The LPFM Store
Easy LPFM Radio Licensing
The LPFM Store has set up hundreds of low power FM and commercial FM radio stations across the United States, and also supports hundreds of other installations in other parts of the world. We can assist you or your organization to start a new Radio Station – either broadcasting on a low power basis, on a commercial full power FM frequency or the internet. If you’re interesting in starting up a new LPFM radio station or an FM radio station, you’re in the right place!We are broadcasters ourselves, and are one of the very few LPFM broadcasters that have made the progression to obtaining a full power FM frequency and operating commercially, enabling us to offer unparalleled support through all the stages of building and operating a radio station.
Congress Explores Tools for Shutting Pirate Radio
Boosting FCC fines to as much as $2 million, penalizing building owners and stepping up raids in major Radio markets are among the options Congress is considering for combating illegal broadcast operations under legislation unveiled last week in a House Telecommunications Subcommittee hearing. The measures are intended to protect against interference with licensed broadcasters, the Emergency Alert System and airport flight controls, as well as radiation exposure to nearby residents and workers.
The bipartisan PIRATE Act, co-authored by Reps. Leonard Lance, R-NJ, and Paul Tonko, D-NY, would employ a combination of heightened penalties to stem the growing spread of pirate radio operations in communities throughout the country. Illegal operations are being found on the AM and FM bands alike, with FCC enforcement officers discovering transmitters operating from rooftops, balconies and other properties.
Tropospheric Ducting – What Happened to My Station?
What Happened to My Station?
Steve Callahan for Radio-Guide Magazine
It’s been good season for tropospheric ducting along the New England shore. You might not be familiar with the term “tropospheric ducting,” but you just might have experienced it and not known why.
We’re all familiar with the way that AM signals bounce at night and come down far from their point of origin. Anyone who has listened to the big 50,000 Watt clear channel AMs knows the thrill of hearing a distant AM on a regular radio. I was once surprised to hear WBZ from Boston while in a traffic jam one night in Atlanta, Georgia. An AM station’s “skywave” component reflects off the ionosphere as it cools down at night and the usually transparent-to-AM layer turns reflective and the AM signal comes back to earth far from it’s transmitter. Frequency and tower height influence the degree of skywave along with seasonal differences and weather conditions.
LPFM Waiver on New EAS Reporting Duty Requested
In November 2017 LPFM an advocacy group petitioned the FCC for relief to LPFM radio stations concerning meeting new multilingual EAS reporting requirements.
Citing low publicity surrounding an order adopted by the FCC in March 2016 and lack of input from LPFM stations, REC Networks has filed a motion for either a blanket waiver or extension of time for LPFMs.
Currently the FCC has established that all EAS participants must report some EAS details to their State Emergency Communications Committees by Nov. 6. The information includes:
- Description of any actions taken by the EAS participant to make EAS alert content available in languages other than English to its non-English speaking audiences; and
- Description of any future actions planned by the EAS participant to provide EAS alert content in languages other than English to its non-English speaking audiences, as well as an explanation of the decision to plan/not plan such actions.
A separate reporting requirement due by Nov. 13, known as Form Three, should detail the results of the most recent National EAS Test.
Special FM Translator Window for AM Stations Open
As announced in October 2015 in the AM Order the commission had opened a special filing window for FM translators for use with AM radio stations. This is a two part window, with the first part open now for the next six months – ending July 28, 2016. The second window will be for three months opening July 29th and closing October 31st, 2016.
The current window is for Class C and D AM licensees only. The second round in July will be for AM stations of any class. Applications are processed on a first come first serve basis. So timing is of the essence. It is important to get started immediately.
During the window periods AM stations or permittees are being given the opportunity to acquire and relocate one FM translator station in the non reserved band – 92.1 – 107.9 Mhz. The translator may be relocated up to 250 miles.
Only one application may be filed by the AM station and may only be listed as the primary input on a single translator application.
- Library of Congress Pitches Baseball and TerkelIn what might be described as a triple header for radio and baseball fans, the Library of Congress has announced its new “Baseball Americana” exhibit, which explores the intersection of the Library, the Studs Terkel Radio Archive (STRA) and baseball. The exhibit is scheduled to open on July 2. The ...
- Community Broadcaster: Diversity LaterThe author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com. In a discussion last week, my friend Andrew Ramsammy remarked on an issue we all read about, but seldom consider when it comes to public ...
- Free Software FunLast time on Off the Beaten Path we looked at some free stuff that included a few pieces of software. On this edition, more free software. As a reminder, be certain of what you are downloading (and keep your virus protection up to date). Reimaging Desktops Thanks to Andrew Salman for sending me ...
- Yes, Broadcasters Are First Responders, Volunteer Fireman ArguesI must respectfully disagree with Mr. Imlay and the gentleman from the ARRL in their opinions that broadcast engineers are not first responders (“Are Broadcasters ‘First Responders’? Let’s Not Confuse Roles,” RW May 9). Having been what most people recognize as a “first responder” — performing ...
- REC Networks Asks FCC to "Help Move LPFM Forward"REC Networks filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the FCC calling for changes in how LPFM stations are required to protect FM translators. There's a lot to digest here, and for those interested in LPFM and its impact on others, it’s worth a deeper read here. In the June 13 filing (RM-11810), REC’s ...
- FCC Gives C Band Earth Station Filers Another 90 DaysTo gather more accurate information about existing earth stations and to better determine if access to the 3.7–4.2 GHz band should be expanded, the Federal Communications Commission is giving fixed-satellite service (FSS) earth stations more time to detail their current usage of C Band spectrum. ...
- BBC Radio Aims to Reinvent Itself for Next GenerationLONDON — Yes, BBC Radio is focused on reaching listeners wherever they may be. But no, the United Kingdom’s public radio broadcaster is not surrendering the airwaves to commercial radio, despite published claims in the British press. IN CONTEXT These two points became clear once the June 19 ...
- What Is the Real Problem With Proposed FM Class C4?You have probably read in Radio World that the Federal Communications Commission recently released a Notice Of Inquiry (MB 18-184) that addresses the MMTC and SSR Communications’ proposed new rural C4 12 kW station class, as well as the decades-long problem of big operators warehousing spectrum by ...
- BW Broadcast to Attend Broadcast AsiaBW Broadcast and its partner, GBS Alliance, will attend Broadcast Asia in Singapore. During the event, the company will provide demonstrations and showcase its latest products, which include the V3 range of transmitters, along with its Encore audio products. BW Broadcast says its V3 FM ...
- CRAS Partners with The Chandler (Ariz.) Academy of Performing Arts & Technology for Summer 2018 Music and Technology Campimage caption: Robert Brock, CRAS Director of Education, discusses live audio production in the school's 42-ft. remote-production mobile broadcast trailer during The Chandler Academy of Performing Arts and Technology's (CAPAT) Summer 2018 Music and Technology Camp on June 18. The 2018 camp is ...