Re: LPFM - Tech Question

[Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU>]

>That's part of why my view is that we should allow not just LPFM, but
>*commercial* LPFM in more rural areas. They're seriously underserved
>media-wise, and allowing commercial LPFM (perhaps with a real public
>service and local ownership and programming obligation) would provide
>something highly valuable to those communities, with little risk
>signal-wise to existing stations... and would provide a new and affordable
>advertising outlet for small rural businesses.

There is not now, and never has been, any regulation that would stop
one from setting up such a station, assuming the frequency space is
available.  It's called Class A, and it allows for anywhere from
100 to 6,000 watts.

Matter of fact, a lot of such "rural" Class A stations were created
around 15-20 years ago, under Docket 80-90.  Thing is, most of the
folks who owned those stations sold them to much larger broadcasting
companies, who then used those stations as rimshotters into the nearest
urban market.

How do you stop that from happening again?  You can't - unless you
make the signals non-commercial (and thus undesireable to the big
broadcasters).  That's one thing the FCC did right with this LPFM
ruling, IMO.  Sad thing is, it may be the *only* thing they did right...

-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu