> > > 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>