Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2017 20:18:38 GMT
The Hybrid All-Purpose Radio Service
Broadcasting authorized by Part 15 of the FCC Rules has no content requirements, putting such stations in a Special Category quite unlike licensed stations which fall into two blunt categories as "commercial" or "educational".
Licensed broadcasting on the medium wave (AM) band, 530 to 1700 kHz, is open to commercial operation or can function non-commercially depending on the mission of the licensee.
The FM band from 92 to 108 MHz is similarly authorized for commercial or other use, but the 88 to 91.9 Mhz segment is limited to non-commercial only under the category "Educational Band".
There is no such thing as a "religious category" of license; religious organizations can operate on any AM or FM channel but can sell commercial air time only on frequencies so designated.
As the owner/operator of Part 15 stations I have thought about this when it comes to terms and conditions attached to particular programs... many programs are freely available for use on a non-commercial basis only, but I got to thinking...
Non-commercial programs are only entitled to be kept commercial free while they are airing and certainly cannot dictate what gets aired at other times.
To my thinking this means that a hybrid of commercial and non-commercial content could ethically share a Part 15 station so long as the two types of material are kept separated and not overlapped or intertwined.
This philosophy of operation makes Part 15 radio more elastic and pliable than licensed brethren unless I'm over-thinking the matter.
What is your opinion?
Broadcasting authorized by Part 15 of the FCC Rules has no content requirements, putting such stations in a Special Category quite unlike licensed stations which fall into two blunt categories as "commercial" or "educational".
Licensed broadcasting on the medium wave (AM) band, 530 to 1700 kHz, is open to commercial operation or can function non-commercially depending on the mission of the licensee.
The FM band from 92 to 108 MHz is similarly authorized for commercial or other use, but the 88 to 91.9 Mhz segment is limited to non-commercial only under the category "Educational Band".
There is no such thing as a "religious category" of license; religious organizations can operate on any AM or FM channel but can sell commercial air time only on frequencies so designated.
As the owner/operator of Part 15 stations I have thought about this when it comes to terms and conditions attached to particular programs... many programs are freely available for use on a non-commercial basis only, but I got to thinking...
Non-commercial programs are only entitled to be kept commercial free while they are airing and certainly cannot dictate what gets aired at other times.
To my thinking this means that a hybrid of commercial and non-commercial content could ethically share a Part 15 station so long as the two types of material are kept separated and not overlapped or intertwined.
This philosophy of operation makes Part 15 radio more elastic and pliable than licensed brethren unless I'm over-thinking the matter.
What is your opinion?
