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Another Class D to the slaughterhouse

F

FMSteve

Well, we now have another unprotected Class D educational station in trouble. It's WCWT at Centerville High School in Ohio. Broadcasting for 36 years, your tax-payer supported Federal Communications Commission may need to shut this station down due to the proposed move of WKSW further into the Dayton, Ohio urbanzied area. Check out this news article:

http://www.tcnewsnet.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=260&ArticleID=143181&TM=52686.73

We remind Class D station WCWT that these low power stations may move to a 2nd adjacent channel and/or bump off an FM translator, in accordance with current FCC case law. But we further believe that if this WKSW application has no merit, that it is simply a sham attempting to migrate from a suburban/rural area to an urbanzed area, that FCC staff must put a stop to this action. We remind FCC Staff that there are already 23 full-service stations serving the Dayton, Ohio Urbanized Area.
 
I thought I saw this on a link a week or so ago, that was posted on one of the Ohio boards, whether it was the Ohio board, or another board, where WKSW wanted to move into the Dayton market. While I don't live in Ohio, I however am against Radio One wanting to move WKSW into the Dayton market. The LP station the school runs is providing a service to the nearby community, and a big corporation is only interested in getting a better signal into the Dayton market, and get even more advertising money.
The way I see is with many markets starting to boom (I don't know if Dayton is becoming a big market in any way), radio stations want to move some stations into those markets, even if it means some station's original license ends up being downgraded, which happened with WIFE-FM, which was licensed to Connersville Indiana. That station got sold to Radio One, had an Application that resulted in a CP to move the station out of Connersville (leaving that town with only a daytimer), and went from a 28kw class B to a 6kw Class A, and moved into the Cincinnati market, licensed to Norwood. While that situation was different, it does have similar effects on the community it served.
Now when Nextmedia used to own 104.7 Sturtevant Wisconsin, they upgraded the station from 3kw Class A to a 4.2kw Class A, and moved the station's tower onto WJJA's tower in Oak Creek Wisconsin. If it hadn't been for 104.9 in Hartford Wisconsin, which is a 5.8kw Class A, Nextmedia would have been able to move 104.7 into Milwaukee, and knocked 104.5 WCCX Waukesha Wisconsin off the air. That station is also run by a school, a college. WCCX runs on 13 watts, maybe covering just Waukesha with that signal. Nextmedia has since sold 104.7 Stutevant Wisconsin.
 
Remember everyone, that the FCC is now a branch of the IRS....the revenue enhancement division to be exact!

WCKT's attempt at "listeners writing to the Commission" will fail. The Radio One's and First Broadcasting folks know all too well how to play this game, and they have the money to win. First Broadcast even rammed through new laws at the FCC to forgo the normal notification process and make these rimshot specials a "Minor Change"!!

It's a very sad day for NCE and educational low power radio, but this has been going on now for quite some time. Unfortunately, the FCC and the big broadcasters don't care, since it's all about the money, not about what's right nor what's in the best interest of the public's airwaves.

My hat does go off for KMIH and WHHS, recent class D winners against this kind of corporate raiding. These two stations won, but only after going through a very stressful and complicated fight that took the hiring of Broadcasting attorneys and a lot of work in raising the money necessary to win their battles.

Shame on the corporations unwilliing to at least negotiate and try and help find a replacement channel for these educational entities, and for the Commission itself for turning it's own back on Class D's. I can't see anywhere where this latest proposed move is in ANYONE's public interest, except at the Radio One boardroom.
 
Excellent. Some high school brats lose their taxpayer supported toy. If they have to stop playing radio, maybe they can do some real studying.

All student radio should be shut down.
 
fredflintstone said:
Excellent. Some high school brats lose their taxpayer supported toy. If they have to stop playing radio, maybe they can do some real studying.

All student radio should be shut down.
Click to expand...

Fred,

I love your Geico commercials on TV. You never looked better.

Thanks for sharing your views on the education of the next generation. I guess your attitude is one way of ensuring job security for those of us already in the biz.

