Radio Archives - Standards Michigan

Radio 300

“The wireless age has brought us closer together,

yet we must work to ensure that it does not divide us.”

— Guglielmo Marconi

“Mathematical Theory of Electrodynamic Phenomena, Uniquely Deduced from Experience.” 1820 André-Marie Ampère

When the electric grid and the internet are down and there is no cell service, radio can still work to help communities stabilize. Starting 2024 we will break down our coverage of the radio frequency technology standards used in educational settlements into into two categories:

Radio 300: Security and maintenance radio. These usually use a single radio channel and operate in a half-duplex mode: only one user on the channel can transmit at a time, so users in a user group must take turns talking. The radio is normally in receive mode so the user can hear all other transmissions on the channel. When the user wants to talk he presses a “push-to-talk” button, which turns off the receiver and turns on the transmitter; when he releases the button the receiver is activated again. Multiple channels are provided so separate user groups can communicate in the same area without interfering with each other.

Note that a core title in this domain — NFPA 1802 Standard on Two-Way, Portable RF Voice Communications Devices for Use by Emergency Services Personnel in the Hazard Zone — is part of an NFPA catalog reorganization. Best practice content will be rolled into NFPA 1300 Standard on Fire and Emergency Service Use of Thermal Imagers, Two-Way Portable RF Voice Communication Devices, Ground Ladders, and Fire Hose, and Fire Hose Appliances.

As of this posting APCO International has no public consultations on any titles in its public safety radio standards catalog. (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Standards Catalog)

Shawnee Mission West High School

The IT Law Wiki: Spectrum Allocation

Radio 400: Student radio. College radio stations are typically considered to be public radio radio stations in the way that they are funded by donation and grants. The term “Public radio” generally refers to classical music, jazz, and news. A more accurate term is community radio, as most staff are volunteers, although many radio stations limit staff to current or recent students instead of anyone from the local community. There has been a fair amount of drama over student-run radio station history; a topic we steer away from.

The Low Power FM radio service was created by the Commission in January 2000. LPFM stations are authorized for noncommercial educational broadcasting only (no commercial operation) and operate with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 watts (0.1 kilowatts) or less, with maximum facilities of 100 watts ERP at 30 meters (100 feet) antenna height above average terrain. The approximate service range of a 100 watt LPFM station is 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles radius). LPFM stations are not protected from interference that may be received from other classes of FM stations.

We follow — but do not respond — to consultations on titles covering the use of radio frequencies for the Internet of Things. At the moment, most of that evolution happens at the consumer product level; though it is wise to contemplate the use of the electromagnetic spectrum during widespread and extended loss of broadband services.

Maxwell equations: Four lines that provide a complete description of light, electricity and magnetism

We do not include policy specifics regarding the migration of National Public Radio beyond cultural content into political news; though we acknowledge that the growth of publicly financed radio domiciled in education communities is a consideration in the technology of content preparation informed by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

We drill into technical specifics of the following:

Radios used for campus public safety and campus maintenance
Student-run campus radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as Low Power FM (LPFM)
Facilities for regional broadcast of National Public Radio operating from education communities
Off-campus transmission facilities such as broadcast towers.
Grounding, bonding, lightning protection of transmission and receiving equipment on buildings
Broadcast studio electrotechnologies

Radio technology is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission with no ANSI-accredited standards setting organizations involved in leading practice discovery and promulgation. Again, we do not cover creative and content issues. Join us today at 11 AM/ET using the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

More

List of campus radio stations

International Telecommunications Union: News Magazine No.1 2022

International Electrotechnical Commission TC 103: Transmitting and receiving equipment for radiocommunications

International Special Committee on Radio Interference

NFPA 1802: Standard on Two-Way, Portable RF Voice Communications Devices for Use by Emergency Services Personnel in the Hazard Zone

