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After a recent article I wrote concerning the increase use of low-power unlicensed transmitters by churches and other organizations, Low-Power Transmitter Guidance From Larry Wilkins.

It garnered some responses concerning additional information about the legal power of these units.

While power is an important item, the commission’s rules in Part 15 seem to center on signal strength. On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to 250µV/meter at 3 meters.

For the nontechnical this is an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters). This relates to Section 15.239, and the July 24, 1991 Public Notice (still in effect).

On the AM broadcast band (although AM is rarely used) these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters). See 47 CFR Sections 15.207, 15.209, 15.219, and 15.221. These devices must accept any interference caused by any other operation, which may further limit the effective service range.

15.219 Operation in the [AM] band 510–1705 kHz:

• The total input power to the final radio frequency stage (exclusive of filament or heater power) shall not exceed 100 milliwatts.
• The total length of the transmission line, antenna and ground lead (if used) shall not exceed 3 meters.

This will render (according to the July 1991 notice) an approximate maximum AM coverage radius of 200 feet.

[Read: Begging to Differ on Part 15 Regulations]

As we stated in the original article these devices must be registered by the FCC and the proper use of the recommended antenna system to comply with the rules.

 

The post More on Part 15 Guidance appeared first on Radio World.

The Media Bureau approved the reinstatement of a low-power FM license in Arizona over the objection of a nearby broadcaster who cried foul about FCC rule violations.

ITV.com, which is licensee of KBSZ(AM) in Apache Junction, Ariz., contested the grant of an application filed by San Tan Educational Media, which holds a license for the LPFM station KFXY in Mesa, Ariz. ITV alleged multiple rule violations including unauthorized transfer of control and nonconforming construction violations.

After the station was licensed in 2015, the family members that comprised the original San Tan board left Arizona and moved to Texas, which meant a 100% board change had happened — in effect, San Tan allowed for a new board without asking the Federal Communications Commission for its assent to the transfer of control.

[Read: Arizona LP Licensee Agrees to $1,500 Consent Decree]

San Tan acknowledged the error and tried to correct he matter by filing a transfer application. The station went silent while those matters were pending due to a local dispute over San Tan’s use of a new site.

The Media Bureau saw the board change as a violation and in response, San Tan signed a consent decree in which they agreed to pay a civil forfeiture and set up a compliance plan to prevent future violations. The bureau also determined that San Tan’s violations did not disqualify them for holding a license. The station was subsequently silent for more than 12 consecutive months and was given an extension to stay silent even longer by the FCC. The commission thus reinstated the station’s license and extended the time for San Tan to resume broadcasting. San Tan then resumed operating on Jan. 15, 2020.

But ITV cried foul in a Petition For Reconsideration filed with the FCC. The company argued that the bureau misapplied its own rules by giving an extension to San Tan and it miscalculated the deadline for resumption of operations.

The Media Bureau said that its decision to reinstate the station’s license was correctly based on its desire to promote equity and fairness, one of three principals it relies on when figuring out whether to reinstate a station’s license after more than 12 consecutive months of silence.

The Media Bureau also dismissed ITV’s allegation that San Tan used an incorrect antenna mounted at an unauthorized height. It says that these newly alleged facts by ITV are insufficient to reconsider San Tan’s fitness to hold a license.

While the bureau agreed with ITV’s assertion that San Tan violated FCC rules by not filing a transfer application before its board change, it disagreed with the argument that the organization could have been running amuck with a new board filled with unqualified directors. The bureau rejected the idea that these circumstances caused the station’s license to expire. Yes, San Tan underwent  a board change but operations that happened before San Tan managed to file the right forms were not equivalent to “unlicensed pirate operations,” the bureau said.

The commission also shot down ITV’s request that the bureau recalculate San Tan’s return-to-air deadline. There’s nothing in the Communications Act or FCC Rules that specifies the amount of time that the commission may give a silent station upon reinstating a license.

As a result, the bureau denied ITV’s Petition For Reconsideration regarding the reinstatement of San Tan’s low-power broadcast license.

