[AMRadio] Non Commercial, non Ham AM Radio station?

Sun Aug 4 20:28:10 EDT 2013

Hi Jim.

If you can find a "local" AM station already on the air but willing to sell..............look there first.  If not, a new AM allocation will likely take anywhere from 3 to 10 years for approval assuming there is no intervention from a second interested party.  Prepare to drop $1.0m for everything from attorney fees, equipment, land, towers, local regulations and the list goes on.  A frequency search alone will set you back many $thousands.

Be prepared to meet the bureaucracy head on.  First, the FCC rules spell out things like minimum hours of operation and whether or not you are operating in the public interest.  That just scratches the surface.  If you are thinking of political opinions(your words) , be prepared for everyone who doesn't see things your way to attack you legally.  And with the current wave of everything from OSHA to EEOC, local, state and federal guidelines apply.  Just be forewarned.

When I moved to my current address, there was not one AM or FM outlet licensed in the county.  I began exploration and found a long-standing interest between two or more parties who were seeking at least an AM outlet here.  Fast forward...........one of the entities finally won out and was granted an AM Construction permit for 1550kc.  Two plus years ensued and after several modifications to the CP, they finally ended up with a two tower AM'er on 1550kc with a daytime power of approximately 9kw.  But, at sundown they must go directional and reduce power to about 1.5kw or less.  The directional pattern puts the signal right off out Atlantic coast and into the NE Atlantic ocean.  Who listens out there??? The 5mv/m (now Seimens) contour just covers the base population of the community of license.  I can stand in sight of the towers (less than 198 feet in height) at night and not be able to hear the signal much over 1mile N and S of the line of transmission.  And no one listens to it anyway!  That pattern was developed (engineered) to meet FCC requirements and in the case here to protect the same frequency down in Miami.  It also happens to be a Cuban frequency and the Miami and Cuban stations regularly battle it out for propaganda purposes.  The local facility here is subject to that interference and must accept it as part of their agreement to build and operate on that frequency.  There were no other frequencies available.  The local AM owners applied to and was awarded three low power FM frequencies that adequately cover the local population and they simulcast the AM with the most powerful of the FM station for 24 hour coverage for the community.  The other two play music.

Think about the equipment costs alone...................

I built an AM outlet in Georgia in 1978.  Wasn't mine to own, I just contracted with the man who won the Construction permit as he beat me to the punch by 2-3 years.  We built with 500 watts daytime and pre-sunrise authority of 78watts.  Later we applied for and was granted 1kw daytime.  Years have passed and that same station changed frequency, went to directional towers and was allowed to increase power accordingly.  They were bought by a church who uses it now to send religion to the masses.

I've short-cut a lot of dialogue here, but suggest what you want to do is dang near impossible.  And, I don't think the FCC has allocated any portion of the AM spectrum to non-profit status.  I could be wrong as I don't follow this stuff anymore.

Maybe follow Glen Beck and get yourself an Internet based channel and go from there.  Just thinking.

Not being negative.............just realistic.  Others may wish to comment or disagree.  YMMV

73
Chuck
W4MIL

チャーリー ミルトン 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Isbell, W5JAI <jim.isbell at gmail.com>
To: amradio <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sun, Aug 4, 2013 4:39 pm
Subject: [AMRadio] Non Commercial, non Ham AM Radio station?

I know this is slightly off subject since this is a HAM forum, but
maybe someone could steer me in the right direction, or maybe the
discussion can take place here???

I want to know if anyone has ever licensed a not for profit AM radio
station?  What I am talking about is NOT a tax exempt station because
it will have a political view, but just a non profit AM radio
transmitter, transmitting news and opinion on the news and perhaps
music in the between periods on the commercial bands, to operate from
private property at what ever the maximum power allowed would be.
Probably only operate a few hours a day...or night....to begin with.

Jim Isbell
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