May 20th, 2010 
joel Erie hip-hop impresario Marshall Jones is determined to give voice to his favorite music on local airwaves.
His first attempt with a 50-watt FM transmitter was eventually met with a Notice of Unlicensed Operation from the FCC in February. Instead of quitting, Jones did the research on legal low-power options which has led to his powering up The Movement on AM 1700 in two locations in the City of Erie.
In Erica Erwin’s piece in the Wednesday Erie Times-News, Jones was quoted as saying he purchased “two AM transmitters from a distributor in Cary, NC for $1,675.” Cary is the home of the Hamilton Rangemaster AM1000, a manufacturer of transmitters for the Part 15 radio information service, which allows for 100 milliwatts into a three meter long transmission configuration.
Hamilton Rangemaster AM1000
While you might posit that 100 mw AM station can’t get past the back yard, think again. With proper grounding and placement of the antenna, the Rangemaster can cover 1 ½ miles in all directions. With a few of these stations strategically placed throughout the city, Jones can possibly exceed the listening base of his pirate station with little AM 1700’s that are totally legal and legit. Right now he is live in the heart of the Little Italy neighborhood and was adding the other transmitter at 21st & Parade.
The Part 15 radio strategy is being used more and more by alternative talk outlets in addition to the typical “Talking House” and construction zone utilizations.
The big question that is still out there is while The Movement may have come up with a solution that passes FCC muster, what about the real tough-guys: the performing rights organizations of ASCAP, BMI and SESAC? They are quite known for generating blood-dripping turnips through their aggressive auditing, logging and billing actions. He may have to get a Part 15 performance license, which in the case of BMI is $227 a year, and covers up to $10,000 in station revenue.
That said it will be quite interesting how The Movement does climbing the highest hurdle; getting young people to listen to music on AM radio. If Marshall Jones can accomplish that to any significant degree, then everyone should take notice.
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I wholly support Marshall Jones’ endeavor. Erie has been screwed royally by the FCC in the last 10 years or so, mostly by their overlooking a few “obvious” violations in ownership, and in serving in the PICN (again, thank you A.J. Miceli and CommArts 101!!!). If Mr. Jones can provide a viable service to the Erie Community that provides content to the public that falls within the FCC’s own guidelines of serving the communty’s “Public Interest, Convenience, and Neccesity”, then, more power to him!
To pressandtower.com and Joel,
i just want you to know there aren’t any hard feelings toward the comments made about 90.1fm. its your duty to provide information to your readers. all i am trying to do is provide another outlet of music and news for our community. i wish you all the best and i hope you wish me the same.
thank you,
God Bless
Marshall Jones