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October 2013 Issue |
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Newsletters |
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The Source |
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FCC 'Not
Open for
Normal
Operations' |
...But
what if
you are
required
to act
while
they are
closed? |
With the
FCC in
DC as
well as
the
Licensing
Branch
at
Gettysburg
hobbled
as a
result
of the
Federal
Government’s
brown-out,
Information
Station
operators
–
existing
and
potential
– are
asking
predictable
questions.
If an
action
such as
a
license
renewal
or
comment
filing
is
required
while
the
Commission
is
shuttered,
how does
one
proceed?
The
FCC’s
answer:
File as
soon as
we
reopen.
For
example,
the
closing
date for
reply
comments
on the
FCC’s
Further
Notice
of
Proposed
Rulemaking
regarding
the
removal
of TIS
transmitter
filters
was
October
3 -
three
days
after
the
close-down.
The
FCC’s
website
recently
stated
that
“comments
will be
considered
timely
filed on
the day
after
the
Commission
reopens
for
business.”
The same
approach
probably
can be
applied
to any
action
required
by the
Commission
while
they are
closed –
such as
a
license
renewal
or the
filing
of a
construction
notification.
Information Station Specialists
recommends
watching
FCC.gov
daily to
see when
it
reappears.
At that
time,
pull the
trigger
on your
action
within
24
hours.
The
Commission
likely
will
provide
further
guidance
via the
website
upon
reopening.
Any FCC
license
applications
that
have
been
submitted
to Information Station Specialists
during
the
close-down
will be
filed
immediately,
once
those
doors
reopen. |
|
Low
Power
FM: It
Gets
Worse |
Safety
Agencies
Add More
Reasons
Why LPFM
is
Untenable |
Last
month’s
article
“Low
Interest
FM”
described
why
safety
agencies
are
concerned
about
using
LPFM as
a safety
tool.
Now
potential
applicants
have
raised a
more
onerous
hurdle
for
agencies
intent
on using
the
service
to aid
public
safety –
the
difficult
requirement
for 8
hours of
new
locally
produced
programming,
daily.
Readers
have
noted
that one
of the
"points"
an
agency
would
need to
score to
be fully
qualified
to
compete
for a
Low
Power FM
license
requires
the
applicant
to
commit
to
broadcasting
8 hours
of new,
local
programming
– every
day.
Even
though
the
rules
would
allow
the
content
to have
one
repetition
–
meaning
that an
agency
could
produce
4 hours
and
repeat
it once
to
satisfy
the
8-hour
requirement
– most
public
safety
agencies
are not
set up
to do
that,
nor
would
they
have
that
amount
of new
local
content
to
disseminate
on a
daily
basis.
Information
Station
licensees
reportedly
have
been
receiving
unsolicited
contacts
for
months
from
companies
encouraging
them to
use
their
services
to file
Low
Power FM
applications
– some
without
disclosing
the
caveats
detailed
above.
Of
course,
the
filing
window
for Low
Power FM
license
applications
is
currently
'out the
window'
with the
FCC
closed
for
business.
It is
not
known
when the
window
will
reset to
open.
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Talk to
The
Source |
Selected
Reader
Responses |
“Being
retired
for 11
years,
it is
most
interesting
to see
how far
and wide
the use
of
[Information]
Radio
Systems
is. I
can only
say I am
glad
that
emergency
managers
have
seen the
radio
systems
as a
most
important
tool.”
Bill
Reynolds
–
Emergency
Manager,
City of
Naperville,
Il (RET)
“I
appreciate
you
keeping
us in
the loop
regarding
TIS
operations.
It
appears
that
broadcasts
of this
nature
are
making a
significant
difference
around
the
country.
It’s
also
exciting
to see
that the
FCC is
willing
to make
changes
to their
policies
in order
to
improve
this
critical
radio
service.”
Matthew
Bishop –
US
Marine
Corps,
Camp
Lejeune,
NC
“Congratulations
on your
30th
anniversary.
Longevity
in any
business
is a
tricky
proposition,
but your
firm
seems to
have
mastered
the
process.
Please
allow me
to
congratulate
you and
your
excellent
staff on
this
momentous
occasion
and
here’s
wishing
you
continued
success
as you
embark
on your
next 30
years.”
Larry
Peterson
–
National
Park
Service
|
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© 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. |