 

The post Arizona LPFM Can Continue Broadcasting appeared first on Radio World.

CES 2021 has every intention to take place under the neon lights of Las Vegas once again, according to an announcement from the Consumer Technology Association.

While CTA plans to hold its annual tech event again in-person at the Las Vegas Convention Center, it acknowledges the considerations that all involved will make as to whether to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic. As such, CTA has detailed a number of show plans both for programming and general operations:

CES 2021 is expected to have a wider digital reach, including more live-streamed content, as well as other digital and virtual opportunities, per CTA: “For CES 2021, we will continue to expand the show’s digital reach. You can expect to see a wider selection of live-streamed CES content, along with many other engaging digital and virtual opportunities … We will showcase our exhibitors’ products, technology breakthroughs and ideas to the world, both physically in Las Vegas and digitally.”

With respect to the the safety of exhibitors and attendees, CTA said on its site that it is “working with the Las Vegas community, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitation Authority and hotel venues as they develop and implement their reopening plans.” CTA says it is also collaborating with event industry associations to develop best practices, as well as following the recommendations of public health experts and standards set by the federal, state and local governments.

A list of safety initiatives were included in CTA’s announcement. The event plans to:

• Regularly clean and sanitize spaces across the show venues and provide sanitization stations throughout;
• Better enable social distancing, including widening aisles in many exhibit areas and providing more space between seats in conference programs and other areas where attendees congregate;
• Issue best practices for attendees, such as wearing masks and avoiding shaking hands, and for exhibitors on product demonstrations;
• Limit touch points throughout the facilities including through cashless systems for purchases and transactions;
• Evaluate solutions for contactless thermal scans at key venue entry points;
• Provide enhanced on-site access to health service and medical aid.

“These measures are just a sampling of what we plan for CES 2021,” the announcement reads. “The meetings world is developing and implementing best practices, and we will assess and evaluate the latest solutions in the coming months. We will continue to work with our venues in Las Vegas, update our plans and share them with you.”

Industry conferences scheduled for 2020 have already had to alter their plans because of COVID-1: The NAB Show in Las Vegas was cancelled and instead went virtual; IBC 2020 also cancelled its physical show in Amsterdam and plans to go virtual; and The Radio Show recently announced that it too was cancelling.

Portions of this article originally appeared on our sister site TVTechnology.com

The post CES Announces Plans for January 2021 “In-Person” Conference appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast Applications

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Media Bureau issues a Notice of Apparent Liability in the amount of $7,000 to Ward Broadcasting Corporation for failure to timely file a license renewal application and for unauthorized operation of Station WTOY(AM), Salem, Virginia

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Modern building techniques can affect wireless propagation, and Commissioner Michael O’Rielly would like the Federal Communications Commission to work with the Energy Department to explore ways to take more advantage of that situation.

O’Rielly wrote a letter to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette saying explosive growth in wireless communications has resulted in “increasing interplay involving building codes, construction techniques and materials, and wireless communications coverage.”

[Read: 70-Year-Old Antenna Site Rules Up for Debate by FCC]

He’d like to see the FCC and DOE work together to “produce thoughtful building codes that will not only allow the department to fulfill its mission, but also expand wireless spectrum opportunities, and thus facilitate more consumer uses. Further, the commission would benefit from the department’s expertise regarding building materials when formulating our technical rules.”

The commissioner said higher energy efficiency requirements, construction techniques and the use of metal-coated windows, double-pane windows and metal foil barriers have increased “building entry and exit loss,” or BEL, according to the International Telecommunication Union.

Broadcasters have been affected for years by reception challenges in buildings. Whether this effort would explore how to improve broadcast reception is unclear; RW has requested comment from the commissioner’s office and will share any reply. But in his letter O’Rielly focused not on improved reception but on new opportunities.

“Better understanding the department’s efforts can allow the commission to authorize and introduce increased wireless functionality in spectrum bands without causing harm to other services, including those of incumbent users,” he wrote. “Higher BEL means that there is less risk of harmful interference from competing signals from inside and outside modern structures, which means there may be opportunities for more flexibility in certain wireless operations.”