Campus Safety Radio JVCKENWOOD CAMPUS SAFETY 5 TIPS TO LOWER COSTS

Discussion: College Town Drive Time Radio OR “A Half Truth is a Full Lie”

Radio Transmission Power & Frequency Allocation

Radio Spectrum for the Internet of Things

“Wireless Telegraphy” 1899|Guglielmo Marconi

Analysis of the FM Radio Spectrum for Secondary Licensing of Low-Power Short-Range Cognitive Internet of Things Devices

Derek T. Otermat – Ivica Kostanic – Carlos E. Otero

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Florida Institute of Technology

Abstract. The analysis presented in this paper indicates that the FM radio spectrum is underutilized in the areas of the continental United States that have a population of 100000 or less. These locations have vacant FM radio spectrum of at least 13 MHz with sufficient spectrum spacing between adjacent FM radio channels. The spectrum spacing provides the required bandwidth for data transmission and provides enough bandwidth to minimize interference introduced by neighboring predicted and unpredicted FM radio stations and other low-power short-range Internet of Thing (IoT) devices. To ensure that low-power short-range IoT devices maintain reliable communications vacant radio spectrum, such as the FM radio spectrum in these areas, will need to be used through cognitive radio.

CLICK HERE to order complete paper.

Duke University: Edge Computing

National Institutes of Health: Design of Edge Computing Online Classroom Based on College English Teaching

Falsus in uno, Falsus in omnibus

To what degree does the endless and, frankly shameless, on-air fundraising by an organization with widely tolerated bias constitute de facto political fundraising for the Democratic Party? In Southeastern Michigan — in less than a 50 mile region — you can hear the same NPR “content” from six different universities: Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Toledo, Detroit, East Lansing, and Flint.

There has been some relatively recent legislative proposals to restore NPR to its original charter of cultural content (music, book reviews, agricultural information, etc.) but these proposals never moved beyond the relevant committee.

NPR literally said “Federal funding is essential to public radio” on their own website (now taken down).

What hypocrites! pic.twitter.com/kYAXW0zpyl

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2023

NPR CEO Katherine Maher was a no-show at the House Oversight Subcommittee Hearing

This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.

The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election.… https://t.co/LliZF0po9t

— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 3, 2024

National Public Radio Inc | 2022 Tax Filing

National Public Radio | IRS 990 Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax

American Public Media Group | 2022 Tax Filing

“Hotseat heats up for NPR CEO Katherine Maher — and her life is the ultimate woke-elite bingo card”

National Public Radio follows guidelines and best practices when conducting fundraising campaigns, but they’re not so much strict “rules” as they are principles and standards upheld by NPR and its member stations. Here are some common practices and considerations:

Transparency: NPR and its member stations are typically transparent about their funding needs and where the money goes. They often provide detailed breakdowns of their budgets and expenses.
Ethical Solicitation: Fundraising efforts should be conducted ethically and in accordance with NPR’s values. This means avoiding misleading tactics and being honest about the need for funding.
Listener Support: NPR often emphasizes the importance of listener support in funding their programming. They encourage individuals to contribute at various levels, often with incentives like member benefits.
Corporate Sponsorship: NPR also receives funding from corporate sponsors, “but they are careful to maintain editorial independence.” Sponsored content is clearly labeled, and NPR maintains strict guidelines to ensure that sponsors do not influence editorial decisions.
Member Stations: NPR member stations across the country conduct their own fundraising campaigns, often in conjunction with national NPR campaigns. These stations rely heavily on listener support and may have their own guidelines and practices.
Regulatory Compliance: NPR and its member stations must comply with relevant laws and regulations governing fundraising, including those related to nonprofit organizations and broadcasting.
Stewardship: NPR and its member stations typically prioritize stewardship of donor funds, ensuring that donations are used effectively and efficiently to support their mission and programming.

While there may not be hard and fast rules for NPR fundraising, adherence to these principles helps maintain trust with listeners and supporters.

