|
|
- Why are most low-power
Information Radio Stations AM instead of FM?
- Do I have to be a
governmental entity to get a license for an Information Station?
- What are the
limitations on the broadcast content of licensed Information
Stations?
- What are other
technical limitations on Information Stations?
- What
about unlicensed stations?
- What does an Information Station callsign mean and can I choose it; why are there seven characters,
three of them numbers; how often must I broadcast it?
Email AAIRO a new question.
|
-
Why are most low-power radio stations AM instead of
FM?
At present, the FCC is not taking
applications for a low power FM service (LPFM), though it did as
recently as 2001. At that time, the Commission granted a handful
of FM low power stations, each with about 100 watts of power
(about 5 miles of range). The FCC has not indicated that it will
again offer the service for another round of applications. Of
special note: first-round grantees discovered that LPFM stations
are not ideal as pure information sources because of FCC-imposed
operating parameters, which, for example, mandate that LPFM
station operation be more like commercial FM stations in terms
of hours of operation, content restrictions and equipment
requirements.
|
|
back to top |
-
Do I have to be a governmental entity to get
a license for an Information Station?
Yes. The only exception is if you perform
emergency medical services. Private hospitals, health clinics,
emergency response teams can be licensed if they can show the
support of a governmental entity.
|
|
back to top |
-
What are the
limitations on the broadcast content of licensed Information
Stations?
Messages are to be noncommercial (no business
names) and voice only. When emergencies are not in progress,
content is to be relevant to the traveling public and can
include descriptions of points of interest, travel advisories,
traffic hazards, directions, locations where lodging is
available, etc.
Learn more about FCC-permitted content.
|
|
back to top |
-
What are other technical limitations on
Information Stations?
The license is valid for 10 years and can be
renewed. The stations are secondary to regular broadcast
stations and must make way if a new broadcast station comes on
the air. Information Stations' antennas must be vertical and can
be only 15 meters (49 feet) above ground; transmitters must be
type accepted and can only broadcast with a maximum of 10 watts,
as long as a field intensity of 2.0 mV/ is not exceeded at 1.5
km (0.93 miles) away. The transmitters have a filter to limit
their bandwidth to 6 kHz and their dynamic range to 3000 Hz.
They may only operate on a given AM frequency if separated from
the signals of co-channel and adjacent broadcast stations by
specified distances spelled out in
FCC Rules Part 90.242.
|
|
back to top |
-
What about unlicensed stations?
Unlicensed stations are similar to
Information Stations, but have much less power and much less
range – typically a fraction of a mile. Their antennas are
limited to 3 meters, and they have no protection from licensed
stations and can give licensed operators no interference. But
unlicensed stations can broadcast a wider array of content,
including music and commercials. Unlicensed stations still
require transmitter certification to operate legally.
|
|
back to top |
-
What does an Information Station
callsign
mean and can I choose it? Why are there seven characters, three
of them numbers? How often must I broadcast it?
Federal Communication Commission Rules (part
90) govern the licensing of Information Stations (TIS) issued to
local government entities such as states, cities and counties.
The Commission assigns 7-character callsigns to all - 4 alpha
letters, followed by 3 numbers.
Only the first character (the "W") has any particular
significance,
however.* The next 3 letters and 3 numbers are sequential, based
on when the Commission grants each license.
Although the Commission does not permit applicants to request
specific callsigns, in a few instances (when licensees
indicated certain callsigns were objectionable), the FCC
granted changes.
The FCC requires that the full 7-character
callsign be
broadcast every 30 minutes (or more) in English. Sometimes
station operators inadvertently drop off the three numbers of
the callsign, probably because standard broadcast stations
(licensed under FCC Part 73 Rules) don't have numbers in their
callsigns and have only three or four characters (WGN, WABC,
etc.).
Information Stations operated by federal government agencies are
licensed through the NTIA (National Telecommunication
Information Agency) rather than the FCC and do not necessarily
follow the same format. In some instances, these callsigns may
begin with a "K," may have only three letters or may have no
numbers.
Information Stations authorized by branches of the military are
not issued callsigns.
|
|
|
