Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!husc6!necntc!adelie!axiom!linus!raybed2!applicon!hdsvx1!hoffman
From: hoffman@hdsvx1.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.wobegon
Subject: Re: Tuning Table for PHC
Message-ID: <907@hdsvx1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Nov-86 09:39:38 EST
Article-I.D.: hdsvx1.907
Posted: Thu Nov 20 09:39:38 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Nov-86 04:05:01 EST
References: <143@houligan.UUCP> <2562@gitpyr.gatech.EDU> <800@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP>
Reply-To: hoffman@hdsvx1.UUCP (Richard hoffman)
Organization: Schlumberger HDS, Houston
Lines: 26

In article <800@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> tra4@sphinx.UUCP (Jonathan Traum) writes:
>By the way, has anybody noticed
>that public radio stations always seem to be around 90 or 91 MHz? My own
>experience in Miami, New York, Orlando, Chicago, LA, etc. have shown this, as
>do the stations shown on the tuning table posted earlier. Whenever I am in a
>city where I have never been before, I always tune in that area and always
>manage to find a public radio station. If this is completely true, it makes the
>tuning table unnecessary. Does anyone know a reason for this? Is it cheaper to
>broadcast in that frequency range, or is there an FCC regulation?

The FCC reserves a small band (from 88 to 92MHz, I *think*) for non-commercial
stations.  This is not a hard and fast rule:  Older stations which were 
already operating in this band when the rule was passed (in the late sixties,
I believe) were allowed to continue, and I think that if a commercial station
acquires a non-commercial station, it may continue to use the frequency.
The rule only works one way: non-commercial stations may use any bandwidth
which they are able to obtain.  Some of this is explained in Lorenzo Milam's
wonderful, hard-to-find book, "Sex & Broadcasting," about how to organize
and operate a non-commercial radio station, and how to harass your commercial
competitors.

-- 
 Richard Hoffman | "They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care,
 Schlumberger WS | They pursued it with forks and hope;
 hdsvx1!hoffman  | They threatened its life with a railway share,
 713-928-4750    | They charmed it with smiles and soap."         (L. CARROLL)