Low-power broadcasting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.
Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (December 2007)

Low-power broadcasting is the concept of broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area. These stations tend to serve small towns, or communities within large cities in the United States. There are close to 3,000 LPTV stations in the US and they are in all markets including New York City (5 stations) to Junction City, KS (2 stations).

The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly "microbroadcasting") should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same. The former term is more often used to describe stations who have applied for and received official licences. The relationship between broadcasting power and signal range is a function of many things, such as the frequency band it uses e.g, SW or FM, the topography of the country in which it operates (lots of mountains or flat), atmospheric conditions, and finally the amount of radio frequency energy it transmits. As a general rule, the more energy it transmits, the further the signal goes.

LPFM, LPAM, and LPTV are in various levels of use across the world, varying widely based on the laws and their enforcement.

Contents

[edit] United States

[edit] FM radio

In the U.S., the FCC partially re-legalized LPFM licenses, after the NAB, CPB, and NPR convinced them to stop issuing the FM class D license in 1978.

The new LPFM licenses in the United States may only be issued to nonprofit educational organizations and state and local governments. Also, the one and so far only "window" for applications closed in 2003, and at present, the FCC is not entertaining any new broadcast license applications, instead conducting auctions of frequencies for full power uses only.

[edit] LPFM classes

  • Class L1 (LP100) is from 50 to 100 watts effective radiated power (ERP).
  • Class L2 (L10) is at least 1 and up to 10 watts ERP.
  • Class D is 10 watts TPO or less, regardless of ERP, and are no longer issued for LPFM services (since 1978).

Officially, class D is still assigned to broadcast translators, though the rules are actually much looser (up to 250 watts ERP) than for true LPFM stations, though they may not broadcast their own programming. This is due to the influence of NPR and religious broadcasting companies, which often rely on translators. Since true class D stations can bump translators, they therefore have less competition in getting or keeping their own translators on the air with new class D stations kept off the air.

New classes L1 and L2 are still considered class D for international purposes, but are considered to be equal in status to translators, and subordinate to full class D stations still operating.

Part 15 rules are quite strict for FM, making it nearly impossible to operate a legally-unlicensed station that can be heard more than a few yards away. The rule is a signal strength of 250 µV/m at 3 meters from the antenna, set forth in 47 CFR §15.239. Radiating cable antenna systems do allow for longer, if still narrow, radiated fields and are commonly used for building broadcast systems (stadiums, dormitories, apartments, etc...) with high success. Such systems are also used for specialized audiences for hearing assistance and language translation at events.

[edit] Legislation

[edit] Telecommunications Act of 1996

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was implemented in order to foster competition between the firms in the Telecommunications Sector including those stations of LPFM. Reed Hundt, the FCC chair at the time, said that the FCC imposed the act to encourage “diversity in programming and diversity in the viewpoints expressed on this powerful medium that so shapes our culture.” The act “mandates interconnection of telecommunications networks, unbundling, non-discrimination, and cost-based pricing of leased parts of the network.” However the act relies upon the behaviors of companies to do what is in their best interest and does not enforce punishment towards firms that do not abide by the act. Furthermore research suggests that the Act has led to “less competition, fewer viewpoints, and less diversity in programming.”[citation needed]

[edit] Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000
  1. The FCC has the ability and jurisdiction to license LPFM stations.[1]
  2. Third adjacent channel interference protections require LPFM stations to be separated by at least 0.6 MHz from all other stations with the intent of preventing signal interference.
  3. Applicants who have engaged in the unlicensed operation of any station cannot receive LPFM licenses.
  4. The FCC agreed to commission studies on the interference effects and economic impact of LPFM on full-power stations. (The findings, later published in the Mitre Report, suggest that third adjacent channel interference protections may not be necessary.)[2]

[edit] Local Community Radio Act of 2007

Sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Mike Doyle and Lee Terry and in the U.S. Senate by Senators Maria Cantwell and John McCain the Local Community Radio Act of 2007 is currently pending. The House bill, H.R. 2802, was referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on June 21, 2007.[3] If passed, it aims to significantly reduce current restrictions on LPFM, as well as make licenses for FM translators available to both FM translator stations & LPFM stations.

