Stephen Dunifer recently sent out an e-mail titled “The Revolution Will Be Televised,” which said, in part:
Free Radio Berkeley’s engineering staff has managed to design and develop low power VHF and UHF transmitters by the creative use of off-the-shelf technology. So far, design engineering efforts have yielded TV transmitters capable of reaching a distance of 4-5 miles. Estimated cost for a VHF transmitter and antenna system with an effective radiated power of 75 watts is about $500, $700 to $800 for a system with an effective radiated power of 400 watts. For a UHF system, add about $300 to the above amounts. Coverage pattern is 220 degrees, not fully omni-directional. Further work is continuing on the development of antenna systems….
No doubt, the FCC, the National Association of Broadcasters and other entrenched interests will most strenuously object to Micropower or Free TV Broadcasting. What better way to respond to the latest media debacle involving Sinclair Broadcasting and the total propaganda environment that has been created with television media.
It’ll be interesting to see how this venture flies, since over-the-air television is not as ubiquitous as radio. It’s also a lot more work to produce live television than it is to produce live radio. Still you gotta dig the concept.
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