals are available.  Without cable,
perhaps 28 "voices" are available.  Checking under newspapers, we
find about the same number (28) publishers.  Is there more
"scarcity" of voices in the electronic media than in the print
media?  If there were, would that justify overriding the first
amendment?
     The third argument in favor of government content regulation
(use of a public resource) seems to have some merit.  The Lowest
Unit Rate rules seem to be an attempt at getting broadcasters to
pay the public for use of the spectrum.  It does seem, however,
that a much more direct solution to this problem is available.
That solution would be for broadcasters to pay for use of the
spectrum.  Perhaps if such payment were made, there would be no
strong argument in favor of content regulation (whether through
lowest unit rate, fairness doctrine, or whatever).


Spectrum Leasing

     Broadcasters are typically buying spectrum, as it currently
stands.  If they buy an existing station, they pay the previous
licensee for the channel.  If they apply for a new channel, they
end up paying substantial legal fees and buying out other
applicants in an effort to show they are the most qualified
applicants.
     Another approach would be to offer a fixed term lease on a
channel (perhaps 20 years).  These leases would then be auctioned
off.  At the end of the lease term, the current leaseholder would
be welcome to rebid for the channel.  A leaseholder could also
sell the unused term of a lease to another wishing to get into
broadcasting.  Existing "antimonopoly" rules available for all
business could be applied to keep one broadcaster from taking
over all the stations in one market.  I don't believe the costs
involved in such a leasing arrangement would be substantially
different from prices currently being paid for stations.  A major
difference would be, however, that the public, rather than a
private individual or corporation, would be paid for the use of
the spectrum.  This should remove the "need" for governmental
regulation of content, giving broadcasters full first amendment
rights.  Such a radical change would certainly disrupt the
existing station trading market.  It could, however, be
introduced several years in the future (perhaps ten years) to
avoid "changing the rules in the middle of the game".


MicroBroadcasting?

     Spectrum leasing could perhaps result in full first
amendment rights for broadcasters.  MicroBroadcasting could allow
a multitude of voices, allowing broadcasting to serve very small
specialized audiences (a sort of neighborhood radio) as "zines"
serve small specialized audiences in print.  We'll look at
MicroBroadcasting next month.  I'll look forward to your
comments!




____________

Harold Hallikainen is president of Hallikainen and Friends, a
manufacturer of transmitter control and telemetry systems. He
also teaches electronics at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo and
just returned from the Alta Sierra Dance Camp. He can be reached
at 805 541 0200. He can also be reached on internet at
[e-mail].


------------------------------

Subject: Re: Three A's
From: [e-mail] (Dan Bammes)
Organization: University of Utah Computer Center, Salt Lake City, Ut.


     Anybody ever hear the show I used to to on Saturdays on KUSW, the
commercial shortwave station out of Salt Lake City?  It ran from December
'86 through the spring of '89 -- and with the playlist you're talking
about, I guess I was doing AAA before it had a name.

    We threw in a little New Grass and Pure Prairie League... no doubt
it's evolved some.  But we sure played a lot of John Prine.


------------------------------

Subject: Re: Clear channels, do they exist?
From: [e-mail] (Ronald D. Erickson)
Organization: NONE


At one time the FCC held up new stations on the AM because
there was some unsettled situation with 750 kW allocations for
then Class A1 clear channels.  I recall that was settled
in the early 1980s.

The last I knew, the FCC is now allocating higher than 5 kW on
regional channels when it fits their current allocation
standards.  At one time even if a station was licensed to 5 kW and
they could not justify running that power because of interference,
they might add a power dissipating resistor in a tuning network
to drop it to less than what the transmitter was allowed to
feed the array.  Technically, they would be 5 kW but in reality
they might be 2600-watts fed into the radiation part of the
antenna array.  That might be the case to some extent with
the 50 kW stations.  They might have very inefficient antenna
systems by design so it all looks good on paper and to
advertisers.

73,

Ron
AK0N

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Inactive frequencies
From: [e-mail] (Charles E Newman)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <2d8ode$[e-mail]>, ucsd!tyrell.net![e-mail] (Mark Roberts) writes:
> The number of postings about "Radio AAHS" stirs up a question in my mind.
>
> How long can an AM station stay dormant before it loses its license and
> gives up its rights to the frequency?
>
> In the Kansas City area, KJLA (1510, daytimer) and KFEZ (1190, formerly KJLA)
> were "dark" for a year or more but eventually returned to the air.
>
> In Topeka, WREN (1250), was off the air for two years or more, but has
> returned to the air.  However, its nighttime pattern seems to be different
> than before.
>
> At present, KCXL (1140, licensed to Liberty) has been dark for nearly a
> year and a half.  A CP for a fulltime station at 890 licensed to Gladstone,
> Mo. has never been activated but, as far as I know, has not been deleted,
> either.
>
> The 1140 facility is a dog--500 watts, daytime-only.  But 890 is fulltime
> with 1.1 kW, and in KC's northern suburbs.
>
> Ironic note:  the KCXL studios are on 63rd Street,  not far at all
> from where I live.  The plastic sign with the station's logo looks like
> it's been punched in.