[edit] Arguments For LPFM

  • Freepress.net is a "national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications." [4]

Freepress.net supports LPFM for a variety of reasons:

    • It strengthens community identity.
    • It creates an outlet for amateur musicians to get their music heard.
    • It creates diversity on the air because women and racial minorities are represented.
    • It creates an opportunity for young people, especially college students, who are interested in radio to learn about the business.
    • It provides farmers with up to date agricultural information.
  • The Prometheus Radio Project is a group of former microbroadcasters and current media activists formed to provide technical, legal, and organizational support to community groups wishing to start an LPFM station. They have presented testimony before Congress and the FCC which advocates for community-owned LPFM stations, not conglomerate-owned.
    • Groups such as Prometheus Radio Project display their concerns with the loss of diversity on the radio. They feel Major Conglomerates have created a nation with common, national playlists and only promote certain artists or programs.
  • President Clinton is a known advocate of LPFM saying it is "giving voice to the voiceless" including schools, community groups, churches, and ethnic groups. [5]
  • An average FM station can cost a million dollars and only businesses and very wealthy people can afford it. LPFM stations are affordable. An antenna and transmitter can cost $2000-$5000. [6]

[edit] Arguments Against LPFM

  • Signal Interference on FM Station: High-power FM stations express concern that LPFM stations may cause interference with their signals if third adjacent channel interference protections are not observed. While the Mitre Report suggests that the likelihood for interference is not as threatening as previously thought, high-power FM stations question the methodology, scope and validity of the study and its results.[7]
  • FM translators: These devices allow a radio station to rebroadcast its signal to reach a greater area. FM translators could benefit religious broadcasters wishing to reach a larger audience, as well as many AM radio stations who, due to ionospheric refraction, are required to emit weaker signals during the night.[8] FM translators are low-power, so compete with LPFM for limited space on the airwaves.
  • Many licenses have been issued to religious broadcasters who tend to have little locally-produced programming and syndicate broadcasts originating elsewhere. Religious broadcasters counter that few secular groups are equipped to fund the continuing operations of an LPFM station.[citation needed]
  • In some states, the local Department of Transportation operates large networks of LPFM stations that act as Highway advisory radio stations—a service traditionally operated at the fringes of the AM band—restricting the number of available channels.[citation needed] (These systems can be licensed to the entire AM band, but the LPFM service provides considerably greater coverage at 100w than the 10w limit on AM - hence the considerable appeal for government agencies).
  • Some investors in radio believe LPFM services prevent the development of digital radio.[9]
  • NPR is one source of opposition to Low Power FM. Their stance is that allowing more flexible rules for LPFM would burden other stations by forcing them to deal with interference problems and because of the fact that full power broadcasters reach a broader audience and provide a greater service, they should be favored regarding spectrum availability.[10]
  • NAB is the other major source of opposition. Their stance is that full power FM broadcasters “enhance localism” by providing community responsive information such as emergency information. Allowing low power FM stations to have equal spectrum rights could be detrimental to these necessary programs.[11]

[edit] AM radio

LPAM is generally not licensed in the U.S., but is allowed on the campus of any school, so long as the normal Part 15 rules are adhered to when measured at the edge of the campus. Many currently licensed college radio stations started out this way. Stations may have freestanding radio antennas, or may use carrier current methods to ride on power lines. These signals cannot pass through transformers, however, and are prone to the electromagnetic interference of the alternating current. Stations may also use 'leaky' or radiating cable transmission systems. Tens of thousands of these stations have been in operation around the country since the 1940s, and many continue to thrive where conventional licensing is unavailable and the operators still desire to conform to Federal laws.

The exception is Travelers' Information Stations (TIS), sometimes also called highway advisory radio (HAR). These are licensed LPAM stations set up by local transport departments to provide bulletins to motorists and other travelers regarding traffic and other delays. These are often near highways and airports, and occasionally other tourism attractions such as national parks. Only governments may have licenses for TIS/HAR stations, and music is disallowed. These operate under FCC Part 90.242 and may be licensed by quasi-governmental agencies as well (many are used by chemical and nuclear facilities for emergency evacuation information systems) as well as by public safety entities for mobile operations.

[edit] Television

LPTV (-LP) is common in the U.S., Canada and most of the Americas where most stations originate their own programming. Stations that do not originate their own programming are designated as translators (-TX). LPTV stations that meet additional requirements such as Children's "E/I" core programming and Emergency Alert System can qualify for a Class A (-CA) license. Unlike FM and AM, unlicensed use of TV bands is prohibited for broadcasting. The amateur television channels do allow for some very limited non-entertainment transmissions however, with some repeaters airing NASA TV during Space Shuttle missions when they are not in local use.