Swarthmore College Pennsylvania

My resignation letter to NPR CEO @krmaher pic.twitter.com/0hafVbcZAK

— Uri Berliner (@uberliner) April 17, 2024

To become a National Public Radio (NPR) member station or broadcaster, certain criteria must be met. NPR is a mission-driven organization that partners with independently owned and operated public radio stations across the United States to deliver its programming. Here are the typical criteria for becoming an NPR member station:

Nonprofit Status: NPR member stations must be nonprofit organizations, often affiliated with universities, community organizations, or governmental bodies.
Broadcast License: Stations must hold a valid broadcast license issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States. This license authorizes the station to broadcast on a specific frequency within a designated geographic area.
Commitment to NPR’s Mission: Member stations are expected to share NPR’s mission of providing high-quality, non-commercial programming that serves the public interest. This includes delivering news, cultural content, and educational programming to their local communities.
Financial Stability: Stations must demonstrate financial stability and viability to ensure they can fulfill their commitments to NPR and their local communities over the long term.
Technical Requirements: Stations must meet certain technical requirements to ensure they can receive and broadcast NPR programming effectively. This includes having appropriate transmission equipment and meeting FCC regulations for broadcast quality and coverage.
Membership Dues: Member stations are required to pay annual membership dues to NPR, which help support NPR’s operations and programming.
Compliance with NPR Policies: Stations must adhere to NPR’s policies and guidelines regarding programming standards, ethics, and editorial independence.
Community Engagement: NPR values stations that are actively engaged with their local communities, including through outreach, events, and partnerships with local organizations.
Programming Commitment: Member stations are expected to broadcast a significant portion of NPR programming, including flagship shows like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” as well as other NPR-produced content.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: NPR values diversity in its member stations and encourages stations to reflect the diversity of their communities in their programming and staffing.

Overall, becoming an NPR member station involves a combination of legal, financial, technical, and cultural considerations, all aimed at supporting NPR’s mission of providing high-quality public radio programming to audiences across the United States.

A significant portion of NPR member stations are associated with universities or colleges. These stations are often operated by the educational institution’s media departments or affiliated broadcasting organizations. They serve as valuable training grounds for students studying journalism, communications, broadcasting, and related fields.

While the exact number of NPR member stations associated with universities or colleges may vary over time, it’s safe to say that a substantial portion of the network falls into this category. Many universities and colleges across the United States operate their own radio stations, and a portion of these stations choose to affiliate with NPR to access its programming and resources.

Radio Transmission Power & Frequency Allocation

Pew Research Center: Public Broadcasting Fact Sheet

pic.twitter.com/OLgOHvTlma

— NPR (@NPR) April 12, 2023

Urban Dictionary: Affluent White Female Liberal

NPR names Katherine Maher President and CEO

Tucker Carlson: Radicalized NPR on verge of destroying itself

Congresswoman Tenney Moves to Defund NPR

Outrageous bias in the media: NPR “National Public Radio “

National Center for Charitable Statistics

H.R. 3410 Prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio

Multiple bills introduced in Congress to defund NPR https://t.co/FHUwd5nFDW via @dcexaminer

— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) April 24, 2024

“A half truth is a whole lie” — Yiddish proverb

National Public Radio (NPR) member stations are permitted to transmit from facilities supported by federally funded colleges or universities, as many are licensed as noncommercial educational (NCE) stations under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These stations, often operated by or affiliated with public colleges and universities, meet FCC requirements for NCE licenses, which allow them to broadcast educational and cultural programming without commercial advertisements.

Key Points:NCE Licensing: NPR member stations are typically licensed as NCE stations, which can be owned or operated by nonprofit entities, including public colleges and universities. These institutions often receive federal funding, and their facilities (e.g., campus buildings or transmission equipment) can be used for broadcasting.

Funding Structure: Stations affiliated with colleges or universities may receive funding from the institution, listener contributions, corporate underwriting, and federal grants via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Federal funding, while a small portion (e.g., ~10% of public radio revenue), is often channeled through CPB to support station operations.