O’Rielly would like to see an interagency working group exploring modifications to building codes. He said Chairman Ajit Pai supports the idea.

“Specifically, our respective agencies could further explore the effects of model building codes on BEL; whether the building code-setting process should take into account the potential impact of various energy-saving techniques on BEL; and how this information can better inform architectural and building construction considerations in the future.”

 

The post O’Rielly: Improve Building Codes With Wireless Spectrum in Mind appeared first on Radio World.

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Denial of Petition for Reconsideration which argued that LPFM governing board change addressed as a rule violation in a consent decree should have instead resulted in license expiration under section 312(g) of the Communications Act

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Caroline Mwelu Munee presents on Koch FM.

As the world continues to fight COVID-19, community radio stations have played a critical role in tackling the spread of the disease in Africa. Community radio stations in the continent are spreading life-saving COVID-19 information to vulnerable communities in urban and rural areas — their mission at this moment is focused on disseminating information to prevent the pandemic.

Getting information on ways to stop the spread of coronavirus in vulnerable communities can be challenging and difficult. But the radio stations have built up trust within communities and listeners appreciate and act on the information that has been broadcast.

Koch FM, Kenya’s first licensed community radio station — established in 2006 by the youth of Korogocho slum, the fourth-largest informal settlement in the country’s capital Nairobi — is leading the way in the fight against COVID-19. The community radio station has developed efforts to create awareness on COVID-19, and to reach women, the elderly, adolescent, youth, children, persons with disability and other marginalized and vulnerable groups.

Over the years, community radio has played a critical role in informing people about matters that affect their lives and has been useful during disasters and emergencies. In this time of crisis, Koch FM is broadcasting COVID-19-related programs daily. They are broadcasting public health advice and songs that advise people on preventive measures to reduce infections within the community.

[Read: How Community Radio Is Helping India]

The idea of community media is to empower marginalized people with no access to mainstream media. Community radios like Koch FM are run by and serve the interest of the community — they amplify voices of marginalized communities, serve as a mouthpiece to the marginalized and provide essential information.

In the Mukuru slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Ruben FM (99.9 MHz), a community radio station, is sensitizing the community on the need to stay at home, and stay safe, and that COVID-19 can affect them too. They are encouraging community members to ensure proper sanitation. The radio station has been broadcasting news and programs on the COVID-19 pandemic.

In keeping with the mission of community radio, Ruben FM is providing information, education and knowledge that cater to the needs of the vulnerable community. It is evident that the station has been able to function as part of the community, and more effectively because it is physically situated there. This makes it easy for community members to access and contact the facility — it is accessible in terms of ownership, decision-making and program output.

In Mozambique, community stations have been taking on the coronavirus and continue to broadcast and provide essential information to keep COVID-19 at bay. Broadcasters at Radio Gorongosa and Radio Dondo, for instance, are sending out prevention messages about COVID-19 to communities in the form of advertising spots, radio debates, interviews, reports and programs.

In Ethiopia, Argoba Community Radio 98.6 FM, located on the border of Amhara and Afar regional states and broadcasting 56 hours per week in Amharic, Argoba and Afar languages, is contributing to the fight against an “infodemic” that is prevalent in social media channels. At a time when there is a mass spread of wrong information, the station has done a fantastic job to break the chain of the virus and fake news.

Community radio provides marginalized communities with access to a voice — to express their concerns, interests and needs, promote and protect their cultures, traditions and heritages and determine their own development.

At this point, and during the COVID-19 crisis, the role of community radio stations is important in providing vulnerable sections of the population with credible information on how they can protect themselves against coronavirus. It is important to embrace community radios to check and halt the deadly virus and fight COVID-19.

The author is a public policy analyst and writer who has served as a consultant with the United Nations and the World Bank. An alumnus of Duke University, he has authored and co-authored numerous books, including “Conversations About the Youth in Kenya.” Obonyo is a TEDx fellow and has won various awards.

 

The post In Africa Stations Spread Lifesaving Information appeared first on Radio World.