I can understand the safety aspect of a building. However, some LPFM operators operate from a residential address, making a cheap $200 petrol generator work quite well for an emergency broadcast.

 

In the event there was a Civil Defense call out, this is what the Civil Defense recommend from their own emergency checklist under non food/water emergency items listed straight after a torch:

 

"Radio and spare batteries".  This has always been a highly listed item for people to have on hand.

 

I certainly wouldn't tune to a big network apart from National or perhaps talkback like ZB. I wouldn't expect anyone to be there anytime soon on any other networked station, especially if it's a regional issue and not nation wide or Auckland problems.

 

This is where LPFM would be extremely handy, and since it's a far more localised broadcast, and probably doesn't have the man power to deal with a Civil Defense event, it would make good sense to me if there was a policy that said where reasonbly possible, that and LPFM operator should be able to at least tune to the likes of National Radio or play a recorded anouncement stating tune to another channel for emergency information etc...

 

In the instance of a Civil Defense activation what happens, does Invercargill have their own FM broadcast facilities that have a fast response to going on-air for any Civil Defense information for those listening? If LPFM is required to broadcast contact information every 3 hours, then there should also be a Civil Defense plan in place where possible as part of the GURL in my opinion. Even if it's a requirement to switch off any transmitters if unable to provide any information as to not cause confusion of who to tune to in an emergency.

 

Gavin.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mike Bailey

To: LPFM_Radio@...

Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 8:27 AM

Subject: Re: [LPFM] Civil Defense & LPFM

 

As a member of the Invercargill Civil Defence rescue and responce team (and someone trying to set up a LPFM station down here!), I'll chip in on this.

 

In any event where Civil Defence is called out, I'd suggest taking your stations offline. This means one less room/building that is being powered in what could be an unstable building. Until your studio and its building has been checked out by a structural engineer and an electrician you have no idea what state the building or its power system is in. In these situations too, power supplies are regularly shut down too, rendering your station useless anyway.

 

The last thing you want to do in an emergency is dash down to your station (if noone is there) to change it across to National Radio after an event like an earthquake.
 

Anyway, thats my two cents. Good idea, but I don't think its practical.

 

Cheers

Michael Bailey
 

On 10/11/07, Gavin Stephens <gstephens@... > wrote:

Just on the same thought and hence getting around to replacing the subject;

 

We had a good length but reasonbly tame quake down here aswell with all these little shake ups lately.

 

I wonder if the best practice would to make sure an LPFM operator can take a feed of National Radio if they have reasonble means to do if still broadcasting? This would be providing National Radio provided the best response to both national and regional state of emergencies?

 

Has anyone approached other regional stations to find out who would be the best station to simulcast appart from themselves depending on their operation?

 

With national being carried on the freeview transponder now (although on Sky's service for a long time now), I wonder if taking a satellite feed from national would be wise in such an event. I also wonder whether it would be the first transmission medium affected. At a first guess satellite might be more reliable than electricity going out everywhere or optic cable being disrupted.

 

Just a few thought provoking questions, hopefully. I'm sure it's been discussed before but a topic that should pop up now and then.

 

Cheers,

Gavin.

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Gavin Stephens

To: LPFM_Radio@...

Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2007 3:53 PM

Subject: Re: [LPFM] Looking for half brother

 

That's about right.

 

Didn't someone mentioned at some stage that there was a consideration of re-evaluating the upper guard band? As in thinking of knocking back on some upper frequencies available for LPFM use?

 

I must go have a swat up on the M.E.D. site, I haven't been there for a while.

 

Just a thought, we had an automated emergency evacuation system go off at Rugby Park in Invercargill recently. I thought it was a civil defense siren going off since I couldn't quite make out the message from the other end of the city. 

 

At the same time emergency service vehicles were dispatched and they were dwarfed by this other siren. Turns out the emergency services were involed in a car chase that was unrelated.

 

However it made me re-think about the civil defense response system again in NZ compared with the likes of the EAS system in the states. How have other stations liased with civil defense in the possability that a state of emergency in an LPFM operators area should occur?

 

I wonder if the tri-opoly networks have policy in place for this aswell.

 

Gavin.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Ross Levis

To: LPFM_Radio@...

Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2007 3:32 PM

Subject: Re: [LPFM] Looking for half brother

 

Perhaps we are still holding our breath for the 1 watt increase and most have died!

 

From: LPFM_Radio@... [mailto:LPFM_Radio@...] On Behalf Of Gavin Stephens
Sent: Thursday, 11 October 2007 9:56 a.m.
To: LPFM_Radio@...
Subject: Re: [LPFM] Looking for half brother

 

Appologies LPFM'ers!!! I replied to the wrong email.

 

I'll get it right next time.

 

I've noticed the LPFM groups have been a little quiet appart from the occasion message now and then.

 

Cheers,

Gavin.