The FCC just announced today that they’d levied $7,000 fines against several college radio stations. The crime wasn’t anything salacious like playing songs with bad words. In fact, it’s much more embarrassing as it was a “failure to timely file renewal application,” which in turn led to “unauthorized operation” of said stations. This is a […]
Tag Archives | FCC
LPFM Expansion Moves Forward, but Is It Too Late?
Today the House Commerce Committee unanimously passed the Local Radio Act by voice vote, opening up the gates to send the bill for a vote by the full House. This bipartisan action is the best hope the restoration of low-power FM has seen since its wings were clipped back in 2000. When the FCC created […]
Broadcasters: use FM subcarriers for smart grids
An interesting filing from the National Association of Broadcasters in response to the Federal Communications Commissions’ call for feedback on ways that broadband can help smart grids. The NAB says let FM radio stations lend their subcarrier channels to the cause: “Smart Grid devices, implanted in home appliances, thermostats, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, could receive […]
One step closer for Low Power FM
Those strange political bedfellows Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Lee Terry (R-NE) have got their Low Power FM bill out of committee and one step closer to passage on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Goodbye to Bus Radio
We just got word that BusRadio is no more. As we reported back in July, BusRadio was the source of controversy and parental ire for its radio service which was piped in to school buses around the country. Congress even asked the FCC to take a look at BusRadio, to make sure that its practices […]
How to avoid breaking the FCC’s ridiculously lenient rules against non-commercial radio advertising
It never ceases to amaze me that some public radio stations continue to run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s sieve-like rules against running advertisements, but they do. The latest station to wrangle with the Commission on this matter is religious non-profit WKSG-FM in Cedar Creek, Florida, run by Daystar Public Radio. WKSG seems like […]
FCC asks BusRadio to be clearer for parents
BusRadio should make it easier for parents to monitor what the company is piping into school buses, the Federal Communications Commission recommends. Beyond that, the question of whether the service is in the public interest should be left up to local school districts. “We are mindful of concerns expressed by some parties that the harms […]
FCC lets radio off the hook in content filtering inquiry
The Federal Communications Commissions report on the state of content filtering and blocking devices is out. It says a whole lot about the V-Chip, satellite/cable blocking systems, video games, youtube, and mobile phone apps, but not much about radio. The survey continues: “Most commenters addressing the issue contend that we should not examine audio-only programming […]
FCC reaches out to LPFMs near California wildfires
If you’ve got a Low Power FM radio station around one of those awful wildfires near Los Angeles, the Federal Communications Commission is allowing Special Temporary Authority to erect emergency antennas without immediate authorization from the FCC. “If a licensee desires to continue to use an emergency antenna, it must submit a request for STA […]
Schenectady DTV Abruptly Closes Its Backdoor to FM Dial
To some it may seem like I’ve been beating a dead horse over the TV channel 6 on FM issue, but I can’t help but be fascinated with TV broadcasters taking such pains to be on what so many observers say is the dying medium of radio. In my second missive on the channel 6 […]