Perhaps you're also in favor of getting computers out of schools so the next generation can get back to readin', writin', and 'rithmatic worked out on slates with a piece of chalk.
 
All student radio should be shut down.
Click to expand...

You're running head-on into federal law and FCC regulations there.

Plus, what say you of the multitude of PRIVATE college stations, non-taxpayer funded?
 
fredflintstone said:
Excellent. Some high school brats lose their taxpayer supported toy. If they have to stop playing radio, maybe they can do some real studying.

All student radio should be shut down.
Click to expand...

Obviously Fred Flintstone never had the opportunity to broadcast on a high school radio station. If he did, he'd realize the value in these small operations. Not only in terms of providing an anchor to those struggling in high school, but perhaps, even more importantly, to get a leg up on the radio competition in getting work in broadcasting and taking leadership roles in higher-wattage university stations. There are many famous and successful broadcasters and media-types that got their start in high school radio. This is why there is support for Class D's in high places.
 
I am going to have to agree with FMSteve. Few things in my career have been as nice as co-building (with Dan Slentz, now CE WHIZ-AM/FM/TV) WNHS, an LP100 for Newcomerstown High School in Newcomestown, Ohio. With budget cuts threating most everything we were able to secure enough grants and donated the engineering to build this station. I must say, it was worth every minute. We built it to be an acurate, true radio station both physically and in function. The students are getting wonderful training, learning job skills, leadership experience, etc.

I think anyone who has ever actually worked at a true station like this would agree.
 
For the record (and Fred, I hope you read this):

WCWT has been on the air since 1972. The Centerville High School radio program has done a stellar job over the years broadcasting music, community and school news and high school sports broadcasts. It, in some ways, has done a better job serving its' local community than some of the commercial guys. There are numerous graduates from this program who are working in broadcasting today.

In fairness to Fred, I know of high schools that have operated radio stations in the manner he suggests.
But, his snide and negative comment does not apply accurately to WCWT, and, certainly shows ignorance on his part about this particular station.

I helped license and build a similar 10 watt FM at a high school down the road from WCWT in 1974. Unfortunately, our school board never exhibited the vision or foresight to properly operate our station. And, it went dark after about 10 years of operation. As for me, my experience with that station has led me to a broadcasting career in which I have worked now for about 35 years.

The Centerville program is a unique gem in class D broadcasting. When this matter came up, I was very vocal to local radio types that Radio One needed to do something to help out, even though technically, they didn't have to. It's my continued hope that the matter will be properly resolved, and WCWT can continue its' broadcast existance. Unlike a lot of commercial broadcasters, WCWT operates in the "public interest, convenience and necessity" and deserves a place on the dial, perhaps even more power.
 
radioplayer said:
It's a very sad day for NCE and educational low power radio, but this has been going on now for quite some time. Unfortunately, the FCC and the big broadcasters don't care, since it's all about the money, not about what's right nor what's in the best interest of the public's airwaves.
Click to expand...

When the government is in control, it is never about what is right or what is in anyone's best interest, especially, in cases like this where they have no constitutional authority to interfere.

If this station is providing a desired service to the community, the community will be willing to support it through donations, there is no need to use stolen money to prop it up.
 
GRAYWOLF said:
radioplayer said:
It's a very sad day for NCE and educational low power radio, but this has been going on now for quite some time. Unfortunately, the FCC and the big broadcasters don't care, since it's all about the money, not about what's right nor what's in the best interest of the public's airwaves.
Click to expand...

When the government is in control, it is never about what is right or what is in anyone's best interest, especially, in cases like this where they have no constitutional authority to interfere.

If this station is providing a desired service to the community, the community will be willing to support it through donations, there is no need to use stolen money to prop it up.
Click to expand...

Dear Dr. Grey:

You totally are missing my point and the whole situation regarding this particular station and other Class D's like it. WCWT did not wish to move, nor did they run out of funds, have a lack of community support, etc., They were effectively bullied off the channel due to the fact that they cannot "compete" with commercial big-money interests!

The airwaves are the Public's, not the corporations. The FCC's primary mission by the Communications Act of 1933 that created it, is to protect and defend the public resource of spectrum, not sell out to the highest bidder and let these big companies rule everything on the dial!