Examples: Many NPR member stations, such as WBEZ (operated by Chicago Public Media but affiliated with educational institutions) or KUT (operated by the University of Texas), transmit from university-supported facilities. Approximately half of NPR’s member stations are affiliated with colleges, sometimes operating directly from campus facilities.
FCC Regulations: The FCC allows NCE stations to broadcast from such facilities as long as they adhere to noncommercial guidelines, prohibiting promotional advertisements for for-profit entities while permitting donor acknowledgments.

Impact of Federal Funding Cuts: Recent reductions in federal funding for public media, as reported in 2025, may strain these stations, particularly those reliant on university support, as budget-strapped institutions face additional financial pressures.

There are no explicit FCC restrictions preventing NPR stations from using federally funded college or university facilities, provided they comply with NCE regulations.

LIVE: WDBM-FM Student Radio 89 MHz

Michigan Central

Michigan Upper Peninsula | Michigan West | Michigan East

Michigan State University Infrastructure Planning & Facilities

Standard For Towers And Antenna Supporting Structures

LIVE: 91.7 WSUM

Radio

Standards Wisconsin

WSRN 91.5 FM

CLICK IMAGE to start stream

The “Worldwide Swarthmore Radio Network” is Swarthmore College’s official campus radio station. It broadcasts out of the suburban Philadelphia borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

Prior to the 1970s, WSRN operated as a carrier signal broadcast to the campus of Swarthmore College only. The station went on the air with 10 watts on October 15, 1972. Following efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to encourage as many Class D stations as possible to increase power, a campaign was raised by the students of the college, and in the late 1970s, the FCC granted a license for a 110-watt, directional, transmission.

Programming has been eclectic from the 1970s on. Station programming is diverse; music spans “world,” hip hop, blues, folk, rock, pop, R & B, and classical. Talk and comedy programs comprise much of the weekend line-up. Notably “Funk” which ran from fall 2012 to spring 2014 Friday mornings from midnight to 2AM.

In 1986, the main on-air studio was completely refurbished, with a new control panel, turntables, microphones, and wiring installed. 1998 saw the rewiring and modernization of the production studio and the construction of an acoustically isolated sound studio connected to the production studio.

Students have always manned the soundboard, and so, during most summers, the station is dark. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the radio station had periods of limited broadcasting. During the 2021-2022 academic year, a significant effort by students, faculty, staff, and community members was successfully carried out to get the station back up to an operational state. As of April 1, 2022, the station has resumed broadcasting.

Agriculture Radio

Standards Kansas

LINK TO LATEST EPISODES

We’re just around the corner from construction for the Ag Innovation Initiative, beginning the week of April 9th. Mark your calendars for Demo Day with the Deans on April 15th from 11 – 1 at the corner of Mid-Campus Drive and Claflin Rd.@KSU_Foundation pic.twitter.com/lpslWu8OwQ

— K-State College of Agriculture (@kstateag) March 25, 2024

Interested in becoming an Ag Ambassador? Applications for new members are open now and will close on October 4. To become an Ag Ambassador, you need to participate in the selection process on October 14 and 17. 🔗Apply here: https://t.co/RSZghreLpA pic.twitter.com/PY2RuBP0Xo

— K-State College of Agriculture (@kstateag) September 4, 2024

Kansas State University

Requirements for Hybrid Media Production

Audio Standards

National Electrical Code 2026: Article 640 Audio Signal Processing, Amplification, and Reproduction Equipment

Fire Alarm & Signaling Code

“Prometheus Bound” | Thomas Cole (1847)

NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code is one of the core National Fire Protection Association titles widely incorporated by reference into public safety legislation. NFPA 72 competes with titles of “similar” scope — International Fire Code — developed by the International Code Council. We place air quotes around the word similar because there are gaps and overlaps depending upon whether or not each is adopted partially or whole cloth by the tens of thousands of jurisdictions that need both.