            Here in Sacramento, KIOQ 1030AM has been dark since November of
1987, in only 1 1/2 years of operation, the station has 3 different formats,
country, CHR, and standards, none of these formats ever made any money,
and the station just simply went dark. Say, this would be a good place
to license micro-radio if the FCC ever approves of it.

------------------------------

Subject: Re: More on FCC's stricken indecency ban
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Herman)
Organization: University of Hawaii

In article <2d8nj3$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Tim Pozar) writes:
>                                                         ----------------
>                                                         ! GENERAL NEWS !
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>F-C-C To Enforce Rules Banning Indecency, But Not For Late-Night Programs
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 .....
>       An attorney for a coalition of broadcasters that challenged the
>latest regulation says the ruling should invalidate one-point-two
>(M) million dollars in fines against the employer of controversial
>disc jockey Howard Stern.
>       But F-C-C Chairman James Quello says Stern's violations occurred
>between 6 a-m and 8 p-m, and thus fall under the old rule.
>

So at what time of the day did Stern say whatever he said?

Jeff (NH6IL)

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Micro Radio
From: [e-mail] (Harold Hallikainen)
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

In article <2dafo7$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Charles E Newman) writes:
>       What would the FCC charge if they ever decided to license Micro-radio?
>Micro Radio would give me a chance to start my own CHR station someday, In
>the part of the country where I am, I could make a KILLING with a CHR station,
>as there are no CHR stations anywheres near Sacramento. I could start out
>with Micro-Radio level license, then graduate to higher-power licenses as
>the station made more  money. I would then take the profits from the first
>CHR station and buy a station in San Francisco and turn that into a CHR
>station...

    I've recently done three articles for Radio World that look at
microbroadcasting.  The first appeared in the 10 November issue.  It
looks at the concept of spectrum leasing and first amendment rights.
The second article, due out 8 December, questions the FCC's decision to
not authorize local origination on FM translators, authorizing a low
power FM service, just as they did for television.  The third article,
appearing in January, discusses possible ways of allowing for license
free microbroadcasting.
    It seems to me that if the FCC were to fully buy my scheme (very
unlikely!), stations would be licensed to get interference protection.
They'd either be a full-power station (as currently authorized) or an
LPFM station.  Each licensed station would lease the channel for so many
years.  This lease payment would buy them interference protection.
Unlicensed low power stations would have to protect licensed stations
but would not receive interference protection.  These unlicensed
stations would not have to pay any spectrum fees.
    I'll look forward to any comments!

Harold

--
Harold Hallikainen              [e-mail]
Hallikainen & Friends, Inc.     [e-mail]
141 Suburban Road, Bldg E4      phone [phone] fax [phone]
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7590  telex 4932775 HFI UI


------------------------------

Subject: radio jobs overseas
From: Larry Kahaner <[e-mail]>
Organization: NONE

My wife has been in radio sales for 13 years. Her last job which ended
because of a duopoly buy was in Washington DC at WCXR/CNN radio, and she
was the local sales manager.
    She's interested in radio opportunities in Europe because of their
commercialization. Any ideas on which news group or mail list we should be
looking at to find out what's going on in European radio?
larry kahaner
PS - She has an EC passport.



------------------------------

Subject: good set for bad office building?
From: [e-mail] (Richard A Chonak)
Organization: l'organisation, c'est moi

A friend is looking for advice on what sort of radio he might get to
overcome the bad reception in his office building.  Ideally, he's
looking for something with a clock and cassette recorder, under $100
(right).

Got any suggestions?  Thanks for your help--

-_RC

------------------------------

Subject: WHDH-850AM Boston(was Questions about WBZ)
From: [e-mail] (Mark Shneyder 2-4219)
Organization: NONE

Scott F. writes :

> In fact, WHDH was never a Sconnix property.  Sconnix' Boston AM
> was WBOS-1600 and later WUNR-1600, before that station was sold off.

With all due respect...maybe years ago they owned an AM station at 1600
but in the 80's Sconnix acquired 850 from Blair Comm. Sconnix then
sold WHDH to New England Television Corp. in 1989. In 1991, NETC suffering
heavy losses from its TV operation(WHDH-TV 7) sold WHDH 850 to Atlantic
Radio Ventures(now American Radio Sytems) in order to pump some much needed
cash into its VHF station...

-Mark


------------------------------


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