EBB Mobilizes for Miami; DIYmedia to Air on Resonance FM

News bit #1: The Emergency Broadcasters Bloc is again sailing in loose formation as the forces fighting global corporate domination of the world converge in Miami, Florida for two days of street demonstrations against the Free Trade Area of the Americas. FTAA-IMC is the place to turn for real coverage of the action, and its web radio studio is up and running, ready for rebroadcast.
News bit #2: Resonance FM contacted me recently about producing a documentary on the U.S. microradio movement. I’ve committed to fill 90 minutes sometime between now and May (I like deadlines like these). It will probably be a very loose narrative utilizing large chunks of audio from stations that I’ve collected over the years. If you’d like to collaborate/contribute to the project, drop a line. Continue reading “EBB Mobilizes for Miami; DIYmedia to Air on Resonance FM”

Conflicting Signals on LPFM

A week and a half ago FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein hinted that the agency was preparing to move quickly on a report to Congress recommending fast expansion of the LPFM service. However, at the staff level the outlook is apparently much different. Recent correspondence between at least two LPFM applicants and the staff working on the processing of their applications suggests that plans to open up windows for 10-watt station applications have been suspended, perhaps indefinitely.
Another wrinkle in the service’s rollout involves the certification – or lack thereof – of some of the transmitters in use by LPFM stations. It seems that the FCC “gave incorrect information” to transmitter manufacturers about the process they would need to go through to have their LPFM transmitters certified acceptable for use by licensed stations. Just what the FCC’s error(s) was/were isn’t clear, but what it means is that some LPFM transmitters sold as “FCC certified” may not be. Continue reading “Conflicting Signals on LPFM”

Schellhardt & Schnazz Updated

Don Schellhardt’s got a good overview of several other notable proposals and rulemakings taking place at the FCC in November’s Amendment One, and there have been plenty ignored in all the hoopla over media ownership and digital broadcast copyright protection. The Latest Schnazz has 18 links this week, a bit bigger than usual to make up for the missed update.
Another interesting rulemaking just opened is the FCC’s potential overhaul of interference standards. It is looking into adopting an “interference temperature” as a part of any future spectrum management protocol; instead of the FCC’s traditional method of regulating spectrum by limiting power at the transmitter (regardless of band), the “interference temperature” method would assume a tolerable level of interference from the outset. This has the potential to significantly change the way the FCC manages spectrum use in the future.
According to the announcement on the proposed rulemaking, the “interference temperature” idea may get a test run in reality as a factor in spectrum allocations involving the 6525-6700 MHz and portions of the 12.75-13.25 GHz bands.

Behind the Scenes @ Media Reform Webcast Decentral

I’ve never tried to webcast 17 separate events via three servers in two protocols before. In fact, my experience with webcasting previously was close to none. Somehow, though, we pulled off a majority of them, including some magical moments. These were interspersed with crises of panic proportions and the corresponding adrenaline rushes that come with both.
This review @ Be the Media! pretty much sums up the effort. Lessons learned for the future, that’s for sure. In a way I’m disappointed to have missed so much of the conference because of the webcast stuff, but it needed to be done.

Adelstein on Microradio: "Go For It"

It was hectic and filled with pendulum swings of euphoria and panic; there is much to say about the National Conference on Media Reform/Be the Media shadow conference action that took place this past weekend. We’ll get to it all over the course of this week, cross-posting links as the posts flow on the Be the Media! blog.
First up is this one, my surreal encounter with FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein.

Be the Media! Blog Online: Coverage Nexus for Media Conference

Participants in both the National Conference on Media Reform and Be the Media! shadow conference this weekend in Madison are invited to blog their experiences; the hope is that the blog becomes a neutral space for a sharing of critical perspectives on the events, outside of the dazzle and hubbub of the conferences themselves, resulting in some good collective coverage.
Those attending either conference are encouraged to contribute to the the coverage by e-mailing bethemediablog@yahoo.com with contact info, and they’ll set you up with access as well. Continue reading “Be the Media! Blog Online: Coverage Nexus for Media Conference”

Scene Reportage: Jostling for Space

Skywave Radio in Florida went off the air today due to the occupation of its frequency by a Haitian pirate station. According to Skywave’s founder, broadcast range was cut from ~10 to less than two miles; there are as many as a dozen other pirates on the air in Broward County alone.
A similar circumstance exists in Seattle, where a recently-established microradio station devoted to the exploration of beats is scouting for a new frequency after finding a Christian pirate squatting on theirs.
Free Radio San Diego is also on hiatus as it moves to a new broadcast location. The station’s created a page explaining the deal so as to pre-empt rumor mongering.

Media Activist/Reformers Preparing Madison Invasion

Less than two weeks from the National Conference on Media Reform in Madison and plans have been announced for a shadow “Be the Media” convergence as well. The idea is to get the participants to mingle with each other and teach some real media skills to people.
Various IMCs and other grassroots media outlets around the U.S. are sending contingents and many events will be webcast (this is why I have been so busy as of late). There’s also plans to set up a collective conference blog so participants can pool coverage and perspectives. Stay tuned for more details. In all I wouldn’t be surprised if 1,500-2,000 people – maybe more – take part in the fun. Continue reading “Media Activist/Reformers Preparing Madison Invasion”

Amherst Alliance in Last-Minute Lobby Flurry

Congress is getting ready to wrap up business for the year; work left undone so far includes the rollback of the FCC’s changes to media ownership rules. There’s a quasi-insurrection brewing in the House of Representatives, where 190 congressfolk have signed onto a letter asking Republican leadership to allow a vote on the FCC rollback.
The Amherst Alliance’s Don Schellhardt put together another detailed analysis of where things stand now, and includes helpful boilerplate examples of what to say if you’re inclined to call your representative and urge some action.
The Amherst Alliance has also launched a petition drive to the FCC designed to immediately expand the LPFM service back to its original parameters and request that the FCC protect LPFM stations from digital radio interference. Visit the Amherst Alliance’s web site and sign on, if you can…