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HAM RADIO NOTE
The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to allow Amateur Radio
communications by EMPLOYEES of public safety agencies and other entities,
such as hospitals, for drills and tests in preparation for emergency situations.
The operators would of course have to be licensed hams and certain restrictions
would apply.
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THE NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN IS RELEASED
The FCC published the National Broadband Plan as expected today. A summary
of the document and a link to the full Plan (hundreds of pages) is at the
URL below. Of special interest is this statement in the summary sheet:
"The Plan was... produced by an FCC task force that set new precedents
for government openness, transparency, and rigor. Information for the plan
was gathered in 36 public workshops, 9 field hearing (sic), and 31 public
notices that produced 75,000 pages of public comments."
Contrast this statement with the following from yesterday's Wall Street Journal in a story entitled, "Broadband Trojan Horse:"
""Instead of risking a split vote among the five [Commissioners] on approving
the plan," reports National Journal, "Genachowski is seeking consensus on
a joint statement, which sources said would provide him with some political
cover for the controversies that are certain to be triggered by some of the
recommendations."
"The FCC chairman and his staff have spent the better part of a year preparing
a major report while keeping his colleagues largely in the dark. What happened
to the Obama's Adminis- tration's promise to be open and transparent?""
CGC is not taking a position on the Broadband Plan at this time; however,
the transparency controversy is important because many of our professions
stand to be profoundly impacted by the details of the Plan.
NEW CGC PUBLICATION -- THE ADVANCE LOOK FILE ("ALF")
Now that the CGC Communicator has become a once/month publication (special
bulletins excepted), some of our readers have asked if we could publish the
FCC Applications & Actions data more often. So, we have created a new
publication called The Advance Look File ("ALF").
In essence, the Advance Look File shows local (so. Cal.) AM, FM & TV
Applications & Actions published by the FCC during the first two weeks
of each month, while the CGC Communicator -- published around the end of
the month -- will show the Apps & Actions for the entire month (including
the Advance Look data).
The Advance Look File is available for $15/month (billed quarterly) and
is free to all FM Watchdog subscribers. The Advance Look File is for the
exclusive use of the recipient station and any co-owned stations. Please
contact the editor of this newsletter if you would like to subscribe or receive
a complimentary copy of our March 15th ALF.
FCC ENFORCEMENT WATCH -- REGIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
o CommUSA busted by the FCC for 450 MHz interference to San Diego's Metro
Traffic. For the case history, see the "Feature Story" at the second URL:
o Telecom, Inc., Oxnard, cited for allegedly programming Rio School District
transmitters on a 462 MHz frequency not authorized:
o Independent Taxi Owners Assoc., Los Angeles, issued an NOV for transmitting
a digitally modulated signal on 461.925 MHz without breaks for several hours.
This precluded other authorized users from sharing the channel:
o Phoenix Ranch Market busted for 462 MHz operation without a license:
o Sony Pictures, Culver City, issued a NOUO for installing a cellular-band
signal enhancer (BDA) without authority and creating 1.8 GHz interference
to T-Mobile:
o Terra Exploration cited for causing interference in the 806-821 MHz
cellular band. The RFI was traced to "engine spark plugs of Terra's oil
wells" -- a most unusual case.
NEWS BRIEFS
o LPFM third adjacent channel legislation status:
o "Electromagnetic sensitivity" lawsuit, unbelievable but true:
o Electronic book archive:
o Your Smartphone may be spying on you (story appears after an advertisement):
o On baking audio tapes:
o Whatever Happened to Shortwave Radio?
o Small amateur earth station listens to the Mars Express spacecraft over 60 million miles from Earth:
o Gene Chenault dies at 90:
GRADE A OFF TOPIC MATERIAL
o This is reportedly the first 35mm motion picture film ever made: A
trolly ride through San Francisco just days before the 1906 earthquake.
Un-scripted and thoroughly delightful:
o Landing at night on a wildly pitching aircraft carrier is incredibly tough. Two videos. TWO, don't forget. And hang on:
o Live video & audio from The Owl Box in San Marcos. Five viable eggs
were laid but only four have hatched so far. The owner of the box anticipates
that the last owlet will emerge on or about Wednesday this week:
o Your next vacation (Antarctica) is ready and waiting. Crank up the sound and start the slide show:
o Your personal jetpack:
o Antenna ice at the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland.Photo courtesy of
Paul Sautter, W6SJL, who adds, "This severe of a storm happens about once
every 25-30 years:"
o Cool link for Milky Way images (HD viewing is best):
o Outstanding military photographs:
