3740 SW Comus Street
Portland, OR 97219
ph: 503-245-5756
fax: 503-245-5773
info
Radio for People
June 9, 2020
NOTES
On the call: Tom Voorhees, Betty McArdle, Michael Brown, Kevin Erickson, LaGanzie Kale, Michael Richards, Peter Franck, Clay Leander, Al Davis, Bruce Greif, Caitlyn Reading, Michi Bradley
FCC: Published the relaxed Public Notice requirements essentially eliminating the newspaper posting for renewals. Michael Brown reported that the FCC continues to work remotely and delaying their move into the new building. Until and unless there is a covid change there is no hope for a filing window. Large conventions are being cancelled such as the NAB fall show in Sept. The International Broadcast Commission cancelled their big conference. It seems the trend worldwide is that big conferences are out for the rest of the world.
Peter Franck asked if anyone knows who’s advising Biden on communications issues. No one knew. We should find out.
Kevin, Future of Music (FoM): Three quick updates:
FCC communications market report.
The state of competition in all the areas of ommunications: radio, broadband, etc. Future of Music spent time on this filing because of the opportunity to reinforce the problems associated with consolidation and the barriers of entry for smaller community broadcasters. We are asking them to do a bit more than they have in the past in terms of generating studies and data and the problems with ownership and consolidation.
There was a staff briefing on the issues with performance royalties. The usual music stakeholders on one side and the large commercial entities on the other side fighting with each other. Of interest to Radio for People folks is that NCE fees will not exceed $100. FoM will continue to monitor and see that fees for LPFMs will also be low.
CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid Relief...) stalled in the Senate. Didn’t include as much money for non-commercial broadcasters, CPB.
Michael Richards: Interference from translators. New trick – translator (already in operation) owner sold the translator to a family member, does that mean that any work already done is eliminated and you have to start from scratch? Watch for this. Obfuscation by assignment.
Clay Leander is working with LPFM in Santa Clara County in CA, working with county supervisor to rebroadcast community town hall meeting re: covid. A Chinese language station needed to broadcast covid info in Chinese language. The station had lost its license (semi-long story) and now are trying to get permission to broadcast the covid info. It’s in the courts. It was thought that they had no chance, but the judge panel took an interest and have invited them to broaden the case. 20-1159, case number.
Station Updates: None were brought up.
Covid-19 Issues: Betty said NFCB is doing a lot re: covid. Ernesto is having Zoom meetings on Wednesdays and Thursdays about covid and all its implications.
GRC 2020: Betty reported that Sharon Scott has sent out an email asking folks who are interested in helping with a virtual GRC to fill out a survey asking:
do we want to have a virtual conference, how would we like that to look, do you want to help and how, what sessions would you like to see, what session(s) would you be willing to lead, etc. To fill out the survey, go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMWJtMeh_WkXq61Vv6krteMJEsR2qY6PcEMuoRt7r4zb_2nA/viewform.
If others would like an in-person conference she is inviting another station to host it. Betty mentioned that by having a virtual GRC, people who might not be able to attend in person could benefit from sessions. Also, stations from around the world could participate more readily.
Al said the idea of a virtual conference opens up the idea of synchronizing mini-conferences, mini-regionals. The virtual conference could tie the minis together.
Other Issues:
Tom asked if anyone has had experience with a chain of sites owned by InSite Towers? No one said yes. Tom said he was looking for some idea of how they are to negotiate with. . Tom is working with a translator that needs to be on the air in ten months. Tom has contacted them but no one answers the phone or gets back to him.
Clay asked if anyone knows what is happening with KYRS in Spokane. Michael Brown (MB) said they are on the air but having a few technical problems. MB will be going there in a few days to work on that. Clay asked MB to contact Michael Couzens about that station.
Bruce asked if anyone knows if the FCC is going to increase LPFM power from 100 w to a higher power. Betty said that Michi has been working on that. Al said there is an alternative proposal that would stay at 100w maximum, but would give you more height with a little twist on how the height is measured. The stations that are already at 100w would stay there, but the ones that are at less than 100w could be increased.
LaGanzie asked, for those stations that are already at 100 watts, how high could they go up? Of course, an engineer would need to look at individual cases, but it would be somewhere around 100m at 100w maximum radial.
Tom asked MB for an update on WBQR (Vieques PR) construction update. MB said nothing new.
Al suggested we look into a video conferencing software call Jitsi. Fully free software, open source. Betty asked Al to look into this software and report back to the next meeting. Michi added that there has been some concern about using Zoom.
Michi joined the meeting and gave some additional FCC updates. She said that the issues with delayed windows is not just covid related, it’s also LMS. LMS is not handling things correctly. MB docket 19193, huge mess in N Cal. Still waiting for decisions on Channel 6 analog.
REC did a massive data mining expedition and have the pdf files for every history card in the system – the FCC’s facility records for broadcast stations from prior to 1979. Al added, when the CDBS crashes and burns the FCC is going to come running to Michi and say “help”.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 11:00am Pacific Daylight Time, 12:00 noon Mountain Daylight Time, 1:00pm Central Daylight Time, Eastern Daylight Time.
Copyright 2009 Community Media Assistance Project. All rights reserved.
3740 SW Comus Street
Portland, OR 97219
ph: 503-245-5756
fax: 503-245-5773
info