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/

Reply via email to