A new Wireless Telegraphy
Act was legislated in Ireland in 1988 and it delegated responsibility to the
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland[1] to implement the law and licence
independent radio stations in Ireland. Initially the franchises for a national
commercial station and local radio were awarded and this was followed by
regional, community, institutional and temporary licensed stations.
The passing of the new
laws was aimed at eliminating the proliferation of pirate radio that dominated
the airwaves from the late 1970’s throughout the 1980’s until December 31st
1988. The issue today is that with changes in technologies, listener habits and
the importance of radio within communities, the 1988 laws need to be amended
and a new form of license created, the Low Power & Occasional FM license.
According to the BAI website,
‘The
BAI can award temporary sound broadcasting contracts for a period of up to 30
days in a 12 month period, (“a regular temporary service”). In addition, the
BAI can award a temporary sound broadcasting contract to an applicant group
that is representative of, and accountable to a community in a particular area,
or a community of interest in an area for a period of up to 100 days in a 12
month period, (“a pilot community temporary service”).’
Regular
temporary sound broadcasting contracts of up to 30 days are typically awarded
to educational and / or student groups, and other groups for special event
purposes, for example festivals, drive-in movies and other small area services.
The BAI awards approximately 25 such licences per year.[2]
The list of licensed stations for October 2020
The 30 day limitation has
become one problematic issue in 2020 for the legislation. The arrival of the
Covid19 pandemic has increased the use of radio as a form of communication for
communities. The increasing use by the Catholic Church of unlicensed and therefore
illegal FM transmitters has become an issue not just for the BAI but for
ComReg, the spectrum regulator. With parish churches closed to parishioners,
Mass has been celebrated on FM especially in rural communities.
The authorities had
implemented a WPAS license scheme on a CB band for churches but this has become
outdated and difficult to maintain. As of December 2020, there were at least
100 churches broadcasting Mass daily on FM. (See Church Pirate Radio ), this form of broadcast
would require a specific licence to broadcast far in excess of the current 30
day limit.
The application process
also needs to be simplified to take into account of the number of parishes
requiring licenses and that those operating the Church FM channel change
frequently as priests are transferred from parish to parish or elevated within
the church. Ireland is in a unique position with the dominance of one religion
and its use of the FM band. The Church are not alone using the FM spectrum
(87.5mhz – 108mhz) by utilizing unlicensed transmitters.
The BAI website does
allow for applications for special event broadcasts such as drive in cinemas
but in December 2020 with cinemas and theatres closed a number of the seasonal
pantomimes were conducted as drive ins using an FM transmitter to provide the in-car
sound but these too did not have a license from the BAI to broadcast and were
therefore illegal. (see Pantomime Pirate Broadcasts)
A number of festivals in
Ireland in 2019 operated a low powered local station for the three/four days duration
of the festival but in all but two cases, no license was applied for or granted.
One festival organiser cited the expense and the complicated requirements of
the BAI application form with regards to ownership and funding. The cost of a
licence application is approximately €750.
There are a number of
other countries who allow temporary licensed stations. In the United Kingdom
they are known as Short Restricted Service Licenses (SRSL’s). The OFCOM website
issues the following specifications.
How long are the licences
for?
Up
to 28 days – broadcasting for either consecutive days, or non-consecutive days,
within a 28-day period
Are there any other
things to be aware of when we apply?
There are full details in the guidance notes, but you should particularly be aware that: These are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. So, if we receive more than one application in the same area, we would consider the application we received first.
How much do they cost?
£400 application fee Licence fees depend on if you’d be using FM or AM, the power you’d be using, and how many days you are on air. If you’d be using FM at a power level of up to 1W, the licence fees are £35 a day for the length of your licence. If you’d be using FM at a power level of above 1W, the licence fees are £70 a day for the length of your licence. If you’d be using AM at a power level of up to 1W, the licence fees are £25 a day for the length of your licence.
What type of service
might they be used for?
These might be used if you’re planning a one-off event, like showing drive-in movies over a weekend or several days within a 28-day period.
For churches there is a
further type of license is available from Ofcom,
How long are the licences
for?
Up
to 28 days – but for non-consecutive days over a period not exceeding 12 months.
Are there any other
things to be aware of when we apply?
There
are full details in the guidance notes, but you should particularly be aware
that: These are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. So, if we receive
more than one application in the same area, we would consider the application
we received first. If you apply for a power level of above 300mW, these can only
be considered if there has been no SRSL activity nearby in the past three
years.
How much do they cost?
£400
application fee Licence fees depend on if you’d be using FM or AM and the
length of your licence. If your broadcast period is between 29 and 140 days and
you’d be on FM, the total licence fees are £1,700. If above 140 days on FM
they’re £2,250. If your broadcast period is between 29 and 140 days and you’d
be on AM, the total licence fees are £1,095. If above 140 days on AM they’re
£1,670.
What type of service
might they be used for?
These
might be used if you’re planning a regular broadcast on a few days a week over
a longer period than a month, like a regular drive-in church service every
Sunday.
Meanwhile the Australian
Communications and Media Authority also issues special event licenses[3],
Definition of a special event
To broadcast with an open
narrowcast licence, the special event must:
- last no longer than 30 days
- be significant for cultural, sporting or other
community reasons.
