Radio stations clash as FM air waves jam

By ALAN PERROTT

A rapid blossoming of low-powered FM radio stations throughout the country has led to a record number of infringement notices and fines.

Seventy-two notices were issued nationally during the 2003-2004 financial year, says the annual report of Radio Spectrum Management (RSM), the Government agency which administers the air waves.

Auckland operators received 23 notices, carrying a $250 fine for individuals or $1250 for companies, and three stations were shut down after officers confiscated their broadcast equipment. Two licence audits ended in prosecutions.

The report expressed concern over the growing number of infringements and the associated cost of keeping the peace between non-fee paying, radio mavericks.

Infringements mostly involved operators breaching restrictions on transmitter power and range.

The report predicted such breaches would continue as long as broadcasters believed they could gain commercial advantage from increasing advertising coverage and revenue.

The biggest growth in LPFM stations has occurred in Auckland, where the region's 1.2 million residents can tune in to about 50 FM radio stations, including about 20 largely unregulated, low-powered stations which broadcast over a 10km radius.

Last year's rapid growth followed the freeing-up of new frequencies, which led to overlapping radio signals within the inner city and escalating threats among irate operators.

RSM Auckland regional manager Chris Brennan could not say how much the enforcement action had cost the agency, but said the time needed to monitor LPFM stations distracted staff from other work.

Most breaches involved broadcasters deliberately choosing to break the rules and required ongoing monitoring.

"We're dealing with an area where the technology is cheap and people are passionate about what they are doing," he said.

In August, a group of Auckland broadcasters frustrated over the feuding formed the Society of LPFM Broadcasters to arbitrate disputes and act as an advocate for the small community stations.

Society chairman Mike Baker, a former Radio Hauraki pirate who runs Devonport station The Flea 88.2FM, said the group was aware of the RSM's concerns, but believed the growth pains of the past year had settled down.

He said LPFM stations were important as they provided greater choice for listeners and filled the community-focused role abandoned by the large national networks.