 |
Interpretation
Inspiration |
Wildlife
Refuge
Uses
Special
Radio
Stations
to Tell
Stories |
HARDEEVILLE,
SC:
Talk
about
talking
non-stop!
Savannah
National
Wildlife
Refuge
is
telling
its
unique
story to
visitors
all day
long on
its
wildlife
drive’s
new
“Audio
Tour”
through
the use
of five
low-power
radio
stations.
Each
station
describes
for
visitors
what
they are
seeing –
and in
some
cases
what
they
can’t
see – as
they
look out
their
car
windows
at key
locations
in the
Refuge.
According
to
volunteer
engineer
Arnie
Weisbrot,
using
radio
for
interpretation
is not a
new idea
when
considered
against
competing
technologies
that use
smartphones
or
special
audio
players
to
perform
similar
tasks.
But the
staff at
Savannah
NWR
chose to
use the
radio
method
because
of the
universal
presence
of radio
receivers
in
automobiles
and
because
of
radio’s
ability
to
“spread
interpretive
information
to a
wider
audience.”
States
Weisbrot,
“Potential
users
are
familiar
with
this
type of
system…thus
making
public
acceptability
and
experience
levels
very
high.”
Systems
that
provide
aural
interpretation
are also
popular
because
they
allow
visitors
with
impairments
to
experience
historic
sites
and
natural
areas in
a
comfortable,
convenient
environment.
What
makes
Savannah
NWR’s
System
unique?-
Repeating
audio
programs
in
mp3
format,
processed
for
high
quality
and
kept
in a
library
for
later
editing.
Hear
example.
-
The
programs
are
loaded
to
the
radio
stations
via
flash
drive/USB
to
streamline
message
changes.
Each
program
may
be
of
any
length,
simplifying
the
process
of
message
creation.
The
programs
automatically
repeat
and
are
maintained
indefinitely,
if
power
is
lost.
- The
Refuge
uses
message
recording
services
of
Information
Station
Specialists’
professional
announcers
to
create
a
highly
professional
yet
customized
presentation.
The
recording
service
is
provided
to
the
Refuge
at
no
charge
because
of
their
membership
in
AAIRO.
- Three
of
the
five
radio
station
locations
operate
on
12V
DC
and
are
solar
powered.
Information Station Specialists’
InfOspot
Broadcast
System
was
chosen
by
Savannah
National
Wildlife
Refuge
due to
its
ability
to meet
the
above
technical
standard.
Read the
full
Savannah
NWR case
study,
written
and
submitted
by Arnie
Weisbrot. |
|
TIS Gets
Boost
from
Broadcasting
Association |
National
Association
of
Broadcasters
Proposes
TIS
Filter
Compromise |
WASHINGTON,
DC:
In the
recent
“Further
Notice
of
Proposed
Rulemaking,”
the FCC
in July
asked
for
comments
on the
American
Association
of
Information
Radio
Operators’
(AAIRO’s)
proposal
to
improve
the
quality
of
Information
Radio
(TIS)
broadcasting
through
removal
of the 3
kHz
transmitter
audio
filter.
Though
most
parties
commented
positively
and a
few
negatively
on the
question,
the
National
Association
of
Broadcasters
(NAB),
in a
surprise
move,
said
“maybe.” |
 |
While
echoing
the
Society
of
Broadcast
Engineers’
(SBE)
position
that the
filters
should
not be
removed,
the NAB
also
opened
the door
a crack
by
proposing
an
“alternative
compromise
proposal”
that
would
permit
Information
Radio
operators
to
substitute
instead
“a wider
filter,
which
should
enable a
higher
quality
TIS
signal
without
impeding
AM radio
services.”
NAB
proposes
a 5 kHz
filter
in place
of the
present
3 kHz
design
mandated
by the
FCC.
The
constructive
response
by the
NAB is
the
first –
if tacit
–
acknowledgment
of the
value of
the
Information
Radio
(TIS)
Service
by the
venerated
Association.
In reply
comments,
AAIRO
restated
its
position
that the
filters
may be
removed
without
harming
neighboring
stations
on the
AM band,
but
conceded
that the
NAB’s 5
kHz
proposal
nonetheless
has
merit.
AAIRO
also
requested
of the
FCC that
any
filter
design
changes
be
optional
for
existing
operators
and that
recertification
of
modified
transmitters
not be
required.
AAIRO
proposed
that
filters
would be
eliminated
from
future
transmitter
designs,
suggesting
that any
future
required
filtering
be
accomplished
by an
independent
device
placed
ahead of
the
transmitter’s
audio
input.
The
rationale
behind
the
“outboard
filter”
suggestion
is to
make an
upgrade
to
wider/non
filtered
operation
simple
and
inexpensive
for
existing
licensees. |
|
 |
New
Commercial
Radio
Station
to Crowd
AM 1700
near New
York
City |
WASHINGTON,
DC: On
November
18 , the
FCC set
May 6,
2014,
for the
much
awaited
“Auction
84” that
will
offer
construction
permits
for 22
new
commercial
AM
stations
in
various
places
in the
United
States.
What the
announcement
does not
state is
that one
of the
new
stations,
if
licensed
and
constructed,
will
blast
Information
Radio
services
operating
on
frequency
1700 in
New York
City and
the
surrounding
region.
Founders
of the
American
Association
of
Information
Radio
Operators
began a
campaign
of
informing
affected
Information
Station
operators
as early
as 2007,
when
broadcast
companies
began
applying
to bid
on the
frequency.
At that
time,
various
communities
met with
congressional
representatives
in an
attempt
to head
off the
frequency
impasse.
See
their
letter
to the
FCC.
Though
it may
be years
away
before
the
radio
station
is built
and on
the air,
AM 1700
operators
in
southern
NY and
northern
NJ are
advised
to begin
considering
a
frequency
change
in
advance
of the
station’s
advent.
In 2009,
FCC
engineers
offered
assistance
in
accommodating
the new
station
by
suggesting
alternate
frequencies
available
for
affected
licensees.
Since
then,
Information
Station
Specialists
has not
licensed
new
services
on AM
1700 in
that
vicinity.
Information Station Specialists can
advise
if a
station’s
operation
will be
adversely
affected
and can
recommend
a course
of
action
to
maintain
continuity
of
service.
Ask Us. |
|
© 1983-2022 • Information Station Specialists,
Inc. • All Rights Reserved
PO Box 51, Zeeland, Michigan, USA, 49464-0051, Phone
616.772.2300, Fax 616.772.2966,
Email
• • •
|
Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |