tools for commensality 🧿Hey some nerd (me) is quoted here in this Columbia Journalism Review story about how low-power FM radio stations weathered federal funding cuts by being too small to be eligible for federal funding... in contrast to NPR. The invulnerability of the truly grassroots? 📻💚
https://www.cjr.org/feature/public-media-funding-cut-low-power-radio-lessons-community-broadcasting.php
AI6YR Ben@inquiline Interesting, I take it this requires a license and "low power" is extremely low power. Curious if this is even possible in such an FM-crowded place like Los Angeles. (I know there's a low power AM radio site run by one of our radio clubs, but they can't put programming on it -- their local city is in charge of that).
@ai6yr
It's 100 watts or less, and yes a license is required. They reach a neighborhood or small town (tho many also stream). We have one in Long Beach, i believe its antenna is in the port area:
https://www.klbp.org/
There are at least a couple in LA too, one is
https://kqbhla.com/
Burning Joint USADo you have any idea the legality of using those super low power transmitters that say they are FCC approved on ebay and connecting them to a raspberry pi that is pulling a stream and then doing that in multiple locations? Like technically having no one location exceeding the FCC limit to transmit without a license, but increasing coverage by just simply running one per block or something like that? Aside from other technical issues that might crop up with timing and what not, does that break any FCC regulations that you're aware of?
@grimacing Looks like 61 meters per transmitter. All the rules I am aware of are "per transmitter", but I am not an attorney... I mean, if you had an entire block of people with their own FM transmitters playing Halloween music or Christmas music (noncoordinated) that is legal as long as each transmitter meets requirements. If they are all coordinated, I would (guess?) they are all separate transmitters, as long as every transmitter is below the limit. Great idea!
https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/low-power-radio-general-information
I've been working on using a python library to coordinate streaming to a bunch of raspberry pi's with this in mind. 61 meters is a good amount of distance to be honest... I have had this loophole in mind for many years, but I guess I should probably consult a lawyer before going through with it. I feel like if this got used for pirate radio at any real scale, new laws would pop up pretty quickly to address it, so I am not trying to ruin anybody's good time either... Just thinking hypothetically at the moment.
@grimacing It's a great idea! And you could distribute it through neighborhoods.... So, even if transmitters not next to each other, you could make that station available widely through your community in hotspots. Which could be a cool thing anyway.
Yeah, I was thinking to do it that way to start and then use the transmission to kind of recruit people to run them from their home/apartment/business... kind of fill in the gaps over time if possible.
My thought though for the technical aspect, was to use my airsonic server, then post the days playlist and each client pulls that down over python and gets the stream link for each song, then plays them using a headless VLC. I've only been playing with it for a few days so it's not working currently, but the real challenges I see are like what happens when one client buffers a bit longer than another and somebody switches range from one transmitter to the other... It wouldn't be a seamless experience. Not sure how to address that problem or the geographic timing issues, which honestly, I'm not quite as concerned with, because it would still be pretty close together geographically for the most part. I am toying with the idea of downloading the days entire playlist to the client a few hours before it would be set to play. That way streaming issues could be avoided, but I am going to have to play with it.
@grimacing So... VLC has support for RTP, real time streaming -- which is synchronized in time. It may be there is a way to send RTP to your headless VLC instances so they will auto-sync.
https://prime-5.videolan.me/vlc-user/streaming_files/en/advanced/streaming/stream_over_rtp.html
@grimacing Ooh, there's more than a few solutions out there. This one uses WebRTC and Websockets
GitHub - sahil-mengji/soundsynk: SoundSynk is a real-time audio sync application that allows multiple devices on the same local network to share and play audio in sync without the need for a server. Using WebRTC and WebSockets, SoundSynk creates a seamless audio experience for group sessions over WiFi or a mobile hotspot.
SoundSynk is a real-time audio sync application that allows multiple devices on the same local network to share and play audio in sync without the need for a server. Using WebRTC and WebSockets, So...
Definitely appreciate all the resources. I will have to take a good look at these to see what I can fit into my project, would be pretty rad to have something useful at the end of this that I could put up on github. Would love to help people start little pirate radio stations TBH.
@grimacing Excellent, good luck, this sounds like a GREAT project!
Do you have any idea the legality of using those super low power transmitters that say they are FCC approved on ebay and connecting them to a raspberry pi that is pulling a stream and then doing that in multiple locations? Like technically having no one location exceeding the FCC limit to transmit without a license, but increasing coverage by just simply running one per block or something like that? Aside from other technical issues that might crop up with timing and what not, does that break any FCC regulations that you're aware of?
Radio Free Trumpistan@inquiline
Well, that makes me wonder if one could gather confederates to form a Part 15 broadcasting network.
Well, that makes me wonder if one could gather confederates to form a Part 15 broadcasting network.
Nicole ParsonsWhen you accept money from despots, they become your overlords.
Google & #PrinceBonesaw
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/07/heres-a-look-at-who.html
Apple & #PrinceBonesaw
https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-crown-prince-visits-apple-google-2018-4
Silicon Valley & Charles Koch
https://www.axios.com/2017/12/14/koch-tries-its-hand-at-venture-capital-1513277500
Twitter & Alwaleed bin Talal
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2022/10/31/saudi-prince-alwaleed-becomes-twitters-second-largest-shareholder/
#MoscowMitch & Deripaska
https://www.newsweek.com/company-russian-oligarch-millions-aluminum-plant-mitch-mcconnell-1397061
Trump & Vekselberg
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/11/17337448/viktor-vekselberg-michael-cohen-trump-russia
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe@inquiline
Great piece
Great piece
Joe@inquiline The larger NPR stations will do just fine because they get lots of money from members and corporate underwriting, and they only got a small amount from the feds, and it looks like private donors will make up for the lost money. But rural public radio was much more dependent on the money that has been cut off.
Su_G@inquiline
What a great phrase: “the invulnerability of the truly grassroots”!! Think the concept has wider applicability, certainly makes me think… thanks!😁
What a great phrase: “the invulnerability of the truly grassroots”!! Think the concept has wider applicability, certainly makes me think… thanks!😁
gloria dei@inquiline Seems like a @mediaarchaeologylab thing
Wilson@inquiline I wish @garrett would come out of masto-hibernation and get in on this LPFM love fest.
Stella seven@inquiline yes it’s as so low