http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=
If you scroll down a bit... Quote: RADIO LAW: SENATOR AIDS UNLICENSED BROADCASER TO RETURN TO THE AIR A high ranking Democrat and leader in the Senate has helped an unlicensed radio station return to the airwaves. This, after the FCC acted to take it off the air following an inspection revealed that it had no license. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, is in Scottsdale, Arizona with more: -- Rod Moses, the owner of Radio Goldfield Broadcast Inc., was given special temporary authority to go back on the air with his low-power radio station in a January 29th letter from the Federal Communications Commission. A letter generated by pressure brought by Nevada Democratic Senator Harry Reid. Based the action on a complaint filed with the agency, FCC enforcement agents came to Moses' trailer on June 9, 2006. This is the location that also houses his radio station, The FCC engineers inspected the station, and then requested that it be shut it down. Moses complied but then wrote to Senator Reed asking his assistance in getting back on the air. He explained that he had been running the station he calls Radio Goldfield since March 2005. In that time frame he had been broadcasting community news as well as oldies from an MP3 player. He wanted a low power license but had been informed by the FCC that the period to apply had long ago expired. Reed apparently got Moses letter and in turn wrote to the FCC. In his letter to FCC chairman Kevin Martin dated Sept. 1, 2006,, Senator Reed stated that Radio Goldfield made significant public interest contributions to the local community. He told Martin that the unlicensed stations programming brought regular weather reports to this high-desert area of Nevada, where conditions can abruptly change in often times dramatic ways. It did not take the FCC very long to act. It soon wrote to Moses giving him permission to put his unlicensed station back on the air. The letter cites Section 309(f) of the communications Act of 1934, which authorizes the commission to grant the temporary allowance in cases of extraordinary circumstances requiring temporary authorizations in the public interest. For the Amateur Radio Newsline., I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reporting from Scottsdale. End quote. Over the years, pirate radio people have ALWAYS gotten nailed - shut down. One corrupt Senator's wishes and he gets his STA, and probably a license. Anyone think this is a bad omen? I do. Apparently influence and special interests carry the day at the FCC too. Last time the window was open to apply for low power FM translators, a couple of companies applied for HUNDREDS of LPFM translator stations as non- profit. After closing, the company amended all of the applications pending to be "commercial". Meaning they got to apply for a broadcast license for free, and now, after being granted modification to the application, they get to sell these granted licenses to commercial stations. They have profited many hundreds of thousands of dollars - and they totally clogged the FCC's licensing system, delaying legitemate license applications by months or years. I'm not trying to flame the FCC... but I do wish to point out that it's a federal agency... subject to political whims and pressure to act outside the interest of the public or nation. Again, federally regulating internet connectivity can result in us being swept into obvlivion at the stroke of a pen, and no amount of grovelling or pleading, or having played "nice", will earn us even a moment's reconsideration. Everything we do should be aimed at providing ourselves protection from being wiped out due to pressure from Congress or the Big Boys first, and wishes for favors a very distant 2nd. <sigh> -------------------------------------------- Mark Koskenmaki <> Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