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] United Kingdom

Temporary low-power stations are allowed at times via a Restricted Service Licence.

Since 2001[citation needed] longterm LPFM licences have been available in remote areas of the country. These are currently used for many establishments including military bases, universities and hospitals with fixed boundaries.

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] New Zealand

In New Zealand residents are allowed to broadcast licence free at 0.5 watts EIRP in the FM guardbands from 88.1 to 88.7 (or 88.1 to 88.4 within 120 km of the Sky Tower in Auckland) and from 106.7 to 107.7 MHz under a General User Radio License (GURL) issued by Radio Spectrum Management. Broadcasters on these frequencies are required to cease operations if they interfere with other, licensed broadcasters and have no protection from interference from other licensed or unlicensed broadcasters. There exists a 25 km rule: You may operate two transmitters anywhere (close together), but a third transmitter must be 25 km away.

There are efforts on self-regulation of the broadcasters themselves.

[edit] Merged from low-power

J. H. Snider and Lawrence Lessig say that low power "smart" radio is inherently superior to standard broadcast radio.

"Technologists are increasingly discussing a related kind of gain called 'cooperation gain.' ... think about a party. If I need to tell you that it's time to leave, I could choose to shout that message across the room. Shouting, however, is rude. So instead, imagine I choose to whisper my message to the person standing next to me, and he whispered it to the next person, and she to the next person, and so on. This series of whispers could get my message across the room without forcing me to shout." -- "Wireless Spectrum: Defining the 'Commons'" by Lawrence Lessig 2003 (mirror)

"if nodes repeat each other's traffic. If I want to talk to someone across the room, I don't have to shout. I can just whisper it to someone near me, who can pass it on, and so on. ... as we add more transmitters, the total capacity goes up slightly, but we still have to face the fact that each transmitter's capacity goes down (just slower). Even better, we all end up using less energy (since we don't have to transmit as far), saving battery life." -- Open Spectrum: A Global Pervasive Network by Aaron Swartz

"Every time a broadcaster receives a license, the amount of available spectrum goes down. ... New technology, however, increases bandwidth with the number of users." -- "Why Open Spectrum Matters: The End of the Broadcast Nation" by David Weinberger

"If we lose ... open spectrum, we're also going to lose the open Internet" -- "The war against open spectrum" by Dana Blankenhorn 2007

[edit] References

  1. ^ GovTrack.us. (1999) “H.R. 3439 [106th]: Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000.” ‘‘GovTrack.us.’’ Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h106-3439&tab=summary
  2. ^ Radio Magazine. (2004, March 1) “FCC Reports LPFM Interference Findings to Congress.” ‘‘Radio Magazine.’’ Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/lpfm/RADIOmagazine.pdf
  3. ^ GovTrack.us. (2007) “H.R. 2802: Local Community Radio Act of 2007.” ‘’GovTrack.us.’’ Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2802
  4. ^ Free Press. (2008) “Local Radio Now.” Free Press. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www.freepress.net/lpfm/
  5. ^ Janssen, Mike. (2001, January 15) “Intervention by Congress slashes LPFM licensing 80%.” Current. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from http://www.current.org/tech/tech0101lpfm.html
  6. ^ HowStuffWorks. (2000) “What is low-power FM LPFM?” HowStuffWorks. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question330.htm
  7. ^ National Association of Broadcasters. (2003, October 20) “LPFM Report Fatally Flawed.” ‘‘Radio TechCheck.’’ Retrieved March 6, 2008, from http://www.nab.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=4666
  8. ^ Whittaker, Ron Ph. D. (2007, June 14) “AM FM Waves and Sound.” ‘’Elements of Mass Communication.’’ Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www.cybercollege.com/frtv/frtv017.htm
  9. ^ "Factsheets." Retrieved May 29, 2008 from http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Factsheets?lpfmfact032900.html
  10. ^ Current, Karen E. (2008, May 21) "Once Again NPR Opposes Expansion of Low-Powers FM." Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www,reclaimthemedia.org/grassroots_media/once_again_npr_opposes_expansi%3D5996
  11. ^ MacBride, Marsha J., Jerianne Timmerman, & Ann W. Bobeck. (2005, August 22) "Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISION-Comments of the National Assocation of Broadcasters." Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.nab.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search§ion=20055&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=367

[edit] See also

[edit] External links