No, this one wasn't the Crystal Cathedral, it was another. I've got a few newspaper clippings and I think with pictures, I'll post it later.
In 1971 the Cinama Radio franchise for drive-ins was formed with exclusive rights to Halsteads leaky cable. Several other companies began offer similar setups for drive-ins.
I need to correct a few things I said about the previous church story.. First off, it took place in Iowa, not Idaho, and it was their Senator, not their Congressman who they contacted...
So... It's the 1970s.. About 40 churches throughout Iowa had been using LPFM transmitters to broadcast their sermons. They had been led to believe no license was needed and apparently had been broadcasting with them for years.
In August 1973 the FCC began shutting them down. The church's, were outraged, thinking that the law had been changed, rallied together and contacted Iowa State Senator Hughes, who then contacted FCC Chairman Dean Burch concerning their matter...
The following is the complete text of FCC Chairman Burch’s response to Senator Hughes in October 1973. The whole thing is quite interesting, but don't miss the FCCs stance that if anyone is to blame for this unfortunate situation, it is the manufacturers and distributors of those FM transmitters, and it's the consumers responsibility to take them to court for misrepresentation --wouldn't that actually be a Federal Trade Commission responsibility?, I don't know, let me shut up, here's the letter:
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Dear Senator Hughes:
This with reply to your letter of August 31, 1973, concerning the operation of low-power FM transmitters by a number of churches, primarily in Sioux County, lowa.
The recent action of the Commission’s Engineer in Charge, Kansas City, advising users that their transmitters were being operated in violation of Commission rules, did not reflect a change in Commission policy; rather, it only reflected a delay in detecting and closing down these unauthorized operators.
Our fleld organization had been aware for several years that some churches In lowa were operating low-power carrier current devices in the AM broadcast band, as permitted by part 15 of the rules. These "restricted radiation devices"’ have an effective range of only several hundred feet, and normally rely on institutional wiring to distribute the signal throughout a building or cluster of buildings. Because of their extremely limited interference potential, they are not licensed and regulated as broadcast stations. However, the churches Involved in the recent investigation were found to be operating with conventional FM antennas, and with transmitter power outputs between 3 and 20 watts, thereby providing usable signals up to five miles away. These installations greatly exceeded the part 15 radiation limitations for “unlicensed” operation and, as you will appreciate, would carry an enormous potential for interference to licensed broadcast services if allowed to proliferate on a national basis.
Section 301 of the Communications Act requires that transmitting equipment of this type be licensed by the Commission. Moreover, section 319(a) of the Act requires that, as a condition precedent to licensing, a construction permit be first applied for and obtained. Since these are statutory requirements, they are not subject to waiver by the Commission.
The question thus becomes: on what basis, if any, can these operations be legalized? While considerations of efficient radio spectrum managment milttate against any general scherne of licensing characterized by large numbers of low-power transmitters, provision has been made in the educational portion of the FM broadcast band for 10-watt noncommercial FM frequency assignments.
The problem here is that to establish eligibility, the applicant must be a school college, university, or some other entity with a bona fide educational mission. Although there is no policy against issuing broadcast licenses to religious organizations, relatively few of them have a chartered educational purpose. Therefore, to the extent that they engage in broadcasting, most are licensed on commercial channels.
Any proposal to open the educational portion of the FM broadcast band to churches and religious organizations per se would involve fundamental policy considerations which could be dealt with only in a major rule-making proceeding. Because of the crowded state of the FM broadcast band nationally, the likelihood of favorabie Commission action on any such proposal is somewhat remote. In any event, a final decision on a proposal of this nature could not come in time to meet the ongoing needs outlined in your letter.
With respect to the possibility of commercial FM broadcast operation, there is, of course, no educational eligibility restriction, and it might be possible to organize a consortium of churches or denominations into a licensable entity which could then apply for an FM broadcast construction permit. Commercial FM broadcast licensing is based on a pre-engineered national table of assignments, under which specific channels are reserved for use in particular communities, While most channel assignments in north western lowa are already occupied, there is an unoccuped channel assignment for a Class A FM station at Spencer. Operating with the maximum facilities permitted for stations of this class, a station at that location could be expected to provide primary service within a radius of 15 miles, with a usable service range of up to 40 miles for listeners willing to install outdoor receiving antennas. If necessary, the usable service range might be extended by means of FM translator . stations.
As you know, there are FM broadcast stations presently operating in LeMars, Sholdon, Cherokee, Sioux Center, Spencer, and other communities in north western Iowa, which serve portions of the areas and populations which the unlicensed stations were attempting to serve. Since these licensees are expected to ascertain and meet the needs and interests of the communities served, it is suggested that audience preferences for religious programming be made known to these stations.
I am keenly aware, Senator Hughes, that the termination of these meritorious services might appear, on the surface to be arbitrary and unwarranted. However, in light of the Commission’s statutory obligations, outlined above, there is simply no way of restoring these unauthorized services as formerly constituted.
If fault is to be imputed to anyone, it should be to the manufacturers and distributors of transmitting apparatus known by them to be incapable of meeting the Commission's licensing requirements. If warranted by the seller as legal devices, the buyers of this equipment should certainly pursue their remedies in the local courts.
Please be assured of the Commission's willingness to work with the affected organizations in an effort to find a solution. If it is determined that a single, centrally located FM station Is not feasible or would fail to provide service to what appears to be a widely scattered audience, it may be that program distribution could be accomplished by the delivery of cassettes, or that arrangments could be made through the telephone company for parishioners in given areas to dial a number reserved for the carriage of Sunday sermons.
Should further information be desired please call on me again.
Sincerely,
Dean Burch
Topic: First came part 15 AM, then came part 15 (Read 2375 times)
