NOW: LPFM, WAS: Re: FCC gives ultimatum to Radio Free Brattleboro

[Aaron Read <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 10:03 PM 9/7/2003, Dan Billings wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Aaron Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>
>To: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
>Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 9:29 PM
>Subject: RE: FCC gives ultimatum to Radio Free Brattleboro
>
>
> > Even so...if that's the closest, I stand by my assertion that for Boston
> > (and every other major and medium-sized city in the country)...LPFM hasn't
> > done squat to fulfill the demands of low power broadcasters.   Even if
>WLLO
> > isn't the closest, there sure can't be any LPFM's inside Rt.128, nor
>within
> > 495 I suspect.
>
>But what does that have to do with people in Vermont?


Nothing precisely - it just demonstrates how you gotta be way out in the 
sticks before there's enough room on the dial to fit an LPFM.  I believe 
Brattleboro was too close to Worcester.

Also, you were mentioning how LPFM was this great opportunity for community 
broadcasters like RFB and I countered that it isn't because it's virtually 
impossible to get an LPFM license in the areas where:

A: there are the most community broadcasters - cities.
B: smaller licenses would do the most good - cities, due to population density.
C: niche markets are large enough to sustain niche programming - again, 
mostly cities.

There are always exceptions, but by and large the greatest demand for LPFM 
service is in cities and that's precisely where you can't fit an LPFM.

Although if the latest translator window is any indication, there are 
dozens of groups trying to prove you can fit a bunch of FM translators in 
cities.  There's like a half-dozen apps for 94.9 (I think) all on top of 
the Hancock Tower...just to name one place.  I would expect Clear Channel / 
WJMN (Jam'n 94.5) will contest them all.

And again, the irony is that you could easily fit several expanded-band AM 
low power stations in Boston and many other major cities.  You'd only need 
to relax the programming rules for TIS licenses.  Simple, easy, let the 
pirates fight it out amongst themselves as long as they stay in the 
expanded band.  It's actually worked remarkably well in metro Boston with 
the Haitian pirates.  There are three different pirates on 1670 (a Haitian 
in Malden, ABfree in Allston and another Haitian in Dorchester) that all 
co-exist.  A tad uneasily, but they co-exist.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels Consulting          AOL-IM: readaaron
http://www.friedbagels.com      Boston, MA