WEBVTT - What is low-power FM (LPFM)?

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<v Speaker 1>from how Stuff works dot com where smart Happens. Hi,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Marshall Brain with today's question. What is low power

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<v Speaker 1>FM or LPFM? A normal FM station transmits at thousands

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<v Speaker 1>of wats. This level of power means that the station

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<v Speaker 1>needs lots of expensive transmitting equipment as well as a

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<v Speaker 1>fairly substantial antenna. It might cost in the range of

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<v Speaker 1>a million dollars to get a basic FM station on

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<v Speaker 1>the air at this level of power, and it can

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<v Speaker 1>cover an entire urban area. That level of investment has

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<v Speaker 1>several side effects. First, only a business entity or an

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<v Speaker 1>extremely wealthy individual can afford to create an FM station,

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<v Speaker 1>and the station must of necessity be driven by business

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<v Speaker 1>logic in order to cover the high operating costs. This

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<v Speaker 1>limits creativity and makes it hard for small organizations or

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<v Speaker 1>individuals to get airtime. The LPFM station is designed to

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<v Speaker 1>let individuals and small organizations own and operate radio stations

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<v Speaker 1>for a wide variety of not for profit reasons. In

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<v Speaker 1>this sense, the FCC is trying to bring station creation

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<v Speaker 1>closer to normal people, in the same way that anyone

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<v Speaker 1>can create a web page. It's not quite that simple,

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<v Speaker 1>but at least they're headed in the right direction. An

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<v Speaker 1>LPFM station is a ten watt or a hundred watt transmitter.

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<v Speaker 1>This level of power gives the station a range of

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<v Speaker 1>approximately three and a half miles or five point six kilometers.

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<v Speaker 1>A transmitter this size and its antenna might cost two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand to five thousand bucks. In a city, the range

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<v Speaker 1>of an LPFM transmitter can encompass lots of people, and

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<v Speaker 1>it can completely cover an entire neighborhood or community area.

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<v Speaker 1>The owner operators of low power FM stations could include,

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<v Speaker 1>among others, religious groups, local neighborhoods, amusement parks, PTA sponsored

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<v Speaker 1>school stations, ethnic organizations, racetrack pit areas, universities too new

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<v Speaker 1>or previously unable to get a full power license, movie

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<v Speaker 1>theater schedule information, interstate highway rest stops, high schools, and

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<v Speaker 1>so on. Information about low power FM radio stations is

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<v Speaker 1>available on the FCC website. Do you have any ideas

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<v Speaker 1>or suggestions for this podcast? If so, please send me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at podcast at how stuff works dot com.

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