Our contact with NFPA 72 dates back to the early 2000’s when the original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise began challenging the prescriptive requirements for inspection, testing and maintenance (IT&M) in Chapter 14. There are hundreds of fire alarm shops, and thousands of licensed fire alarm technicians in the education facility industry and the managers of this cadre of experts needed leadership in supporting their lower #TotalCostofOwnership agenda with “code-writing and vote-getting”. There was no education industry trade association that was even interested, much less effective, in this space so we had to do “code writing and vote getting” ourselves (See ABOUT).

Code writing and vote getting means that you gather data, develop relationships with like minded user-interests, find agreement where you can, then write proposals and defend them at NFPA 72 technical committee meetings for 3 to 6 years. Prevailing in the Sturm und Drang of code development for 3 to 6 years should be within the means of business units of colleges and universities that have been in existence for 100’s of years. The real assets under the stewardship of these business units are among the most valuable real assets on earth.

Consider the standard of care for inspection, testing and maintenance. Our cross-cutting experience in over 100 standards suites allows us to say with some authority that, at best the IT&M tables of NFPA 72 Chapter 14 present easily enforceable criteria for IT&M of fire alarm and signaling systems. At worst, Chapter 14 is a solid example of market-making by incumbent interests as the US standards system allows. Many of the IT&M requirements can be modified for a reliability, or risk-informed centered maintenance program but fire and security shops in the education industry are afraid to apply performance standards because of risk exposure. This condition is made more difficult in large universities that have their own maintenance and enforcement staff. The technicians see opportunities to reduce IT&M frequencies — thereby saving costs for the academic unit facility managers — the enforcement/compliance/conformity/risk management professionals prohibit the application of performance standards. They want prescriptive standards for bright line criteria to make their work easier to measure.

While we have historically focused on Chapter 14 we have since expanded our interest into communication technologies within buildings since technicians and public safety personnel depend upon them. Content in Annex G — Guidelines for Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings and Campuses — is a solid starting point and reflects of our presence when the guidance first appeared in the 2016 Edition. We shall start with a review of the most recent transcript of the NFPA Technical Committee on Testing and Maintenance of Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems

NFPA 72 First Draft Meeting (A2024)

Public Emergency Reporting Systems (SIG-PRS) First Draft

~~Public comment of the First Draft of the 2025 Edition is receivable until May 31, 2023.~~ As always, we encourage direct participation in the NFPA process by workpoint experts with experience, data and even strong opinions about shortcomings and waste in this discipline. You may key in your proposals on the NFPA public input facility linked below:

https://www.nfpa.org/login

You will need to set up a (free) NFPA TerraView account. Alternatively, you may join us any day at 11 AM US Eastern time or during our Prometheus or Radio colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the online meeting.

Issue: [15-213]

Category: Fire Safety & Security, #SmartCampus, Informatics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Joe DeRosier, Josh Elvove, Jim Harvey, Marcelo Hirschler

More

2013 NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (357 pages)

TIA-222 Standard For Towers And Antenna Supporting Structures

Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings

ARCHIVE / NFPA 72

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security

LIVE: Studentenradio Maastricht

Dutch student radios (known as studentenzenders or campus radios) are typically non-commercial, educational broadcasting initiatives run by universities or student associations. They operate primarily as cable radio stations (kabelradio) distributed via campus or university cable networks, rather than over-the-air FM/AM transmissions. This avoids the need for expensive ether frequency licenses and aligns with their limited, non-public reach. Over-the-air broadcasting is rare for student radios due to regulatory hurdles and costs, but if pursued, it falls under general broadcasting rules.

Standards are governed by the Dutch Media Act (Mediawet), enforced by the Dutch Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media, CvdM) for content and permissions, and the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur for technical aspects. For cable distribution, no broadcast license is required if confined to private/university networks, but equipment must comply with EU directives.