KAMP fighting for chance on FM dial

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat JOHN PAYSON LEE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Justin Clifton, general manager of KAMP radio, stands next to its antenna on top of the Student Union. The FCC limits their use to 1/15 of a watt, falling far short of their 30 watt capability.

KAMP General Manager Justin Clifton yesterday said the student radio workers are optimistic about gaining support from Associated Students senators and officials.

Clifton called gaining ASUA support a "back-up measure," as KAMP employees plan to lobby the student body at large for support on the Mall with a petition for the Federal Communications Commission proposal.

The student-run radio station latched onto a January FCC proposal that would allow smaller stations to expand their broadcasting range. KAMP workers have been scrambling to gain support before the FCC's April 12 deadline for input expires.

The 1570-AM station can broadcast 30 watts, but uses 1/15 of one watt because the station workers were unable to obtain a FM frequency in December due to a lack of airspace, Clifton said.

About 140 of 800 colleges and universities that maintain radio stations are experiencing problems similar to KAMP's, said Michael Bracy, the Low-Power Radio Coalition's executive director.

Georgetown, Brown and Texas A&M universities are also investigating the benefits of low-power radio, Bracy added.

"We have to demonstrate (to the FCC that) people are interested," he said.

The proposal would allow smaller stations to be able to broadcast within a radius of about 8.8 miles, using 100 to 1,000 watts. Broadcasters could also save money by not seeking FCC licenses and expensive equipment with the low-power status.

An FM transmitter will cost KAMP up to $100,000 if it obtains low-power station capabilities, Clifton said. The transmitter's cost depends on the watt level it broadcasts.

The $1 per semester student fee that KAMP receives would cover the cost, he said.

But the federal proposal mandates that low-power stations cannot interfere with existing radio stations.

KUAT, the UA's public broadcasting service, would support low-power radio ventures if their frequency remains clear, said KUAT Director Jack Parris.

Parris added that stations who conflict with KUAT should be forced to stop broadcasting.

The FCC's main concern also stems from possible interference, said David Fiske, the commission's public affairs deputy director.

The chance of universities obtaining low-power radio stations depends on the number of existing stations and FCC licensing regulations, he said.

"In urban areas you may have less chance than in less rural areas because of interference," Fiske said.

But KAMP wants to obtain their own frequency and not encroach on KUAT, Clifton said.

"Our policy all along has been to obtain a station other than one of their three," he said. "We would never think about operating a station that interferes with an existing (one)."

If KAMP succeeds, it would broadcast from a new location after the station is displaced by the pending Memorial Student Union reconstruction, Clifton said.

The station broadcasts now through their antenna on the union's roof.

Learn more about KAMP, and listen to the station via Real Audio at KAMP's Web site.