[Ucrn] Fwd: FYI: FCC enforcement priorities for 2007

[michael bryant]

FYI,

-Michael
==================================================
>FCC BROADCAST ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES FOR 2007
>
>From Mark Humphrey K3XY Chairman, SBE Chapter 18 -
>Philadelphia, Wilmington, South Jersey
>
>Our SBE group (Chapter 18) traditionally holds an "FCC Update"
>meeting every January. Last night, Gene Stanbro and Dave Dombrowski
>of the Philadelphia field office were our guest speakers, and presented
>a very informative program. These are some of the broadcast
>enforcement priorities this year:
>
>Compliance with Main Studio rule (minimum staffing, local phone number,
>location, etc.)
>
>Public File - of course
>
>EAS: The Philadelphia office is now evaluating the "EAS EAR"
>made by MTS: http://www.mts-comm.com/ . This monitors all
>EAS activity on a particular station and sends a detailed log --
>and an audio recording of any EAS message -- to an attached
>PC. EB agents will monitor stations for at least a week before
>an inspection and will compare their log against the station's log,
>noting any discrepancies. Basically, they want to know if you're
>actually sending the tests as required by the rules, or just logging
>them as sent.
>
>Tower lighting and registration - as usual
>
>AM Tower fencing has become a very high priority. All hot towers must be
>fenced with *locked* gates. RFR compliance on rooftops and at multi-tenant
>sites is also a "hot" topic. (On this subject, one of our chapter members who
>owns a tower service company voiced his frustration at asking stations to
>power down during tower maintenance. In his opinion, some engineers fear
>they will be fired if the GM learns they are reducing power or switching to
>backup sites during the daytime, so the problem really rests with management.
>He finds this to be a bigger problem in smaller outlying markets than in the
>Philadelphia metro.)
>
>LPFM stations will be targeted for compliance with enhanced
>underwriting rules. The FCC suspects the "underwriting" on
>some of these stations has crossed the line to commercial
>content. Also, LPFMs will be inspected to make sure they
>have working EAS decoders and type-certified transmitters.
>
>Class A TV stations will be targeted for compliance with
>EAS, Main Studio, and Public File rules.
>
>Pirate broadcasting has not been a recent major issue in
>the Philadelphia district (which includes the entire state of
>Pennsylvania and the southern counties of New Jersey)
>Only five pirate stations were shut down in 2006, but
>two are currently active and awaiting due process.
>Gene and Dave mentioned this is a much bigger
>problem in the New York district.
>
>Their budget for test equipment has increased
>significantly in recent years. They are using
>the R&S FSH-6 and Agilent E4440A spectrum
>analyzers, the Z-Technology R-507 field strength
>meter, but their AM workhorse is still the Potomac
>FIM-41.
>
>For RFR compliance testing, they use the Narda
>Radman, EMR-300, and SRM-3000.
>
>Enforcement Bureau engineers continue to develop
>remote-controlled receivers that can be monitored
>through the Internet. These are usually installed atop
>Federal buildings and have directional antennas to aid
>in DF-ing unlicensed stations or sources of interference.
>A recent item is something called the "Ram Rotor",
>developed in Kansas City, that uses the Icom PCR-1000
>and a rotor- mounted antenna.
>
>One interesting point: The EB has found many Sirius terrestrial
>repeaters operating at unauthorized locations or with unauthorized
>antenna patterns and excessive power. However, after these were
>shut down, the EB office would then receive complaints from
>disgruntled Sirius subscribers who no longer could receive
>a signal!
>
>I raised the question of the legality of inserting an "-HD" callsign
>between the licensed callsign and community of license, as has
>become common practice on several stations in this area.
>(Example, W$$$ and W$$$-HD, Philadelphia.) Gene Stanbro
>promised he will look into this.