LPFM (Low Power FM) is coming to your neighborhood…. the US Senate committee today unanimously approved loosening restrictions on LPFM radio stations over the objections of the NAB. LPFM stations are up to 100 watts and can be heard up to about 5 miles away. They are similar to college radio stations except they’ll be in the commercial FM radio band and have less FCC paperwork to get started. Most of the existing LPFM stations (which have to be non-profit) are either religious stations or run by community activist groups…. LPFM stations do now appear in this directory, and if this makes it through into law, 1000s more will probably be created
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Interesting. I know close to nothing about how this would work – is this something a person could do from their home? At 100 watts would it require the usual gigantic radio tower, or is there some way people can do it on the cheap?
I can’t speak to “cheap”, but a lot less than a regular radio station, yes….
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/lpfm/
The station needs a sponsoring non-profit organization for the paperwork. Unlike a “real” radio station, it does not have to have a public office or maintain a public file. Since it is low power, there is not much advantage to having an antenna up high, so a small simple antenna will do. You also need an FM frequency where you won’t interfere with existing stations. That change the Senate is working on would allow a station on “third adjacent” channels from existing FM stations.
One other important difference is you can’t sell the LPFM station. If you get tired of running it, you turn the license back into the FCC… (or the non-profit organization changes its leaders, but no money can change hands).
Also, a LPFM station is not required to be on the air all the time – from memory, I think the requirement is 35 hours/week, similar to the requirement for college radio stations.
The LPFM station also has to originate some local programming – it can’t just be a satellite receiver dish…. however, “local” could just mean a computer playiing random music all day from its library.
One other obstacle is the station has to have an EAS device so that in the event of a national emergency, President Obama can take control of the station. The FCC loves to fine tiny radio stations if their EAS receiver is not working correctly.