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The FCC & Pirate Radio

A

am-fm

Guest
Some thoughts that have been rattling around my empty head:

*As long as the station doesnt broadcast anything obscene or interfere with licensed stations, do people complain?

*How does the FCC tell the difference between real complaints and someone just pulling a prank?

*Do audio clips and a description of the broadcast have to be included in the complaint?<P ID="signature">______________

AOL IM: wnjoldies or jamminoldies105
CBS-FM lives at http://67.83.115.5:8010
Oldies Board co-moderator</P>
 
> Some thoughts that have been rattling around my empty head:
>
> *As long as the station doesnt broadcast anything obscene or
> interfere with licensed stations, do people complain?
Not really. I find it interesting that no-one complained when CC proposed to move it's WMRN from Marion, Ohio (an independent county seat of 35,000) into Columbus, some 50 miles south.


*How does the FCC tell the difference between real
> complaints and someone just pulling a prank?
Presumably there would have to be a basis for the complaint, but see below. That's why the rulemaking (which seems to have died) that suggested every station record its programing 24/7

>
> *Do audio clips and a description of the broadcast have to
> be included in the complaint?
>
Used to be the case, but the Commission seems to have moved away from this. With the advances in technology, this does not seem to be an unreasonable burden to put on the complainant.

Now, your title suggests these questions are about pirate stations, although they apply equally well to licensed stations. Pirate stations, unless they are somewhere out in the desert, will inevitably interfere with a licensed station. The FCC doesn't have anyone out looking for pirate stations, when you see a report they've shut one down it is the result of someone getting after the FCC to shut that pirate down because of this interference.
 
> > Some thoughts that have been rattling around my empty
> head:
> >
> > *As long as the station doesnt broadcast anything obscene
> or
> > interfere with licensed stations, do people complain?
> Not really. I find it interesting that no-one complained
> when CC proposed to move it's WMRN from Marion, Ohio (an
> independent county seat of 35,000) into Columbus, some 50
> miles south.

You have to remember, people who aren't professional broadcast engineers or experienced moralizing complainers generally would have no idea of where to start an FCC complaint. And most of them don't pay any attention anyway and just assume it's legal because it's on.

>
>
> *How does the FCC tell the difference between real
> > complaints and someone just pulling a prank?
> Presumably there would have to be a basis for the complaint,
> but see below. That's why the rulemaking (which seems to
> have died) that suggested every station record its
> programing 24/7
>
> >
> > *Do audio clips and a description of the broadcast have to
>
> > be included in the complaint?
> >
> Used to be the case, but the Commission seems to have moved
> away from this. With the advances in technology, this does
> not seem to be an unreasonable burden to put on the
> complainant.
>
> Now, your title suggests these questions are about pirate
> stations, although they apply equally well to licensed
> stations. Pirate stations, unless they are somewhere out in
> the desert, will inevitably interfere with a licensed
> station. The FCC doesn't have anyone out looking for pirate
> stations, when you see a report they've shut one down it is
> the result of someone getting after the FCC to shut that
> pirate down because of this interference.
>

The vast majority of complaints and shutdowns occur in highly populated areas where the band is already full and it would be impossible to not have interference(South/Central FL, NYC, New England). A well-spaced station in a rural area isn't going to attract attention, and plenty of them have carried on for years, even decades.
 
> > > Some thoughts that have been rattling around my empty
> > head:
> > >
> > > *As long as the station doesnt broadcast anything
> obscene
> > or
> > > interfere with licensed stations, do people complain?
> > Not really. I find it interesting that no-one complained
> > when CC proposed to move it's WMRN from Marion, Ohio (an
> > independent county seat of 35,000) into Columbus, some 50
> > miles south.
>
> You have to remember, people who aren't professional
> broadcast engineers or experienced moralizing complainers
> generally would have no idea of where to start an FCC
> complaint. And most of them don't pay any attention anyway
> and just assume it's legal because it's on.
>
> >
> >
> > *How does the FCC tell the difference between real
> > > complaints and someone just pulling a prank?
> > Presumably there would have to be a basis for the
> complaint,
> > but see below. That's why the rulemaking (which seems to
> > have died) that suggested every station record its
> > programing 24/7
> >
> > >
> > > *Do audio clips and a description of the broadcast have
> to
> >
> > > be included in the complaint?
> > >
> > Used to be the case, but the Commission seems to have
> moved
> > away from this. With the advances in technology, this does
>
> > not seem to be an unreasonable burden to put on the
> > complainant.
> >
> > Now, your title suggests these questions are about pirate
> > stations, although they apply equally well to licensed
> > stations. Pirate stations, unless they are somewhere out
> in
> > the desert, will inevitably interfere with a licensed
> > station. The FCC doesn't have anyone out looking for
> pirate
> > stations, when you see a report they've shut one down it
> is
> > the result of someone getting after the FCC to shut that
> > pirate down because of this interference.
> >
>
> The vast majority of complaints and shutdowns occur in
> highly populated areas where the band is already full and it
> would be impossible to not have interference(South/Central
> FL, NYC, New England). A well-spaced station in a rural
> area isn't going to attract attention, and plenty of them
> have carried on for years, even decades.
>
There are many pirates in New York City that interfere with licensed stations and haven't been busted for years.<P ID="signature">______________
17-year-old radio geek
Location: Princeton Junction, NJ
AIM: KewlDude471</P>
 
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