- have one or more specific organisers.
Examples of special events
are:
- the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix
- Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games
- cultural events such as horticultural or
flower shows.
- artistic exhibitions
Who can apply?
We only issue
one special event licence for each event. To apply, you need to be:
- the event organiser
- a peak body
You will need to share
air-time if:
- we receive more than one application for an event.
- applicants disagree about who the main body is.
In this situation, we will
ask you to:
- discuss and agree the shared air-time
arrangement 7 weeks before the event.
- give us this agreement no less than 3 weeks
before the event.
If you cannot agree, we
will consult with you and allocate licences equally.
How to apply
To apply for a transmitter
licence for a special event:
- Read the Special
events policy guidelines.
- Complete form B12
- Application for an Apparatus Licence in the Broadcasting Services Bands.
- Complete the Special Events Checklist.
- Send both documents to us at least 8 weeks
before the event.
A special event licence
may include one or two days before the event for testing.
If we approve your
application, you need to pay a transmitter licence tax.
You may allow other people
to operate a transmitter under your licence. If you do, you must write to them
to confirm the agreement. You must give us details of the agreement if we ask.
What we consider
When we issue a licence,
we balance:
- the needs of the public in the long term
- an immediate and high-level demand at the
event
If your requested
frequency is not available for the special event, we will try and find an
alternative frequency. You can only use this:
- for the exact special event purpose
- the exact location of the event
For the FM transmitters
that equates from € 270 to € 26 per license.
In the United States the
FCC licenses low power FM stations.
‘The Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service was created by the Commission in January 2000. LPFM stations are authorized for non-commercial educational broadcasting only (no commercial operation) and operate with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 watts (0.1 kilowatts) or less, with maximum facilities of 100 watts ERP at 30 meters (100 feet) antenna height above average terrain (HAAT). The approximate service range of a 100 watt LPFM station is 5.6 kilometres (3.5 miles radius). LPFM stations are not protected from interference that may be received from other classes of FM stations. A construction permit is required before an LPFM station can be constructed or operated. The mere filing of an LPFM application does not authorize any construction or operation.’
This is the FCC list of
the LPFM licenses in New York alone and the relevant body or group operating
the licenses.
Q: What type of
costs are involved?
A: There
is no application filing fee and no fee for the LPFM construction permit.
However, there are construction and operating costs associated with an LPFM
radio station. The costs can vary widely depending on the type and
quality of studio and broadcasting equipment used, as well as whether a tower is
required. For an idea of how much equipment costs, NTIA’s Radio Station Construction Costs may help, but keep in mind that these figures are
several years out of date. We recommend that you do not purchase any
equipment until after the applicant obtains a construction permit, to avoid
purchasing equipment that cannot be used.[4]
PROPOSAL
An FCC style system of
licensing would suit the occasional broadcasters in Ireland including churches,
drive in entertainment and local festivals with some modifications. The Low
Power Occasional FM license could be as follows,
A Low Power FM
transmitter license would cover broadcasts with a radius of 3 miles in city
environments, 5 miles in urban areas, 10 miles in rural areas. Broadcasts would
be restricted to a maximum of three hours per day. This license would be
suitable for church broadcasts.
Cost per annum €150.00,
if there are no requirements for the payments to PPI or IMRO. An additional one
off payment of €250.00 would cover legal and set up fees.
The licensee must show
that the premises is compliant with local authority planning regulations. The
licensee understands that their broadcasts are subject to compliance with the
Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
The Low Power Occasional FM License
will cover broadcasts with a radius of 3 miles in city environments, 5 miles in
urban areas, 10 miles in rural areas. Broadcasts would be restricted to 5 days
in one calendar month. This would suit drive-in entertainment venues and annual
festivals. These stations would be allowed 7.5 minutes advertising or product
placement per hour. The fee would be €40.00 per day or part thereof of
broadcasting up to a maximum of twelve hours per day. Festival stations would
be required to specify the length of their on air activities.
The BAI
would set up a dedicated mobile service or easily transported set up that could
be rented for the duration of any event. This would include all or part of a
radio station, studio, transmitter equipment and aerial plus the allocation of
frequencies.
This does not take into
account any planning permissions required for the addition of a radio station
or changes to any group or organisations insurance company terms and
conditions.
This new form of license
would regulate a current disorganised spectrum and provide ComReg with a
framework of policing the airwaves. At present ComReg only apply their
expertise and enforcement on pirate radio transmitters that are broadcasting
music and have ignored the growing number of illegal transmitters broadcasting
across Ireland daily.
If you would like to support my work in preserving and presenting the history of Irish radio and archive as much broadcasting history as I can, then for the price of a cup of coffee (takeaway these days) you can financially support the work at https://ko-fi.com/irishbroadcastinghistory. Thank you. (Use the button at the top of the page to support)
[1]
Originally known as the Irish Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) and later
the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI)
[2] https://www.bai.ie/en/broadcasting/licensing-2/radio/
[3] https://www.acma.gov.au/licence-broadcast-special-events
[4] https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?state=NY&serv=FL&vac=&list=1
No comments:
Post a Comment