[cr-india] TRAI Open House in Delhi - first impressions

[Vickram Crishna]

I endorse the substance of Arun's recommendations, but suggest a 
couple of minor additions )interleaved below):

At 12:41 PM +0530 10/22/04, Arun Mehta wrote:
>My $0.02 -- figures I could live with -- so that we can quickly send 
>a response to TRAI..
>  > 5.     Antenna height
>As allowed by local building laws

SACFA to be directed to release a list of forbidden 
areas/frequencies, so that applicants may self-determine the 
combination of 5 (antenna height) and 6 (reach) accordingly, without 
causing nuisance to any existing user. In case the user (who need not 
be named) is not actually using equipment currently to broadcast in 
the designated band (87.5-108 MHz) such areas should be de-notified 
upon receipt of information. TRAI may appoint an independent body to 
monitor such usage of the broadcast bandwidth.

>  > 6.     Permissible coverage area of CR station
>To be determined by the applicant
>>  7.     Quantum of advertisements per hour of programming
>10 minutes

Maximum.

>  > 8.     Permissible limit of advertisement revenue per CR station
>Not more than 25% of total revenue
>>  9.     Number of licenses per CR licensee
>One per coverage area, more subject to availability of spectrum

Spectrum availability to be publicised, against a review of the 
technical specifications for FM broadcasting prevalent in major 
wireless using countries.

>  > 10.     Frequencies to be allotted for CR / Maximum number of CR
>  > stations per location
>3

Clarification: this should be the reserved frequencies; if there are 
more applicants in a given region this number may be expanded, 
subject to availability of spectrum.

As far as the TRAI advisor's (who commented about an 'international 
norm' of 800 KHz separation between stations as justification of the 
extraordinary low number of allocations for Mumbai and Delhi  - 11 
each), here is a comment from Ken Donow of the IBB (the second 
paragraph gives the credentials of the IBB, which were also doubted 
by the Advisor, when called specifically by the TRAI member for 
clarification. His explanation was "Well, some of those stations 
operate only in the underground, so that the subways can get radio 
reception"):

At 12:20 PM -0400 10/3/02, Kenneth Donow wrote:
>Bamako, Mali -- a large city in the context of Mali, but one of only
>moderate size if placed against Indian counterparts -- supports 35 radio
>stations, most of which are FM.  New York City -- the largest media
>market in the US, but smaller than New Delhi and Mumbai -- supports 72
>radio stations.....
>
>The International Broadcasting Bureau is the management organization
>that operates most of US International Broadcasting.  That would include
>the Voice of America, Radio and TV Marti, Radio Sawa


-- 
Vickram