Will ZoneCasting happen here?

[CAwasinNJ]

In case you hadn't heard, the FCC approved the "ZoneCasting" proposal. What that means is that FM boosters will be allowed to originate up to 3 minutes of programming per hour.

The way the Salt Lake market is laid out it makes the most sense to try ZoneCasting using the Humpy stations' boosters. The idea would be that each booster could run separate commercials targeting their own local area so a business in Ogden wouldn't be advertising to listeners in Provo. The Ogden booster could run a commercial for an Ogden business while the Provo booster runs a commercial for a Provo business. I don't know how feasible it would be for stations on/near Farnsworth to add boosters to try this along the Wasatch Front, though they might try it for their Park City boosters.

All of this sounds good in theory. What I'm worried about is cross-transmitter interference. As they're set up now, it doesn't matter if there are areas where a receiver is picking up more than one booster or the main at a time. The main and boosters are in perfect sync so picking up multiple signals is fine since they will match perfectly. That goes out the window in ZoneCasting where the multiple signals don't match at all. Fortunately this is up to the individual stations to either do it or not. There was an interesting note in the FCC notice about the approval. Apparently there were tests done here in Salt Lake on KDUT several years ago. This is the first I've heard of it. Did anyone hear these tests? I'm a bit pessimistic about how well this will work out, though since it will likely only affect commercials I'm not sure many people will miss hearing them clearly.

So what do you think? Who do you think might try this, if any?

[kenglish]

Maybe a better question would be, "How can it be abused?" Sometimes, I wish the FCC had to contemplate those issues when changing the law.

[oldiesfunhouse]

As a listener, I'm not in favor of this at all. They've been doing it on internet radio streams for years. I find it irritating when I am listening to a station on the internet in another city, they go to break, and I hear Salt Lake commercials. Sometimes, the system isn't in sync and I end up missing some of the program I'm trying to listen to. I enjoy listening to the local commercials in an area, sometimes, particularly if I'm planning a trip there. But, sadly, the all-mighty dollar rules the day and, I suppose it always will. And, I guess, although it pains me, I have to thank this technology for streaming even being a thing. Not long after stations started to stream, some of the big companies pulled their internet streams because they felt advertisers should have to pay more since they'd be reaching a potentially worldwide audience. I think it was because of this "zonecasting" technology that the streams got turned back on. When I become a multi-billionaire, I'm going to build a radio company that has money-making as its #2 goal. #1 will be keeping formats like real oldies (icluding the 50S, adult standards, smooth jazz, radio theater, and progressive/hot talk on the air. But, since that doesn't seem likely to happen ... this is the world we live in.

[kenglish]

I hate that, every time I look for real estate in Grayland, Washington (a Mecca for DXers), I get bombarded by ads from St. George, Utah realtors.🙄

[CAwasinNJ]

I'm trying to think of ways this could be abused and I'm not coming up with anything. I'm usually pretty good at coming up with crazy ideas on how things could be done. What am I not thinking of?

OFH, ZoneCasting wasn't even approved until this week and has nothing at all to do with what happens on a station's online stream. They are two completely separate and unrelated things.

[kenglish]

I'm thinking of stations moving translators in Utah, to just across the line to Idaho or Nevada, then running alcohol or gambling spots that will be legal there, but are regularly heard in Utah.
Utah station, on a Wyoming translator, selling illegal fireworks.
That kind of stuff comes to mind.

[CAwasinNJ]

First off, we're talking about boosters not translators. Those are two different things.

Radio and TV stations are under the jurisdiction of Federal law, not state or local. That hasn't stopped local authorities from trying, such as the infamous Radio Free Brattleboro, but it hasn't worked. There are various state/local laws against piracy which are complementary to the Federal laws so they are unlikely to be challenged, but their actual legality seems dubious.

Advertising some product or service that isn't available in some jurisdictions happens already. You might hear a disclaimer in an ad "offer not available in all areas" or "offer not available in <some state>." I see that more often on TV.

[oldiesfunhouse]

Another phrase I've heard on commercials forever is "void where prohibited".

[amanuensis]

A few months ago, I tried to get in the drawing for a distant radio station's cash prize. I got a text message saying that my zip code was not within the required distance from the station. Which is perfectly understandable -- the prize money comes from the fees the station charges its local advertisers.

[kenglish]

I'm wondering how they will feed them. What is the rule on boosters? Do they have to relay the primary feed from OTA, or can they be fed by internet or something?

[CAwasinNJ]

A station's contest rules are separate from FCC rules. Stations must abide by the FCC rules that cover contests, but as long as those are covered they can do pretty much whatever they want. If they wanted to disqualify anyone with a Q in their name they probably could.

I think it's theoretically possible to feed a booster off-air from a primary but I've never heard of that being done. It would require a lot more effort than just feeding it some other way. Boosters are always on the same frequency as the primary. You'd have to shield the receive antenna and receiver from the transmit antenna and receiver. Considering the extremely tight timing requirements to keep everything in sync, microwave would be my logical first choice.