Just in from All Access...

MIKE DOYLE (D-PA) and LEE TERRY (R-NE) are preparing to buck the NAB by introducing a bill to allow the FCC to eliminate third-adjacent-channel interference protection for full-power stations, thus paving the way for more LPFM stations.

The bill is reportedly being launched TODAY and a similar bill is expected in the Senate, with Sens. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ) and MARIA CANTWELL (D-WA), who took a shot at the same change in an amendment that failed last year, as sponsors.

As a Nebraskan, I can tell you that Lee Terry doesn't have the brains to make judgments about things like this. He should stay out of it.

so you disagree about 3rd adjacents, or just commenting on Terry's brainpower?

And since when do legislators understand what they are making rules about anyway?

>>>"so you disagree about 3rd adjacents, or just commenting on Terry's brainpower?"

I don't know about 3rd adjacents, but I think the dial is crowded enough now. We don't need any more stations, including LPFM.

I'm also commenting that Terry's brainpower is such that he shouldn't be proposing legislation like this. His last job was city councilman and he's more suited to that job, worrying about pot holes in the streets fixed and stopping dogs from running loose.

Here's more info.

http://reclaimthemedia.org/radio/low_power_radio_gets_new_push_=5309

I don't see a whole lot of difference between allowing LPFMs on 3rd adjacents and translators on 2nd adjacents. If anything, you'd think there'd be more interference from the latter! It does seem a little weird that they have translators on 1st adjacents from each other, though. For instance, from my location, I can get both 102.5 and 102.7.

Having spent time in Victoria BC, where nearly every adjacent channel is occupied (and mostly listenable) by broadcasters from Victoria, Vancouver, Bellingham, Seattle and miscellaneous other podunk burgs, I'd have to say that adjacent channel protection is generally a throwback to a much lower-tech time.

I'd like to see more LPFM allocations, as long as there is some way to keep them from being dominated by religious satellators. And no, that's not a slam against religious broadcasters, but an expression of my desire for local community broadcasters.

Perhaps a requirement that the LPFMs be LIVE and LOCALLY programmed?

I never understood the largest barrier to being granted an LPFM license as being not enough dial space. Is that the most common reason for denial?

I don't see a whole lot of difference between allowing LPFMs on 3rd adjacents and translators on 2nd adjacents.
And, the LPFMs have less power than translators.
I'd like to see more LPFM allocations, as long as there is some way to keep them from being dominated by religious satellators....
Perhaps a requirement that the LPFMs be LIVE and LOCALLY programmed?
I've heard that LPFMs are supposedly not allowed to run satellite programming or time-shift a satellite feed, but that doesn't seem to stop them.

It's kind of a tricky situation that isn't really my area but if I read this right, LPFMs can run up to 100 watts of power. I don't believe translators can but the latter manage to locate their antennas very high on a tower and still have some power left. For instance, 102.7 runs 10 watts from one of the TV towers. If you compensated an LPFM that much, it would be much less power but if you were to run it at full power on a short stick, there would be more signal close in.

I support more LPFMs and limiting religious broadcasters. These broadcasters are pretty much ruining the appeal for LPFMs. Limit them to around 91.9 and under.

IMHO, the LPFMs should be limited by percentage. Break out a few coarse catagories, then issue licenses by catagory to insure diversity on the dial.

Without this, we are just gonna have more people trying to get the word out on the FM dial.

I personally would love to see more schools get LPFMs. It's a nice community tie-in, students can help run the station, offer school news, events, sportscasts, etc...

I believe translators are allowed up to 250 watts ERP, depending on HAAT.(KRKT's translator in Salem is 250 watts.)


LPFMs can be satellite fed for up to 16 hours a day (16 per day is way too many hours, IMHO, zero would be a good number) The rest of the time has to programmed locally. An LPFM cannot rebroadcast the live audio of a full power station(execpt in the case of EAS announcements.) but it can time shift a program carried on a full power station.

250 watts sounds familiar but what would the HAAT be at that level?

Thank you, FCC website (the link on the FCC's translator info. page didn't work; I found the page by following the "file not found" link and browsing to the subsection):
47 CFR Section 74.1235
(I always thought it was 100m, but I was WRONG!)

As for LPFMs, the max. is 100 watts at 30 meters HAAT. I remember the discussion here from several years ago when it was mentioned that KPIK-LP in Stayton was limited to 2 watts due to the antenna height.

If a translator's signal coverage is fully within the one millivolt contour of it's primary station, and if the translator is not 2nd or 3rd adjacent to any other signals, HAAT doesn't matter to the FCC. For example, KHPE's Eugene translator is shown at 279 meters HAAT at 250 watts.

By comparison, at 279 meters, an LPFM would run 2 watts and a Class A, 770 watts. It's fairly close to the still authorized 3kw maximum Class A, which would run 390 watts. This sounds like it's incase someone decides to use a translator in lieu of a booster. Now, since 279 meters is only an example, let's use another one, shall we. At 900 meters(a perfectly viable antenna height in Los Angeles), a Class C3 is only 215 watts, which means you'd have to go to a C2 to have a comparable facility to that lowly 250 watt translator! Just to make sure it doesn't come back to haunt me, I'd like to state for the record that I know that in LA, a Class C2 is equal to a B and a C3 is equal to a B1 except for the protection requirements.

I agree with Dean Johnson. I know nothing about this congressman, but I agree about the dial being crowded. I think there are too many stations already. It makes it unlikely any one station will get a big enough share to create a "buzz" about something. I remember as a kid Z100 was THE station to listen to. You could almost count on your friends hearing the same thing you did if they were near a radio. Those days of a 9 or 10 share are gone in this market.

To augment what I just wrote: you can get close to that kind of share, but it's accomplished by breing so damn dull that offices listen to your station because it doesn't distract anyone (K103).

"I'd like to see more LPFM allocations, as long as there is some way to keep them from being dominated by religious satellators. And no, that's not a slam against religious broadcasters, but an expression of my desire for local community broadcasters.

Perhaps a requirement that the LPFMs be LIVE and LOCALLY programmed?"

YES...YES...YES I whole heartedly agree !!!

I just don't understand the comments about the dial being too crowded. If the stations have semi-reliable reception in the intended coverage area, what's the problem? It sounds like you want fewer stations just so people will be forced to listen to the same thing?

I got news for ya.. those days are gone. If there were fewer options on broadcast radio, that just means that more people would be switching to XM, Sirius or Ipod.

Local full powered FM stations are located at least 0.8Mhz apart, ie 92.3 & 93.1. In many areas of this country, all of that room is taken up. a station on 92.7 would cause interference to both 92.3 and 93.1 unless it's an adequate distance away and that depends on the class of license. For example, since we're already talking about 92.3, KGON is licensed as a full Class C(100kw @ 600 meters above average terrain. Another Class C on 92.7 would have to be at least 105km from KGON's antenna to not cause interference to KGON. Interestingly, a Class C station on 92.9 would still have the same mileage requirement as the one on 92.7 if 93.1 was not there.

With today's digital tuners, I wouldn't mind seeing 2nd and 3rd adjacent spacing rules being slightly relaxed.

we need more LPFM stations to be sure.