On behalf of the FCC, the “no-means-no” cat says no Internet streams on FM translators.
Here’s an interesting Federal Communications Commission enforcement action. The agency recently issued a Notice of Violation to one Elizabeth Gonzalez, owner of radio station license K229BJ in Hollywood Park, Texas, because the agency’s Enforcement Bureau observed the FM translator re-broadcasting an Internet stream rather than an over-the-air FM or AM signal.
To wit—an excerpt from the Notice, issued on June 13:
2. On May 7, 2013 an agent of the Enforcement Bureau’s Houston Office visited the tower site for radio station K229BJ located in San Antonio, Texas, and observed the following violations: . . . At the time of inspection, the agent observed that Station K229BJ was not receiving a direct off-the-air signal but instead was using an internet facility to receive the programming it was broadcasting.
a. 47 C.F.R. S 74.1231(b): “An FM translator may be used for the purpose of retransmitting the signals of a primary AM or FM radio broadcast station or another translator station the signal of which is received directly through space, converted, and suitably amplified, and originating programming to the extent authorized in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) of this section….”
In addition, the inspector could find no information on the supporting structure of the translator about K229BJ, another no-no. Radio-Locator identifies the parent of the signal as KTNR-FM (“Radio La FM”) headquartered in Laredo, Texas. Anyway, the FCC gave Gonzalez twenty days to explain to the Commission what is going on.
My search of the FCC’s Daily Digest suggests that this is the only enforcement action the Commission has taken so far.
Hit tip to John Anderson for tweeting this case:
Interesting @FCC enforcement violation: FM translator owner busted for relaying an Internet stream instead of OTA sig http://t.co/fDaxtXsTm1
— John Anderson (@diymediadotnet) July 2, 2013
