[cr-india]low power radios cause no interference

[Arun Mehta]

This study shows that a 100 Watt transmitter causes no interference to the 
large commercial transmitters. Our paranoid agencies have a problem with 
even 50mW transmitters, which use 1/2000 less power... it would be 
wonderful if everyone who pays lip service to community radio would 
actually do something in trying to legalize it: how about a campaign, 
asking that low-power FM transmitters be delicensed?
Arun

>>>Broadcast Lobby Caught Red Handed With Red Herring --
>>>"Oceans of Radio Interference" Proven To Be Puddles In Independent Study
>>>of LPFM
>>>Contact:
>>>Pete Tridish
>>>215-727-9620
>>>215-605-9297
>>>petri at prometheusradio.org
>>>
>>>July 13, Washington, DC -- Results have been released from a long
>>>anticipated engineering study ordered by Congress -- a study designed to
>>>determine whether small community radio stations could cause interference
>>>to the signals of full power broadcasters. The study, conducted by an
>>>independent testing company called the MITRE Corporation, recommended the
>>>lifting of burdensome restrictions imposed by Congress in December of 2000
>>>upon the new Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service.
>>>In its testimony before Congress, the National Association of Broadcasters
>>>(NAB) had complained that the FM radio dial would be drowned in "an ocean
>>>of interference."  But the study authors found so little evidence of
>>>potential interference that they chose not to implement some later stages
>>>in the study -- such as an economic impact study and subjective listening
>>>tests -- that would only have been necessary if interference had been
>>proven."
>>>
>>>"I hope that the wild goose chase for interference -- and the claim that a
>>>dinky hundred watt community station can cause this kind of problem for a
>>>20,000 watt commercial station -- can finally come to a close." said Pete
>>>Tridish, Technical Director of the Prometheus Radio Project. "I know some
>>>lobbyists at the National Association of Broadcasters may not know what to
>>>do without Low Power FM radio to beat up on anymore, but I'm sure they can
>>>find gainful employment searching for other imaginary things like African
>>>uranium shipments to Iraq."
>>>
>>>A few key points from the MITRE study:
>>>
>>>-- As predicted by the FCC and myriad LPFM advocates, only small zones of
>>  >interference directly around the transmitter site of the LPFM were found.
>>  >
>>  >-- No significant LPFM-related degradation to a full power station's
>>  >signal was ever identified at more than 333 meters from an LPFM 
>> transmitter.
>>>
>>>   -- New digital radio channels and Radio Reading Services To The Blind
>>>  were tested, and no significant problems were found.
>>>
>>>-- Despite public notices and a 1-800 number, there were no complaints
>>>from the public related to any low power radio test site.
>>>
>>>   -- In the very worst case found, .0013 of receivers in the service area
>>>  of a full power station could be affected. As the report stated, "In most
>>>  cases, this fraction is orders of magnitude smaller."
>>>
>>>The report made a few suggestions for minor rule changes that could
>>>prevent even this tiny bit of interference, if necessary. Advocates
>>>believe that the more extensive complaint procedure already developed by
>>>the FCC is more than adequate for ferreting the out the few cases of
>>  >interference that may occur -- especially for Low Power Radio. "As the
>>>result of these bizarre political pressures exerted by the broadcast
>>>lobby, the FCC has developed a more extensive complaint procedure for when
>>>you turn on a hundred watt station than when you turn on a 50,000 watt
>>>station. We proved in 1999 that the interference issue was a red herring,
>>>and MITRE has proven it again," said Pete Tridish.  "It is time to let low
>>>power radio into the cities."
>>>
>>>The low power radio service was launched in January 2000, but soon after
>>>was curtailed in most metropolitan areas by a debilitating Act of Congress
>>>requiring more study before most licenses could be issued. Under pressure
>>>from the large broadcasting interests, key Congressmen slipped language
>>>into an appropriations rider -- language that eviscerated the FCC's new
>>>rules in November of 2000. Under the new rules, about 75% of low power FM
>>>opportunities were eliminated, leaving only 1 new station available in the
>>>top 50 American cities. Smaller towns, further away from major
>>>metropolitan areas and their concentrations of megawattage radio stations,
>>>were less affected by the bill and allowed to build.
>>>
>>>Over 200 Low power radio stations are on the air in small towns around the
>>>United States today, run by schools, churches, activist groups, unions and
>>>other civil society groups.  If adopted by an act of Congress, MITRE'S
>>>recommendations would allow thousands of small community groups, in cities
>>>all across the US, to build these vibrant new neighborhood institutions of
>>>democratic media.
>>>
>>>The Prometheus Radio Project is an activist organization that fights for
>>>more democratic ownership and regulation of media. Prometheus advocates
>>>for community organizations that want to start radio stations, and has
>>>helped build the first radio stations owned by civil rights and
>>>environmental organizations in the United States.
>>>www.prometheusradio.org -- 215.727.9620 -- info at prometheusradio.org
>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>   _      _
>>>pe'tre dish (n): a squat, cylindrical, transparent article of laboratory
>>>glassware, useful in observing resistant strains of culture in aetherial
>>media.
>>>
>>>petri at prometheusradio.org
>>>www.prometheusradio.org
>>>Prometheus Radio Project
>>>215-727-9620
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread at speakeasy.net
>FriedBagels Consulting          AOL-IM: readaaron
>0http://www.friedbagels.com      Boston, MA
>
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