Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: gutierre@oblio.arc.nasa.gov (Robert Gutierrez) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: ABC TV Feed Via Phone Number in NYC Message-ID: <4133@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 20 Feb 90 07:20:30 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: Robert Gutierrez Organization: NASA ARC Lines: 48 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 116, message 1 of 8 nickless@flash.ras.anl.gov (Bill Nickless) writes: > In article <3738@accuvax.nwu.edu> Robert Gutierrez > writes: > > It's unfortunate that you can't use cellular phones for 'Remote Broadcast' > > without an STA (Special Temp. Authority). > I listen to WGN here in Chicago, and they seem to do this regularly. > (Patrick: On the "Al and/or Ed show.") Last December a listener in an > automobile called the show and asked for directions to a restaurant in > downtown Chicago..... > Is this the type of situation where an STA would be needed? Technically, if you follow the letter of the FCC reg in question, yes, but this was a call-in talk show, and it is understood that these are semi-unsolicited calls via cellular, and it's not a point the FCC would (or even could???) enforce. It seems that as far as the FCC is concerned, you need a license if your remote broadcast is 'in the air' between the announcer and the commercial transmitting site (I can't remember the exact regulation unfortunately). Why the FCC made a point of enforcing celluar remote- broadcast transmissions is beyond me. Protecting somebody's intrests??? The problem is that licensing such on a regular basis requires filing forms listing all the celluar frequencies (along with transmitting sites, power, etc.) and specific permission of the permanant holder of the celluar license in question (and they'd rather you use their more expensive land voice circuts). There's got to be something wrong here. I certanly hope that the Ku-band satellite links become more popular especially since they're getting smaller (just like TV news remotes), Then the telco-celluar monopoly will all of a sudden ask the FCC to revise that part of the regulation so that they can use celluar phones to do remote-broadcasts. Some stations could care less about regulations anyway, and are doing news stories via headphone-equipped Novatel handheld celluar phones, since you can't tell on the air anyway where they're talking from... They just keep the phone tucked in their jacket pocket. Robert Gutierrez - NASA Science Internet Network Operations Moffett Field, California. "Home of the first N0X prefix in the Bay Area (604)."