STATION INTERFERENCE: WHAT YOU CAN DO
For some of you listening off the air, you may have noticed the station only being available in mono at certain times. In some instances, and some places -often not that far from Charlottesville-- you may have even noticed the station REPLACED by another station (WGTS), licensed to Tacoma park, MD on 91.9 mHz. In the 21 April 2005 issue of alternative weekly newspaper The Hook (see readthehook.com), a fairly accurate, if a little over-dramatized, explanation of why this is occurring is presented. You are encouraged to read it.
For those wanting the condensed version, the dispute centers around the following FCC rule, which actually ISN’T quoted verbatim in The Hook. It states:
“Any construction permit for which construction has not been completed, and for which an application for license has not been filed, shall be automatically forfeited upon expiration without further affirmative cancellation by the Commission.” - [Section 73.3598(e)]
Congress forced the FCC to make this change in 1999 to prevent Construction Permit holders from getting extensions by proposing last minute (and often ridiculous) modifications to “get the clock re-started” on their un-built permits. Then along comes WGTS, which had failed to obtain the antenna needed to complete their Construction permit in 3 years --on the last business day the permit was good– asking the FCC for a modification to use an existing antenna on the proposed tower (not tuned to their frequency), rather than the one they had not only specified for years, but for which they had (by this time) already purchased! –You guessed it: To effectively get an extension. Then for a crowning moment in hubris and gall, they rescinded their request for the bogus modification three weeks later when the antenna they ordered finally arrived!!! The second part of the above regulation (application for license) was not done correctly or in a timely manner either. WGTS presented a questionable or creative “fix” for this problem, but since the above states that 1-construction has to be complete AND (as opposed to OR) 2- the application filed, this second part for which they had the “fix” is not really relevant.
Some people have emailed the offending station (WGTS) or the FCC about the problem and received less than satisfactory responses. WGTS’ response is a stock letter with the blank filled in with your name (“Dear ________________”), and maintains, absurdly, that “all is legal” and launches into an irrelevant discussion of FCC station separation and overlap requirements, which we are not disputing. (Everyone acknowledges their interference would be allowed by FCC rules had their Construction Permit been executed on time.) The FCC responds, even more absurdly, that you as a tax-paying citizen, have no right to complain!
Our Congressman has placed inquiries with the Commission, and his aids continue to work on behalf of the proper and legal enforcement of FCC regulations. What we have asked the Congressman to do is try to get the FCC to enforce its own regulations, and accepted practice in regulatory disputes, which is to force WGTS to use its LICENSED facility (which does not interfere with WNRN) while the dispute is settled between parties, by the FCC, or by a Federal Court. The Congressman has been asked by some to intervene on our behalf in the actual FCC proceedings. He cannot legally do this, and we have never asked this of him. Even his attempts to get some kind FCC enforcement action have been (intentionally) misconstrued by WGTS to be an attempt at impermissible influence (in legal parlance an “ex parte” violation).
On the bright side, this could be viewed as indicative of their level of desperation!
The Congressman is available at:
Rep. Virgil Goode
1520 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
(202)225-4711
The aid familiar with the problem is Mr. Kelly Simpsom.
You’re welcome to attempt contacting WGTS at wgts.org, but as mentioned above you will get the “stone wall.” The licensee of WGTS (Columbia Union College) sees big bucks for their small Seventh Day Adventist college in this operation. (Joke’s on them because they could do far better playing some other format, not that we’d object to the interference any less). And, as we mentioned here before, the operational staff are on a Christian proselytizing mission. Who gets trampled on their “mission,” or how many other stations are doing the same thing is, at best, no concern of theirs.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR RECEPTION:
If you listen from somewhere that receives the interference, AND ISN’T SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST of Charlottesville, you can eliminate it for home reception with a rooftop FM Antenna. Many TV antennas will work too, and if you already have one, a cheap “FM Tap-off” is all you need to eliminate the interference.. These antennas are directional, and allow you to “null out” unwanted stations.