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The situation in the Houston Astrodome sounds more like a detention center than shelter. Perhaps that is why the emergency LPFM station authorized to broadcast from there (actually, there’s three, covering most of the Reliant Park complex of which the Astrodome is a part) has been dismissed by local officials.
Organizers of “KAMP” 95.3 were first told they had to have 10,000 portable radios ready to distribute to the displaced before they could begin broadcasting. Not just any radio would do: they had to be of “walkman type,” listenable with headphones. Within a day that goal had been met. Now, authorization for the station has been denied by an “Incident Commander” on the scene. The reason? Not enough electricity.
A 30-watt transmitter draws less than a third of the power of your average incandescent light bulb. That an Astrodome outlet could not supply the requisite juice is flat-out silly. Station organizers then offered to broadcast exclusively on battery power: denied again.
Just what is going on? One report from inside the dome suggests the fear of subversive programming may be an issue, although a wi-fi network is already operational. With FCC authorization in hand, FEMA et al. should just step out of the way. Is infiltration an option?
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