Long time, no post

I wanted to post something to my LiveJournal account (http://lunchiesdogangl.livejournal.com) but there's some kind of security attack happening.

An online radio show host was talking about how an AM talk station in San Francisco was being moved to the HD2 channel of an FM sister station. The AM station (Green 960) will change to a Fox "News" Radio affiliate. Since only a small percentage of homes (and a smaller percentage of automobiles) currently have HD radios, this means more people seeking progressive programming are being forced to seek it online. The host went through a similar experience years ago when the progressive station in Florida where she worked switched to a sports format, giving the market its fifth sports outlet. She stated how independently-run online radio stations are the wave of the future as they allow true freedom of speech without the need for an expensive license, costly transmitting equipment and enormous cash flow from advertisers (who are the only people who matter to station management.)

I recently did a frequency search at the FCC's Web site to see if any frequencies were available for an LPFM station in Colorado Springs. None were available due to virtually all stations within a 200 km radius eating up every available frequency. The sad part is: the FCC allows low-power translator stations (up to 250 watts) to operate within two channels of full-power stations (e.g. a translator at 94.7 in Colorado Springs operates two channels away from 94.3 and 95.1, while a full-power 94.7 broadcasts just 60-70 miles away in Denver.) However, LPFM stations (up to 100 watts) need at least three channels of separation, even from stations located more than 120 miles away. There have been exceptions granted. For instance, a church in Colorado Springs operates an LPFM at 107.1, about 50 miles and only one channel away from 106.9 in Pueblo.

It pisses me off that the Communications Act of 1996, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, allowed these giant radio corporations to take over a large portion of the stations in most markets. The excuse given was that the mom-and-pop stations were losing money, and they now make a profit under new ownership. They make a profit because you laid off hundreds of decent, hard-working Americans and replaced them with computers and/or voice-tracking! It's easy to make a profit when you don't have to pay as many salaries. Meanwhile, the people laid off and the college students hoping to break into radio when they graduate have fewer paid openings available (Most of the online-only hosts do not get paid.) Sadly, frequent talk show callers with no experience and Howard Stern clones have a better chance of landing a radio gig than people who actually studied broadcasting in school and got an FCC license.

It is my hope that with the growth of online radio, the media giant will take such a large hit that they'll eventually have to sell off some of their stations, making them once again available to local companies, creating more jobs for people and giving more voices and viewpoints the chance to be heard. Another option I'd like to see happen is the frequencies of the former analog TV channels 5 and 6 (76-88 FM) being reassigned to an expanded FM band. Some LPTV stations on analog channel 6 have created another FM station in their communities since their audio is broadcast on 87.7 FM, but those stations will supposedly be shut down sometime. In the meantime, the only hope for anyone wanting more options is to invest in an HD radio for progressive stations like the soon-to-relocate Green 960 or wider availability of streaming audio in car radios. Listening options no longer need to be limited by the reach of a radio signal or access to a home/office Internet connection.

I do have a Part 15 FM transmitter at home. This type of transmitter is allowed by the FCC without a license as it operates on less than 1/2 watt. The signal only travels a block or two, but it's nice to pretend I own and operate my own station.