FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief LeBlanc's goal of "No Pirates"

[Rafman]

“We need to think about when we take action that [the pirate] is actually off the air and things to prevent pirates ever getting on the air. We want to get to a world where there are no pirates on the airwaves..."

http://www.radioworld.com/article/leblanc%E2%80%99s-goal-is-no-pirates/275622%20

[IF this was an actual goal, why not allow indiviuals to apply for AM/FM/SW licenses, rather than no AM/FM applications currently being ACCEPTED & SW being more lawyer time & money than the physical construction co$t$??? I know the answer, NAB corporate whore$?]

[redhat]

The NAB has been a staunch critic of the LPFM movement since day one.  They see anyone outside of their represented stations as unfair competition for their advertising revenue, even if said competition sells no advertising.  The NAB is also the reason many of the rules treat legal LPFM's as second class citizens on the dial.  Nothing like getting the community behind you to raise funds and build a station, only to have some rim-shot guy complain and force the FCC to make you move.

With the amount of lip-service coming from the commission these days, I can't help but think it's just that.  They are facing shrinking funding, and an ageing industry with fewer resources.  It sure sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

My advice to any would-be pirates and existing ops out there who may see the current predicament as an opportunity; keep your nose clean.  Enlist the help of knowlegable people in the broadcasting community if you can.  Many current engineers in radio were once pirates, its how they learn   Do you research and be sure your not creating a problem for anyone else in the spectrum.  In cramped areas like the east coast, this can be a challenge, as the FCC has sold the licensed spectrum three times over and everything is shoe-horned in. 
Don't buy one of these CZH wonders off ebay and feed it into a 1KW amp and not expect problems.  This is even more true when you see these setups in densely populated areas with low antenna heights.

The industry is expecting a pirate free-for-all, and I seriously doubt anything resembling such will occur.  Times have changed, and with everyone carrying smartphones these days, I would expect a radio app tied to some small minority group in a large city to be much more effective and cheaper to run than some 300W FM signal.

Time will tell...

+-RH

[atrainradio]

For millionth damn time, pirates are not making rampant interference. Many always check to make sure they don't interfere with any station.

These scare tactics of making it seem they are really cracking down won't work. We know your budget is non existent. Worry about the internet neutrality.

[redhat]

Although from an engineering standpoint, the recent article about a station on 101.5 in NJ receiving interference from a pirate on 101.3 is about the most credible report of a pirate causing interference to a legit station I've heard in a long time.  It can happen.  Like I've said before, most of the people that build these things don't have a lot of technical knowledge of putting a signal on the air, and usually this is reflected in things like coverage and audio quality.

BTW, I've also have a goal of owning most of Pennsylvania, but I doubt that will work out either

+-RH

[atrainradio]

Hahah true, that WKXW story does point out that some pirates certainly interfere with legals. But, still, those sort of cases are usually few and far between.