gutierre@oblio.arc.nasa.gov (Robert Gutierrez) (02/20/90)
nickless@flash.ras.anl.gov (Bill Nickless) writes: > In article <3738@accuvax.nwu.edu> Robert Gutierrez > <gutierre@paxman.arc.nasa.gov> 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)."
johnw@gatech.edu (John Wheeler) (02/21/90)
In article <4058@accuvax.nwu.edu> HUFF@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Steve Huff, U. of Kansas, Lawrence) writes: X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 113, message 3 of 8 >Years ago I had a phone number in NYC that allowed you to listen to >the feed from ABC TV. Does anybody know if this number still exists, >and more importantly, what it is? Thanks. No idea on the number, but the use is, probably, an IFB. That allows remote field crews to call in and get the feed that winds up in the ear of the talent...with a catch...it's interruptable by the director in the control room to give cues. Also, if they're far enough away that the incoming feed is by satellite, the IFB is dialed up (usually via US Sprint these days to assure fiber-optics) so that the feed going into the talent's ear is in real-time, that is, without the 262ms delay caused by a satellite feed. Most networks and large TV operations have a bank of automatically answered IFB feeds available. The crew calls, and then sets up on another line. * John Wheeler - Unix/C Systems Designer/Programmer/Administrator/etc... * * Turner Entertainment Networks * Superstation TBS * TNT * Turner Production * * ...!gatech!nanovx!techwood!johnw (404) TBS-1421 * * "the opinions expressed in this program are not necessarily those of TBS" *
stone@nbc1.ge.com (Anthony Stone) (02/23/90)
Steve Huff mentions a phone number in New York which answers with ABC TV program audio. This is most certainly one of their many IFB (Interruptible FoldBack) lines which are used so that talent and interview guests can hear questions being posed to them during remote [live] broadcasts. Producers can also interrupt the audio with cues like "the tape isn't ready, go on to the next story." If the interview is via satellite, then "mix-minus" audio is sent. This is an output of the audio board which includes all audio sources except the satellite feed. Otherwise the person being interviewed would hear his voice in his earphone a half second later. Very disconcerting, believe me! (You can simulate this with a 3-head audio tape recorder. Listen to the playback head while recording into a microphone.) No, I won't give out our IFB numbers! :-) Anthony Stone NBC News Graphics, New York, NY stone@nbc1.ge.com 212-664-2206