Re: [IRCA] FCC info on tone testers

["Craig Healy" <bubba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I was saddened, but not too surprised, to read this morning that
> someone was denigrating whoever inquired of the FCC as to the source
> of the tone testing that many of us have been monitoring.  The
> complainer's statements pretty well boiled down to the contention
> that we shouldn't be tattle-tails to the authorities who were, by
> definition, the bad guys, and that "anyway, no one was hurt by this."

That would be me.  When I mention to one of my fellow broadcast engineers
that I enjoy listening to distant stations, I often encounter a rolling of
the eyes.  It seems that the complaints that are issued by DXers against
IBOC/Friday Night Football STA/Interference/Non-QSLers/etc paint us as a
snippy annoyance in many eyes.  If you want to continue to position
yourselves in that picture, count me out.

PR is important.  Credibility is hard to accumulate.  If you want to
squander that with pointless complaints to the FCC and FBI, then go tilt at
the windmill.  Just don't do it as a DXer and cost us good will.

> First, I believe that the person who contacted the FCC was inquiring
> as to the facts as recorded, since we were assured by the member "in
> the know" who stated that everything was being done with
> permission.  Therefore, the FCC had to know and the individual
> inquiring was not acting as a tattle tail.

And if the FCC/FBI didn't know?  Would they still not be a tattletale?  And
when we were assured all was above board, what was the point of even doing
it?  Just to find where the damned thing was?  The maps clued us in to that.
Is it THAT bloody important??  Sheesh...

> However, IMHO, reporting
> potentially serious illegal activity is a basic responsibility of any
> and every citizen in a republic, whether it involves the airwaves or
> any other part of our society.

Potentially serious illegal activity...  That's your assessment.  Based on
what evidence?  An unidentified signal?  Did you think terrorists were
involved?

Basic responsibility...  And just where is that task assigned to DXers?

> And who are we, any one of us, to
> determine whether or not anyone was hurt by these surreptitious
> tests????  What qualified us to be judge and jury???

Judge and jury?  The complainers are the ones who decided unilaterally that
it was illegal, and therefore worthy of a complaint.  My position was to not
make noise, especially after we got a hint that it was a legal operation and
quite temporary.  Remember the story about the kid who cried wolf.
Credibility again.

> On the face of it, if I was a listener to KDKA on its southern or
> eastern fringe zone, I'd likely be mad and feel "hurt" by some
> corner-cutting corporate "citizen" who apparently didn't give a damn
> about the listeners, station owners or advertisers who were very
> likely hurt by these "harmless tests." What about the three stations
> on 590 that are rather close-in to the probable test site???  What
> about their rural listeners???

And the proper thing would be to contact KDKA and let them deal with it.
That's why they have lawyers.  Let the lawyers handle it and not make us
DXers look like complainers.

> Personally, I'm sick of both governmental bodies and, even more,
> corporate bad actors, who willingly stick it to the little guy,
> knowing that they can likely get away with it.  What is that famous
> quote about "The only thing it takes for evil to triumph is for good
> men to do nothing"???

Somehow I don't think the DX hobby needs to embrace a vigilante mindset.
Don't try to shift this to a larger political theme.  It doesn't fit.  If we
heard Al Qaida formulating terrorist plans, then by all means the
authorities should know.  But to call the FCC, FBI and other groups over a
simple temporary test signal is downright silly.

Contrary to the Stevie Earle song, the revolution does *not* start now...or
here...

You can have the last word.  Lynn and Patrick already spend way too much on
Rolaids.  And my tongue is sore from biting and holding back what I'd REALLY
like to say..

Craig Healy
Providence, RI

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