Start your own AM Station?

Ham Radio/SW DXing. Get involved! Let's take back America's Radio Waves! What's going on in ham radio in America...

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Fred_Vobbe
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Start your own AM Station?

Post by Fred_Vobbe » 11-07-2005 07:45 AM

ON THE CREATION OF A LOW POWER AM ("LPAM") RADIO SERVICE

We already have a Low Power FM service. Could Low Power AM be next?

Like Low Power TV, "low power" may be a misnomer.
See the Petition for Rulemaking at the PRM address below.

Comments received so far are at the second URL.



F.C.C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Comments from the public
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Fred_Vobbe
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AN INTERESTING IDEA

Post by Fred_Vobbe » 11-14-2005 05:41 PM

A group led by the Michigan-based Amherst Alliance is proposing that the FCC license a class of commercial, low-powered AM stations, to be found in the expanded band between 1610 & 1700 kHz.

Within said group are two Virginia-based individuals, Nickolaus Leggett and Don Schellhardt, who co-filed the original Low Power FM petition with the FCC back in '98. The petition makes no bones about the need for commercial viability within the proposed service, along with emphasizing the lack of community "mom & pop" ownership generally in the AM-universe.

The proposal specifically disallows ownership of, and investment in LPAM stations, by "established broadcasters". While station ownership would be limited to one LPAM facility per Metropolitan market, such owners would be allowed to own 12 such stations nationwide, and owners would be required to reside within 25 miles of one of those stations.

The group also suggests that license awards be partly based on plans for programming. From the FCC petition itself: "...a proposed light jazz radio station in Roanoke, Virginia or Waterbury, Connecticut should automatically have a higher status (with the FCC) than a proposal to add another 'evangelical Christian' station - even if the light jazz applicant just arrived from Boston two weeks ago and the evangelical applicant is a church with a record of 150 years of service to the community.

In the Low Power AM Radio Service, marketable innovations in local programming should clearly trump 'more of the same', even if 'more of the same' is being offered by a group or individual with deep community roots."

It all sounds great...so what's gonna kill it, you inquire? Read on in the petition: you'll see the petitioners are nowhere near agreeing on the technical parameters, such as station power levels and spacing (both geographic and frequency spacing issues must be considered). T

he FCC is taking comments on the proposal, but the petition-mongers best get their act together on the tech fine-points, lest the whole thing be thrown out with the morning coffee grounds.
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ElKamino
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Post by ElKamino » 12-18-2005 06:43 AM

There are a handfull of LPAM stations on the air now.
There is one south of me, in Auburn Washington, broadcasting with a flaming 10 watts. Spectrum is at a premium, so dont expect many for now. Then there is digital radio...BPL...and a host of other hurdles to deal with. Can you say "broadcasters lobby?":rolleyes:

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Post by sluggo286 » 01-11-2006 05:47 PM

Greetings!

I'm a new guy here, but this is a topic I can get into.

Does anyone know of any LPAMs' in the South East Texas Area?

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joequinn
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Post by joequinn » 01-11-2006 06:03 PM

Pardon my ignorance of this field, but why should one bother to want to host a radio AM channel? Why can't one host an Internet radio channel, one that can be picked up by any one of a number of nifty Internet radio devices, huh? Why should we compete for bandwidth when the Internet makes it possible for everybody to host his own show --- and for the best shows to survive and to grow by means of word-of-mouth? From where else is the next generation of Art Bells and Jeff Renses to come, huh? :D
"Fuggedah about it, Jake --- it's Chinatown!"

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Waverider
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Post by Waverider » 01-11-2006 08:59 PM

.... Grassroots' Internet radio' from ship to shore..

Love it' ;)

How much support in $ to carry off something like that would it take?

Because the talent is out there'

...and an audience is waiting in the wings...

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Post by daboodaddy » 01-12-2006 01:40 AM

I have always wanted to do an internet radio station, or show. So have my roommates.:cool:
Question EVERYTHING, even your OWN thoughts.
A "Daboodaddyism"

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Bellisima
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Post by Bellisima » 01-12-2006 02:15 PM

Welcome aboard, sluggo. :)

Listings of Part 15 stations.

