Re: Corperate radio/Clear Channel

["Dan Strassberg" <Dan.Strassberg@att.net>]

Yes, but even renting space on an existing tower can turn out to be a
problem. If an FM needs a directional antenna, it generally can't diplex or
multiplex with a station or stations whose antenna(s) are already on the
tower. Even when a directional antenna is not needed, using an existing
antenna generally requires that one of the existing antennas on the tower be
designed for multiplexed operation and be able to handle the additional
power. If a new antenna is necessary, finding space on the tower can pose
problems. And even if the tower has room for another antenna, the structure
may not safely sustain the added weight. Moreover, environmentalists have
been known to protest the addition of antennas to existing tower structures.
And even if the those protests ultimately fail, they can result in long and
costly delays in getting a new station on the air or upgrading an existing
station.

If such were not really the case, a lot of TV stations that must construct
DTV facilites on separate channels but don't yet have DTV signals on the air
would have them on the air by now. It's true that most broadcasters are not
in a great hurry to construct DTV facilities because they see no quick
payback, but many stations that have made serious efforts are hung up in
zoning and environmental disputes.

As an attorney, you know that even someone with no legal standing in a
debate generally gets his day in court if he is sufficiently determined and
has suffcient resources. Such protests, even when they ultimately fail, take
time and money and provide sustenance to many in your profession.

--

Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
Phone: 1-617-558-4205, eFax: 1-707-215-6367

-----Original Message-----
From: A. Joseph Ross <lawyer@world.std.com>
To: Keith Berman <KeithBerman@rcn.com>; Ben Gore <bgore@gwi.net>;
inorm99@earthlink.net <inorm99@earthlink.net>; Joseph Pappalardo
<joepappalardo2001@yahoo.com>
Cc: boston-radio-interest@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu
<boston-radio-interest@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: Sunday, May 06, 2001 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: Corperate radio/Clear Channel


I believe the question was what would it take to start an FM station from
scratch.  Real estate can be a serious problem for AM stations, whose
transmitters tend to need a lot of land, especially if they have a
directional array, but for an FM station, it's a lot less problem.  All
you have to do is rent some space on an existing tower or on top of a tall
building.