Low Power Radio - The Good, The Bad..

There's an interesting development underway regarding Low Power AM (especially the little stations known as "Part 15."

An FCC filing is to be made this coming Friday that proposes a power level of 10 watts, with an antenna height of 50 feet. This would be an improvement over the current 100 milliwatt (1/10th of a watt) level with the 3 meters (about 10 feet) antenna.

Basically, these stations would operate under provisions similar to Travelers Information Stations, or TIS, facilities. This will make the process less cumbersome for the FCC to consider, and hopefully, implement, at sme point before the year 2070. The previous LPAM proposal, filed last year, appeared to be totally dead and headed to nowhere.

The new proposal is a compromise of sorts, among a number of parties involved with LPAM and Part 15 broadcasting. Kudos to Don Schellhardt
for his hard work in drafting this new proposal.

I like it enough that I would put my Part 15 back on the air with one of the new frequency and power level allotments.

I think the proposal is a good one.

The bad could come from things like FCC indecision, competing applications that could possible get stalled for months, or years, abuse by a few who always want 'More Power, more watts' and operate at pirate levels, and such.

There is such misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about Part 15. Part 15
radio stations are NOT piractes. They are NOT illegal.

I operated a LPAM carrier current station from 1991 to 1996 and a Part 15 from 2003 until April 10 of last year, which I wrote about here on the blog on April 10, 2006. Not one complaint. Not one visit from the FCC. No interference
to other stations. Clear Channel (yes, THAT big radio conglomerate) bought time on the Part 15 station to promote a Gaither concert. The reason? We had the niche audience that none of their five stations were reaching. And, we gave away the concert tickets that were provided with that ad campaign.

Low power AM can work. This proposal deserves its day.

Good work, Don!