Start a Radio Station – Choosing a Transmission Mode
Nov 06
bbc Radio Frequency broadcast quality, broadcast station, free broadcasts, transmission modes No Comments
To start a radio station, you first need to decide an appropriate mode of transmission. over here, explore the available choices and decide which mode best suits your requirements.
There are 4 primary transmission modes that you can choose from -
1. low power FM – A LPFM runs at a frequency of 500mW to 100W and is generally allowed to be used only for non commercial broadcasts. LPFM transmission are prone to frequency interference from transmission at near by frequency resulting in relatively poor sound quality of broadcast as compared to a full power FM broadcast.
Some countries allow free broadcasts while others require obtaining broadcast license and permits for construction of the broadcast station.
Pros: Easy and inexpensive to set up.
Cons: only suitable for non commercial purposes, poor sound quality, limited distance of broadcast (3 to 10 miles depending on the terrain)
2. Full power FM – A full power FM radio station is the most suitable for commercial broadcasts. the broadcast quality is impeccable as because of least interference from adjacent frequencies. the full power FM band broadcasts between 88.1 MHz and 107.9 MHz in the United States. this frequency may vary amongst countries.
Pros: Can be used for transmission from 10-35 miles radius. Impeccable transmission quality.
Cons: relatively expensive to set up. Requires licensing in almost all the countries and requires the services of inter disciplinary consultants.
3. AM radio stations – this medium is used to broadcast across large areas some times even covering several continents. For broadcasting over a long area, AM radio stations transmits at extremely higher frequencies of 1600 to 1700 kHz.
Pros: Long distances can be covered.
Cons: High interference of frequency hence poor quality of transmission, requires compliance to several cross border norms (if broadcasting across several countries)
4. Internet radio – Technically this is not transmission or broadcasting. It is rather called streaming. nevertheless it is the cheapest medium for connecting and sending your message to a large audience.
Pros: very cheap set up, can be set up in a matter of few hours, just require a computer, a fast internet connection, collection of royalty paid music, a few pieces of free or paid software and ideally a dedicated server.
Cons: Presence of large number of competitors, requirement of fast speed internet and computer at the listeners end, the ability to optimise the radio station for internet search engines to attract listeners and a cap on the maximum number of people who can be listening to your streaming at any point of time.
Conclusion
Given these choices, you just need to decide on an appropriate medium for broadcast and then follow a step-by step procedure for a few months time to set up a radio station
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