Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Wednesday, December 12, 2001 |
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What to do about unwanted radio signals in home? Wondering who I have to thank for recent problems with radio frequency interference out here at Gaelic Glen subdivision in Tyrone. Since October, I and other neighbors have had problems with WHTA FM 107.9 broadcasts coming in on our telephones, stereos, televisions, and computer speakers. This new-found culprit has been unrelenting and very disturbing, particularly when interfering with expensive electronic equipment. Do we blame the radio station itself? They are otherwise just trying to run a legitimate business within legal means. Do we blame Fayette planning and zoning for allowing a broadcast tower to be built so near a residential area? If the tower was taller, the station could cut back on their wattage but with zoning standards so strict as far as tower height, the station had to increase their wattage to maintain a certain broadcast radius. Do we blame the Federal Communications Commission who basically has a "hands off approach" in rectifying problems with RFI and leaves it up to the people having the disturbance to battle it out with the offending radio station? When is the last time you read the FCC notice on the back of your home electronics equipment? It has to be built to accept a certain amount of interference even if it causes such equipment to operate in an undesired manner. In other words, radio stations can intrude unwanted into our homes, but home electronics equipment had better not interfere with other devices. The station itself has been responsive thus far in bringing out various filtering devices but my computer equipment and TV still have problems. If the problem cannot be corrected, I would call on the county to allow a taller tower or have the station reduce their wattage or move on. Sounds unreasonable? Well, try enjoying your computer, or a telephone conversation, or your TV with unrelenting music and loud disc jockeys in the background. Wes Wilkins Tyrone
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