* 100.1 Radio Sausalito - Sausalito, California
* 103.9 The Wolf - Huntsville, Alabama
* 104.9 Over The Edge Radio - Santee, California
* 106.5 Micro-Radio Variety 106.5 - Billings, Montana
* 106.9 Hitz FM WDMF - Terre Haute, Indiana
* 106.9 Kool Oldies - West Monroe, Louisiana
* 107.5 Hobby Radio - Rawlins, Wyoming
* 107.5 K107.5 Klassic Rock - Lafayette, Indiana
* 107.5 Q107 The Eighties Channel - Peoria, Illinois
* 1160 WJJD - Tallahassee, Florida
* 1500 SCWIS - Vancouver, Washington
* 1570 WBDH Gospel - Chesapeake, Virginia
* 1580 VCS Radio - Vacaville, California
* 1590 Radio Albany - Albany, New York
* 1610 Classic Heartland - Granada Hills, California
* 1610 Evening Storm Radio - E of Charlotte, North Carolina
* 1610 KTK Radio Takena - Albany, Oregon
* 1610 Praize Radio - Rhinelander, Wisconsin
* 1610 The Laser / White Lake Radio - Lansing, Michigan
* 1610 WDCX - Dade City, Florida
* 1610 WFVH The Jag - Gastonia, North Carolina
* 1620 AM WBUL The Underground - Tampa, Florida
* 1620 KFHX - Fountain Hills, Arizona
* 1620 Radio Norwich - Norwich, New York
* 1620 WNAR - Lansdale, Pennsylvania
* 1620 WNJR Hometown Radio - Hackettstown, New Jersey
* 1620 WVRM Village Radio - Montclair, New Jersey
* 1630 Variety AM 1630 - Clinton, Massachusetts
* 1640 Auburn Community Radio - Auburn, Washington
* 1640 WXK - Cidra, Puerto Rico
* 1650 Decatur Community Radio - Decatur, Illinois
* 1650 Phat Rock Radio - Las Vegas, Nevada
* 1670 / 96.7 ELCR - East Lawton, Oklahoma
* 1680 Over The Edge Micro-Radio - Santee, California
* 1690 WY2K What1690 - Springfield, Illinois
* 1700 AM17 - Madras, Oregon
* 1700 Edgewater Radio - Edgewater, New Jersey
* 1700 KPAH Pahrump Radio - Pahrump, Nevada
* 1700 Radio 17 The Rocket - Wilson, North Carolina
* 1700 Radio XJO - Valencia, California
* 1700 Troubadour - Shirley, Massachusetts
* 1700 WJNW The Arrow - Oshkosh, Wisconsin
* 1700 WTYB - Tybee Island, Georgia
* 580 AM / 94.3 FM WBDH Big Band - Chesapeake, Virginia
* 580 The Cat - Bellville, Texas
* 88.9 KRS Constant Country - Edgewater, New Jersey
* 91.5 BVIR - Southwest of Pittsburg, Kansas
* 94.1 Rocking Oldies - Niles, Michigan
* 94.3 Smokin' Country - Perry, Georgia
* 94.3 The Block - West Monroe, Louisiana
* 94.9 WNNY Oldies 95 - South Carolina
* 95.5 PowerFM - Mountain Home, Arkansas
* 95.9 KWQI Q95.9 - Provo, Utah
* 97.7 WCRV Cherry Ridge Radio - Cherry Hill, Pennsylvania
* 980 WOQ - Omaha, Nebraska
* 99.1 FM The Point
* 99.7 FM Saddle Oaks
* Antioch OTR - Antioch, Illinois
* Radio Free Lytle Creek
* Real Oldies WDOS-FM - Manasquan, NJ
* Robin Valley Community Radio

http://part15.us/node/360
ImageA silent mouth is sweet to hear.
Irish saying

sluggo286
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Post by sluggo286 » 01-17-2006 06:00 PM

Internet radio is a great growing field. With a selfmade shoutcast server, you can broadcast to many, but for us old dogs from the school of old tech, you can't beat good old RF. A portable radio transmitter and a beach party and you can cover the coast for a couple of hours. Even a portable Wal-Mart AM/FM $5 special with a pack of AA Batteries can keep us entertained for a couple of hours a night... It's the old school broadcast that you don't need a computer for...

Fun stuff...

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