University Radio Help. 12points?

Question

I, along with more people have planned to open up a radio station in my university that will work only in the university area, and its a very very big university (takes me like half an hour to go from the gate to my department).

So what are the things that I need to do.

Is it actually possible.

Is it gonne be very expensive.

Please give me some more detail or any info. Thanks

Answer 1

To expand on the carrier current idea just a bit...

This is not as common as it used to be, but it involves using a

low power AM transmitter and coupling its output into the power lines. If you use "neutral injection" the signal will be able to get past the transformers outside.

You would need an electrician to hook up the coupler.

I have built a similar station, before anyone knew about neutral injection and the signal didn't get very far. No one knew about neutral injection at that point, myself included.

Another way is to use a Part 15 AM transmitter with a 102 inch whip antenna and place it  somewhere near the center of campus. This will usually get 1/2 to a mile range.

The cost to build a Part 15 AM or carrier current station will cost you anywhere from $1200-$2500. to give you a ballpark figure.

I have a legal Part 15 on the air now. It's not on a campus, but rather a 17 acre farm. It covers the farm and gets 1/2 mile out to the local Wal-Mart parking lot..a lot of folks discover it while looking for a parking space. This station cost me $1300 for the transmitter, antenna and cables; I already had a studio built and in place.

Answer 2

When you say, "my university" do you mean you're a student or faculty or staff at the university?  It's hard to tell age by an avatar.

Anyway -- it's not IMpossible, but highly, highly, highly unlikely that you would be able to found a radio station at your school.  Here's why:

Radio is broadcast media and all broadcast media in the United States is controlled by the federal government through the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC.  The FCC regulates everything about every radio station in the country.  As far as I understand through working in radio, radio frequencies (the number on the display, 105.3 FM, 1450 AM, etc.) are divvied up by regions of the country then further divvied up by population centers such as cities, towns and communities.  The FCC then SELLS the license to operate and broadcast on those frequencies to broadcasting companies.

The FCC does this so that the airwaves do not become clogged with too many broadcasters in any one area.  It also gives the government the ability to control what happens through the threat of license revocation, such as why Howard Stern moved to satellite radio (not controlled by the FCC) to avoid the fines for his inappropriate material (imposed by the FCC) and allow himself to be even crazier.  The FCC also dictates how much power (wattage) each radio station can use to broadcast their signal, who is in charge at each station, how often the station identifies itself on the air, and many many other regulations.  

Because it's the government and money talks when it comes to getting something from the government, big broadcasting companies are sometimes able to get the FCC to make changes that would benefit them.  For instance, a company can apply to have their power increased and sometimes they might get it.  A broadcaster can apply to move a frequency to another community and sometimes they will get that too.  So, even though the FCC controls almost everything, there is sometimes some wiggle room if there's enough money behind it.

There are public radio stations that are not run by for-profit companies, but the FCC controls these as well.  Your university probably has a radio station, likely more than one.  Almost every university I've ever known has a broadcast, public radio station and most have a "closed circuit" radio station.  The broadcast station sends its signal over the airwaves like all stations, and the closed-circuit station sends it signal through wires in and around the campus (sorta like cable tv).  The FCC grants the university a license to operate BOTH types of stations as long as they do not sell advertising, promote themselves in the community at the expense of the for-profit stations in the area, and a ton more regulations.

So, IF your university doesn't already have a radio station you would need to get your school's administration to apply to the FCC for a license and IF there's an available frequency in the area the FCC MIGHT grant it -- for a hefty fee.

Ok, so let's say that you won't go through the school, but start a brand new company or organization to run the station.  And let's say there happens to be an available frequency and the FCC is amenable to granting you a license.  You would need two HUGE items to broadcast, a transmitter and a tower.  Do you know anything about transmitters?  Radio transmitters are some of the most complicated pieces of equipment I've ever seen and the people with the know-how to build and operate them are few and far between, and very expensive.

Then there's the tower.  In theory, you don't need a big one, like you see with the flashing lights, if your station will be small but you would still need something metal and pointy and very tall if you want your station to be heard over a large area.  That brings community zoning laws into play.  But, for our purposes, let's say you get permission to place a tower somewhere.  Then you will need a studio, a building or a room where you would produce your audio.  I've seen studios in basements, garages and closets so that is not a big issue, but the equipment to produce audio is a big issue.  Computerized, digital audio is the standard for all radio these days but -- in theory -- you could peruse the electronics junk yard and find yourself a working system -- mixing board, microphones, cd players, etc. -- on the cheap.  But even on the cheap is not very cheap.  Add in the cost of electricity, broadcasting at 1000 watts (generally a weak radio signal) is the same as running a 1000 watt light bulb 24/7, and the costs add up.

After all that you'd be set.

Now there have always been illegal radio stations that are operated by "pirates."  Sometimes they're called "ham radio" stations.  These are guys that gather up the needed equipment, find a secluded spot to broadcast and go on the air with a weak signal but no license.  If you were to chose this route be aware that you're breaking the law and the FCC is VERY serious about catching pirate radio operators -- 'cause it's all about big broadcasters making money and no one wants that system to get screwed up by some damned kids!  Two movies come to mind, Pump Up  the Volume, with Christian Slater and a very old, very bad movie called Captain Midnight.

So, if you really want to start a radio station legally, as I said, it's not IMpossible -- but it probably more complicated and too expensive.

Is that worth 12 points?

Pakistan, huh?  I wish you would have indicated that you weren't in the US at first, I may have not spent so much time writing an answer that doesn't apply.  Although, it makes sense that you're not in a developed Western country, based on the question.  If you had mentioned that at first I would have told you that I have no idea what the governmental regulations are in Pakistan or if there are any.  If the university is in, get them to buy all the necessary equipment, find a studio and get yourself a tower.  The rest will be all administration and government from there.

Answer 3

As Joe said, for any real distance in the US, just to become licensed would take longer than most of the students currently there will be students (I've seen many applications take 5+ years)

There are a few options with a full power license on the non-commercial band in the US and the same with low power Fm licenses

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/howtoapply.h...

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/lowpwr.html

Your better bet may be a part 15 device that may not get you completely across campus without some repeaters, but know of a few carrier current stations broadcasting over the power lines currently

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_cur...

Answer 4

No offense, Joe, but that fact he's in Pakistan was in his first sentence. So that changes everything and is going to require some research. Find the government organization that controls radio in you country and start there.

The US FCC has nothing to do with it however much of your novel is incorrect. Everything changes when you put "public' or "non com" in front of the application.

I'm not going to get into the details, but, to the questioner, it's bad form to mention points on YA.

-a guy named duh