Posts Tagged ‘FCC’

What does the National Emergency Alert test mean to me?

November 8th, 2011 joel

Perhaps you’ve been seeing and hearing announcements about an upcoming nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on your local TV, radio and cable stations and networks.  Well, conspiracy theories about black helicopters and those colored detour signs on the interstates aside, we have all the facts about the test and there’s nothing to worry about.

First, when is it?
The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place on November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

What’s it for?

From the FCC:

The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism. EAS Participants currently participate in state-level monthly tests and local-level weekly tests, but no top-down review of the entire system has ever been undertaken. The Commission, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will use the results of this nationwide test to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism, and will work together with EAS stakeholders to make improvements to the system as appropriate.

According to the NAB, the EAS system has never been tested on a national scale before, and officials want to make a go of it, see what works, what doesn’t, and create a baseline from where they can make improvements.

What else can you tell me?

The test will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The test will start at approximately 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and will last approximately 60 seconds.

Then it’s back to Dr. Oz, the soaps, your Law and Order reruns, or your favorite 200 song playlist station.

Links:

Posted in Radio, Television Tags: , , , , 2 Comments »

First Channel wins 92.7 auction

May 3rd, 2011 joel

UPDATED: It took 17 rounds, but it is confirmed that First Channel Communications of Erie has won the license for the new FM station for Lawrence Park at 92.7. The winning bid was $2,068,000. First Channel’s competition, Mini Me had to participate in Round 19 and did not do so, and had no waivers remaining, thus bowing out of the competition.

First Channel Communications’ principal Rick Rambaldo issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon, and there’s no doubt that he is excited to be reentering the broadcasting business:

Musically speaking, “Happy Days are here again!” This day couldn’t be happier for First Channel Communications!

(more…)

Posted in Radio Tags: , , 21 Comments »

Deep Background for May 2011

May 1st, 2011 joel

We certainly had the April showers; looking forward to the May flowers.

And we are looking forward to May TV sweeps, including the finales of American Idol and Dancing With The Stars. The special reports on local TV news, and the contesting on the radio. Speaking of radio, it won’t take too long in the month to discover who will be the licensee of the new 92.7 Lawrence Park, where when you combine the directional antenna, tower location, and terrain will have a multi-million dollar coverage area that will resemble Bob the Tomato along the Pennsylvania lake shore.

We will talk about it all in this open forum. Speak up by leaving a comment in the box below. Or you can send me an e-mail, or tweet @pressandtower.

Embrace the chaos!

Posted in Deep Background Tags: , , , , 4 Comments »

Lawrence Park FM goes on the block today

April 27th, 2011 joel

Could a new era of local-owned commercial radio in Erie begin today?

At monitor screens and conference rooms across the U.S. today, investors are pulling out their wallets to bid on 144 permits to operate in what’s supposed to be a dead medium: radio. According to an extensive article by Ed Palattella in Sunday’s Erie Times-News, one of those investors is Rick Rambaldo, who made a fortune doing great, locally-responsive radio and then selling at the peak of the broadcast consolidation frenzy.

Rambaldo’s First Channel Communications put up $100,000 in advance money; the minimum bid for the Erie market signal, at 92.7 for the community of Lawrence Park. According to the article, he couldn’t resist:

“When I saw the opportunity to bid on the incoming frequency, the thought of creating yet another new radio station within the Erie market was a challenge I couldn’t resist.”

The partner of the very busy Rambaldo Gonda Media ad agency won’t be alone at the virtual auction block, 117 bidders have qualified to participate in any of the competitive channels for Auction 91.

We will soon find out just how much a new FM in Erie is worth in this diversified media market.

Posted in Radio Tags: , , , 21 Comments »

Lew Dickey keeps Erie

April 13th, 2011 joel

According to RadioInk Magazine, the shakeout from the big Cumulus/Citadel radio merger leaves the four stations in Erie, WXKC, WXTA, WQHZ, and WRIE in the hands of Cumulus Media. Because of FCC rules, Cumulus can’t keep 14 of the stations from the resulting massive broadcast group. From their report:

The paperwork has been filed for the Cumulus-Citadel merger, including an application to assign 14 stations to a divestiture trust since, with the deal, Cumulus will lose grandfathered status in some markets and go over ownership limits in others…The stations will be assigned to Volt Radio, a divestiture trust with Scott Knoblauch as trustee.

Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , No Comments »

WPSE picks up 107.1 Erie translator

September 3rd, 2010 joel
WPSE

WPSE AM 1450

AllAccess.com is confirming what P&T had heard for weeks now, that the Pennsylvania State University is purchasing W296BW/Erie, the 107.1 FM translator owned by Michael Celenza. The price was $68,000.

Celenza was transmitting a rebroadcast of the CSN International network, a Christian station from Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, ID.

P&T has heard that 107.1 will be a new signal of WPSE-AM 1450, which broadcasts business news and Penn State sports from the Behrend campus. FCC rules have changed in recent years to allow FM translators to be used to retransmit AM signals. My understanding is that university funds were not used for the purchase of the station, but came from a donor.

UPDATE: Ron Slomski, the manager of WPSE has confirmed that the 107.1 signal will rebroadcast the WPSE programming stream, if the sale is approved by the FCC.

Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , 5 Comments »

How Marshall got his groove back

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

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.

Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments »
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