The agency’s Office of Engineering and Technology released a 
three-page public notice Thursday “regarding radio interference matters and rules governing customer antennas and other unlicensed equipment.” The notice talks about an increase of complaints about the use of unlicensed devices in “multi tenant environments” but makes no reference to any specific instances that may have spurred its publication.
“[W]e reaffirm that, under the Communications Act, the FCC has exclusive authority to resolve matters involving radio frequency interference [RFI] when unlicensed devices are being used, regardless of venue….Both the FCC and the federal courts have overturned attempts by third parties to regulate RFI matters in light of the FCC’s exclusive authority in this area.” Continue reading “FCC Reasserts Jurisdiction Over Airwaves”
Category: Media Policy
Third Circuit Orders FCC to Re-Justify Media Ownership Changes
Kind of a big day for “the public interest” – in a 2-1 decision yesterday the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the implementation of several media ownership rule changes made by the Federal Communications Commission last year. However, it did not do so because the court thought they were necessarily bad rules.
Judgment (12 K) Opinion (632 K)
“Citizen Petitioners” (a plethora of public interest groups) and “Deregulatory Petitioners” (the FCC, media companies, and their trade organizations) can both find something to like. The primary criticism of the decision falls in the citizens’ favor: Mikey Powell and his FCC are taken to task for a skewed interpretation of their mission under the Telecommunications Act. Continue reading “Third Circuit Orders FCC to Re-Justify Media Ownership Changes”
LPFM Rematch on Capitol Hill
Four years ago, when the National Association of Broadcasters and National Public Radio successfully convinced Congress to significantly scale back the FCC’s new LPFM service, grassroots media activists weren’t packing much heat on the Hill.
It’s been a productive four years: 400+ LPFM stations are now on the air with more in the pipeline and dedicated lobbyists in Washington willing to push for an LPFM revival. Continue reading “LPFM Rematch on Capitol Hill”
Comment Deadline Nears in Broadband over Powerline (BPL) Rulemaking
The FCC’s ongoing project to approve the use of powerlines as data infrastructure grinds on, and the initial public comment period on this rulemaking ends next Tuesday. It would’ve closed months ago if not for a short extension of time (granted at the request of the Amherst Alliance and National Antenna Consortium) to digest the latest technical studies on the plan, released just three weeks ago.
BPL technology sounds wonderful but is a massive interference generator, literally wiping out several amateur and shortwave frequency-swaths. Yet the FCC seems relatively determined to bring it on regardless. Continue reading “Comment Deadline Nears in Broadband over Powerline (BPL) Rulemaking”
McCain Moves on LPFM
On Friday Senator John McCain (R-AZ), along with Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced a bill to restore the FCC’s original vision of LPFM. My favorite line from the text of the legislation (S. 2505) is, “After years and the expenditure of $2,193,343 in taxpayer dollars to conduct [a study on interference involving LPFM stations], the broadcasters’ concerns were demonstrated to be unsubstantiated.”
Now we shall see if it moves. Promises kept in word are one thing; deeds are quite different, especially in D.C.
Low Power Radio Legislation Afoot?
It appears there may be some movement in D.C. on some sort of legislation involving low power FM radio stations. It’s a curious thing: Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) plans to sponsor a bill to upgrade several old “Class D” FM educational stations.
The move stems from a controversy involving a high school whose 25-year old station might be bumped off the air by a commercial station who wants to move its transmitter to reach a larger audience.
While the FCC phased out Class D educational FM licenses in 1980, several dozen stations are still on the air. As part of the phase-out, they had to move out of the educational band of the FM dial (88.1-91.9 MHz). They also were endowed with “secondary” status: post-1980, if a commercial station wanted their frequency, the Class D station had to either find a new frequency or go off the air. Mercer Island High School’s station will probably have to shut down unless Sen. Cantwell’s legislation becomes law. Continue reading “Low Power Radio Legislation Afoot?”
Powell AWOL at South Dakota Localism Hearing
The FCC’s ongoing “Localism Task Force” tour stopped yesterday in Rapid City, South Dakota – the hometown of Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. Only the two Democrats on the Commission (Adelstein and Michael Copps) bothered to show up. Chairman Mikey Powell was supposed to be there but backed out due to a last-minute “scheduling conflict.”
Funny thing, though: Powell managed to be in South Dakota the day before for a meeting with governor Mike Rounds on issues dealing with wireless technology. But I digress. Continue reading “Powell AWOL at South Dakota Localism Hearing”
Hams Consider Challenge to Florida's Anti-Pirate Law
Although it went down with little public notice or debate, a challenge is mounting to the state of Florida’s criminalization of unlicensed broadcasting. The new state law threatens up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for anyone who interferes with a licensed radio system (broadcast or otherwise).
The law was admittedly tailored to attack Florida’s pirate station “infestation,” but the potential to lock people up for causing interference has also apparently alarmed some in Florida’s amateur radio community as well. They feel that opening up radio regulation to entities beyond the federal level constitutes a slippery slope that in the long run may do more harm than good to the FCC’s overall enforcement authority. Continue reading “Hams Consider Challenge to Florida's Anti-Pirate Law”
Digital Radio Moves Incrementally at FCC
Last month the Commission released a further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry on the implementation of digital radio in the U.S. When it first gave the nod to the rollout of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in 2002, it admitted that it was not sure how it would work in the real world, but the intervening two years seem have provided the “evidence” necessary to move ahead with its nationwide expansion.
While the broadcast industry has portrayed the In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) DAB transmission system as ready for deployment, the truth is only the hybrid digital/analog “transition” system has actually been deployed, or is even close to ready. The National Radio Systems Committee (a joint effort of the National Association of Broadcasters and Consumer Electronics Association) has not yet tested the “all-digital systems.” Continue reading “Digital Radio Moves Incrementally at FCC”
Point/Counterpoint: Godcasting and its "Persecution"
Last week Paul @ Mediageek received an excitingly strained e-mail from Don Mills, the program director of Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls’ Calvary Satellite Network. CCTF/CSN is the largest single owner of translator stations in the United States. Paul’s been critical of Calvary Chapel in the past and Mills wrote to rebut the allegation that his network is actively trying to scarf up LPFM stations to add to its empire (CCTF/CSN currently owns or controls 300+ translators, has applied to construct another 300+, and has dozens of full-power FM affiliates).
While several applications for LPFM stations around the country have been tendered under shady circumstances by “Calvary Chapels,” Mills stressed that those Calvary Chapels are not associated with his operation.
Most notable, though, was the missive’s shifting tone. It began with an intimidatory “request for copies” of anything Mediageek has written or recorded about Calvary Chapel. Then, following a justification of CCTF/CSN’s existence and expansion, the man who controls 300+ radio stations remarked to the guy with a blog, “It just seems that you don’t like the fact that Christians have a voice on radio.” Continue reading “Point/Counterpoint: Godcasting and its "Persecution"”