John F Kennedy created the class D's as an educational experience for students and for schools to run as non-profit, low power radio stations, providing effective valuable training grounds in addition to providing true vocational experience for youth in communities throughout America.
 
I believe if you look at the history of the Class D slaughterhouse you will see it was actually NPR that caused this to happen. They wanted the small community stations out so they could license big stations on those same frequencies.
 
I believe if you look at the history of the Class D slaughterhouse you will see it was actually NPR that caused this to happen. They wanted the small community stations out so they could license big stations on those same frequencies.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what happened to KLON 88.1, Long Beach, CA. At its beginning the station was a Class D licensed to Long Beach City College and the college had a very vibrant radio broadcasting program as a result. Many professional broadcasters and engineers got their training at KLON, myself included.

In the late 70's, LBCC transferred the license to Cal State Long Beach in exchange for some much needed cash. Not only did this effectively gut the broadcasting program at the city college level but the university itself failed to create a radio broadcasting program for its students. Instead, KLON became an NPR affiliate and was professionally staffed.

I'm sure this scenario has been played out many times across the country. Who knows how a situation like this has adversely affected the radio industry in terms of cultivating future generations of broadcasters and engineers?

It has only been in the last two years, with the change of management to Saul Levine's company, Mt. Wilson Broadcasters, has there been a renewed interest by the university to partner with KKJZ (formerly KLON) to start a radio broadcasting program.

C5
 
Re: Another Class D to the slaughterhouse/Good news!

We have great news to report. Last month the FCC agreed to move WCWT to another channel, saving the station from extinction. I think Radio One engineer reported this first in an earlier post, though the link didn't work.

WCWT upgrades in power to 23 watts, too! Radio One, the FCC and Du treil engineers saved this station and the students, staff and Class D advocates thank them! Here's the letter from the Commission:

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=9433
 
radioplayer said:
John F Kennedy created the class D's as an educational experience for students and for schools to run as non-profit, low power radio stations, providing effective valuable training grounds in addition to providing true vocational experience for youth in communities throughout America.
Click to expand...

Class D stations greatly predate the Kennedy presidency. The first (WAER in Syracuse, since upgraded) was licensed in 1946. The 1966 Yearbook lists seven Class D stations in Illinois and Indiana alone that predate Kennedy's inauguration in January 1961.

That said, it's difficult to argue with the rest of your post.
 
That's interesting. The folks at WHHS, Havertown, PA say that they are the first class D high school station in the United States. Something about a "Major Armstrong", the inventor of FM broadcasting. Is this true? I think WHHS first went on the air in 1946, too.

And got saved by Radio One and the FCC in that WSNJ fiasco a number of years ago in a similiar "bumping" operation.
 
FMSteve said:
That's interesting. The folks at WHHS, Havertown, PA say that they are the first class D high school station in the United States. Something about a "Major Armstrong", the inventor of FM broadcasting. Is this true? I think WHHS first went on the air in 1946, too.

And got saved by Radio One and the FCC in that WSNJ fiasco a number of years ago in a similiar "bumping" operation.
Click to expand...

1966 Yearbook says 1949 for WHHS, which is still plenty early for FM!

(unfortunately IMHO) these little stations don't have much of a leg to stand on when someone wants to upgrade. 80-90 and more recently, improved software have made a bunch more upgrades/moveins possible which increases the incidence of conflicts. But bumping a little high school station for another entry in a big group owner's cluster is pretty poor publicity, so I suppose they kinda feel they have to find a way to accomodate these stations somehow.

ISTR a Class D somewhere (Arkansas, I want to say) recently surrendered its license after taking out a LP100 license instead. Not sure the protection is any better.

In another case in Iowa, a Class D filed for another station (Class A) in the recent NCE window. When they got it, they turned in their Class D license, changed the calls on the Class A permit to their old Class D calls, and moved lock stock & barrel to the new frequency/license. And it was good that they did: a religious applicant got a C3 permit that would have bumped the Class D.
 
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