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Discussion Question.

F

First Fone 65

Guest
Should the FCC require field confirmation and written documentation for Broadcast applications, such as field confirmation a station was actually built out and on the air when they file for a "License to cover" and actually on the air before a silent STA is issued. or a resumption of operation request when the station was never constructed. only running low power when they are licensed for full power to save money.

Rules and regulations with out verification creates a out law environment where nice guys finish last, one applicant truthfully states he has not been able to build out and loses his CP, another falsely states He has constructed and is granted a license, which he holds until he can flip it for a profit. all the while not serving the community of license. Much has changed since the communication act of 1934 was passed and Business on a hand shake for the most part has flown off into the Sun Set with the Carrier Pigeon.
 
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I think you have succinctly-described the reality of modern radio broadcasting. You forgot to add that the Federal Communications Commission doesn't care whether the bad hombres violate the law or not, and refuse to enforce the very rules and regulations they are supposed to uphold.

We'll see if this continues after November 8.
 
Add this question to your discussion: Who would pay for the confirmation? There's a reason why the Congress has been shutting down field offices. They don't want to pay for it. And they seem to have popular support for cutting the size and cost of government.
 
:cool: The FCC has a mandate to enforce communication regulations, as long as their doors are open for business, funding aside, they still have selective enforcement and come down like a ton of bricks on stations who press their HOT BUTTON of the moment, $25K fine for failure to up date STL location, big fine for a specific stations tower light violation when I have personally observed towers with main Top Beacons out for three of four months and no body cares, failure to keep proper logs when a large number of station logs are not up to par, The verification process of checking station compliance with FCC rules and being built out and on the air when they file for a license, STA, resumption of service of other Commission action, can be done by FCC volunteers the same way the local FCC office has used volunteers for many years to spot pirate activity and criminal emergency service radio jamming, The volunteers have helped with research, tailing of mobile jammers, and actual DF locating, many of the Volunteers have equipment better than the FCC has, but the local Field Engineer must still follow up and check it out for a violation to be issued, but is saved hundreds of man hours of investigation done by volunteers, A EX Con Wrecker driver was jamming Houston Police main radio channels for several years off and on with a hidden mobile transmitter making profane racial slurs and baiting the police to catch Him, finally in a group effort between the FCC, Local Police, County law enforcement and volunteers he was finally caught. and the FCC did nothing to Him, No fine, No jail, the only thing he was nailed with was a EX Con carrying a firearm. and the local Police did that. You would have thought interfering with Emergency services radio would have got the Federal court house dropped on him.
 
First Fone 65 said:
:cool: The FCC has a mandate to enforce communication regulations, as long as their doors are open for business, funding aside, they still have selective enforcement
Click to expand...


How is that different from the policeman who pulls over one driver, and lets another speeder whiz by? Laws are selectively enforced. Tax laws are selectively enforced. Any time you have people involved, you have judgment. That means subjective enforcement. Get used to it.
 
:cool:The FCC has basically shut down enforcement of any kind un less You step on the wrong persons toes and wake some body up. at least until Jan 20th.
The Police and the IRS have not shut down enforcement and people are shooting at the police just because they represent law and order. Maybe they should just all call in sick and ever body can fend for them selves and we can all "Get used to it"
 
First Fone 65 said:
:cool:The FCC has basically shut down enforcement of any kind un less You step on the wrong persons toes and wake some body up. at least until Jan 20th.
Click to expand...

Going back many decades, most FCC enforcement actions were the result of just two things; regular inspection of stations (mostly for Public File and other non-technical compliance but, still, including an inspection of the facilities) and investigations started by a formal or informal complaint from the public.
 
First Fone 65 said:
:cool: The FCC has a mandate to enforce communication regulations, as long as their doors are open for business, funding aside, they still have selective enforcement and come down like a ton of bricks on stations who press their HOT BUTTON of the moment, $25K fine for failure to up date STL location, big fine for a specific stations tower light violation when I have personally observed towers with main Top Beacons out for three of four months and no body cares, failure to keep proper logs when a large number of station logs are not up to par...
Click to expand...

As mentioned in a prior post, the FCC has relied on periodic surprise station inspections and complaints registered by third parties.

Using the example of tower lights, an enforcement action will come from a station inspection or a complaint from civil aviation authorities, a private pilot or even a neighbor of the towers who fears an accident.

Similarly, improper STL geographic coordinates will be detected upon inspection or when another station wants to use the limited STL resources.

Stations logs are for the most part automated now. They are likely much more accurate than anything done in the past.

The greatest source of enforcement actions now come from EAS compliance and the public files.

As an example, going back to the 70's, in the GM and Chief Operator position at two different station operations under FCC jurisdiction, we were inspected once! And I was in a market that was home to an FCC field office.

The FCC did, in the past, put more attention on things like the time of station IDs, and I once, also in the 70's, got a notice of violation for having the ID outside the +/- 2-minute window. This was noticed by the FCC through actual monitoring and we explained that WWV was not receivable at our location during the summer but that we had purchased an ESE crystal standard master clock (then about $1200) and they told us that was adequate for no fine to be levied.
 
First Fone 65 said:
The FCC has basically shut down enforcement of any kind un less You step on the wrong persons toes and wake some body up. at least until Jan 20th.
Click to expand...

If you think their behavior will change because of political party, you have a short memory. The FCC was decimated by the Republicans 35 years ago. But both parties have treated the agency badly. The current Congress has turned the FCC into a for-profit agency, selling off spectrum space to the highest bidder. That won't change after January 20th regardless of who's in control. But they're also very interested in collecting fines. That's another way of raking in revenue. So if you look outside of Houston, you'll see a lot of broadcasters getting fined for all kinds of silly things.
 
:cool:BA You are right, they throw the baby out with the bath water, it is not a level playing field by any means, and broadcasters are easy pickings and most have money.
 
First Fone 65 said:
BA You are right, they throw the baby out with the bath water, it is not a level playing field by any means, and broadcasters are easy pickings and most have money.
Click to expand...

Also keep in mind that radio is a very small part of the FCC's purview these days. That was not the case in 1934.
 
TheBigA said:
If you think their behavior will change because of political party, you have a short memory. The FCC was decimated by the Republicans 35 years ago. .
Click to expand...

I recall an engineer I knew at that time who was working at a 5kW day/1kW night AM around here.
He was ecstatic after the 1980 election results. He told me "Reagan is going to budget cut the
FCC so low, in a few years you'll be able to hear this station on Jupiter!"
 
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