Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL> (02/02/90)
On Media Network last night, some info on a series of proposed FCC fees was given. There are a number of fees related to filing applications for SW broadcast licenses, which are not surprising and aren't really all that high -- from under $100 to $1000 or so. (Chicken feed when compared to the actual costs of setting up such an operation.) However, there is one real kicker in them -- a special $35 PER TRANSMITTER-HOUR operating fee! That is, for each hour on the air, for each transmitter operated, the station has to pay a "spectrum-usage" fee of $35. For broadcasters like WYFR with 14 tansmitters (or so) running most of the day, say 20 hours, this can rapidly add up to real money! I wonder if this can get expanded to local AM and FM stations too? I'd like to know our local noise-rock stations are helping reduce the deficit by having to pay $5880 per week to Uncle for 24-hr-a-day operation... As long as educational and public-radio is exempted, this might get interesting. Sure will shake out the marginal operations and reduce the RF pollution out there... :-) Maybe I heard this wrong, or they read it wrong, or that wasn't what was really proposed, or it won't happen because these are just proposals that will not be implemented... But maybe it will... :-) One way to reduce religious broadcasting, I guess... Regards, Will