The CGC Communicator Newsletter Web Posting

Happy New Year to the CGC Communicator and all of your readers, but I must take issue with the comment regarding LPFM published in CGC #823 and attributed to a Washington communications attorney.  He or she wrote:

"Definition of an LPFM station: One of the most counter-
productive means recently devised by government to degrade
already financially struggling full-service local radio stations.
It's an old cliche, but with friends like the FCC, who needs
enemies!"

My response is this:

Prior to 1996, when the FCC had comparative criteria so the best qualified applicant could secure an FM station, average people like me actually had a chance at becoming a full power broadcaster.  Not any more.  After 1996, when the FCC became money-driven and switched to an auction model, people like me were frozen out because of UNREASONABLY HIGH financial demands.

So, what about people like me, who are PASSIONATE ABOUT RADIO, but earn a modest living and could never afford to enter into the auction process?  Broadcasting has been my passion all of my adult life, and when the only avenue left was LPFM, I signed up and became -- in essence -- the President (GM, CE, PD, OM, etc.) of an LPFM station.

My LPFM targets the older demos that are sorely under-served, the very people that most full power stations have turned their back on.  On the other hand, my little LPFM has made a MAJOR IMPACT and a few of the full power broadcasters have tried to plow my station under by approaching our underwriters and telling them the station is a pirate, it's illegal etc.  Why they are motivated to do so isn't entirely clear.  LPFM is a non-commercial venue, so there is no potential financial harm.  Arbitron does not even include LPFM in its overall rating book so there should be no problem there either.

These other broadcasters have hired very well known and respected engineers, their names being familiar to you and the Broadcasting Community, to measure our field strength, modulation, etc. all with the hope of "Making a Case" with FCC -- but to no avail.

When my LPFM STL was being interfered with for over six months by a very large Broadcaster with a digital STL, upon my notifying their Chief Engineer, the response was, "We'll pay you for a new crystal -- you change frequencies."  The fact was that the digital STL was on the wrong channel!  It's a matter of record with SCFCC.  It's ironic that the very people who are against me are My People, Radio People, the people whom I have worked with and have called friends for over 40 years and whom I will continue to call friends to the best of my ability.

My philosophy is simple: Target the local audience, give the listeners something they really appreciate, and more and more listeners will come.  And they have come to my station in numbers that have apparently upset my full power brethren.  These other stations aren't losing listeners because of interference (except from IBOC); it's their stale formats and limited playlists that are doing them in.  Their "one size fits all philosophy" isn't working any more and they don't like it.

I have been in Radio over 40 years and REALLY do love this great industry and its many wonderful people -- it's just that sometimes I have trouble understanding some of them -- but that too will pass as LPFM becomes established and respected.  There are many fine people in the full power industry who correctly sense the need for change and the return to localism which is at the heart of broadcasting.


Chris Compton
xmtr.doc (at) verizon.net
KFXM-LP 96.7 MHz, Lancaster, CA

Posted by Steve Blodgett
Earthsignals.com