Radio station licensing

Anyone know where I should start - who to contact etc ( and maybe the cost involved ) in starting up a ( VERY small ) radio station ?

I have gotten my hands on a card for a PC which can enable it to be set up as a radio station but ( before I get in trouble with the powers that be ! ) I would like to know where to go to sort out licensing etc.

  • very “in the dark” on this one !

Cheers.

[quote=“scott02”]Anyone know where I should start - who to contact … in starting up a ( VERY small ) radio station ?

I have gotten my hands on a card for a PC which can enable it to be set up as a radio station but ( before I get in trouble with the powers that be ! ) I would like to know where to go to sort out licensing etc.[/quote]

My guess would be the Ministry of Transportation and Communication.

MOTC
2 Chang Sha Street, Sec. 1
Taipei
Tel.: 2349-2900

Good guess, but I believe you’re mistaken. I think the proper agency is the Government Information Office (GIO), pursuant to the Broadcasting and Television Law. See www.gio.gov.tw

Radio and tv broadcasting have an interesting history in Taiwan, by the way, as a result of the 40 years of martial law and monopoly ownership by the govt and KMT. Many have broadcast illegally over the years and I’d guess it’ll be almost impossible to operate legitimately.

Check out Article 21 of the above law, that prohibits any broadcast which:

  1. is detrimental to national interests or national dignity (although most programming seems to violate the latter provision);
  2. contravenes the national policy of anti-communism and mainland recovery (ha ha ha);
  3. incites people to commit crimes or disobey laws (as if people need such incitement in Taiwan);
  4. is detrimental to the mental or physical well-being of children (so much for ICRT);
  5. impairs public order and customs (don’t criticize public nose or tooth-picking); or
  6. spreads rumors or false info or misleads people (so much for all the state-run stations).

Good luck. :sunglasses:

The MOTC and GIO both handle broadcasting, though I’m not quite sure what the line is between them.

Scott02, you should read the regulations issued by the MOTC’s Directorate-General of Telecommunications, esp. the [very long] Administrative Regulations On Amateur Radios.

What will you be broadcasting? According to the very long Administrative Regulations On Amateur Radios (thanks Cranky!)

Article 44.
An amateur radio station is prohibited from the following types of conduct:

9.Broadcasting of signals involving music, songs, whistling, obscene or indecent language or image, or quarreling messages.

There goes your plan for the “All-Whistling, All the Time” format. :slight_smile: Watch out for those quarreling messages, too. Luckily, the wife and I are not amateur radio operators!

Can you tell me the type of station you wish to start? I’ve done programming at two stations in Taipei and I maybe able to help you. Also, if you are talking about Ham radio operations I can help you with that easily. If you are interested in amateur radio information in Taiwan is not hard to find.I’m a US Ham Radio Operator and I’ve broadcasted from Taiwan stations. Take a look at ctarl.org.tw/bv5ya/english/index2.htm for more information.

What Scott02 seems to be looking for has nothing to do with amateur (HAM) radio. He wants to set up a station to broadcast to a general audience, on commercial frequencies (if I understand him correctly). Licensed amateurs are strictly forbidden from “Broadcasting” and are limited to designated frequency bands.

It has been some time since I looked into this, but I understand that foreigners are not permitted to own broadcast radio or television stations in Taiwan. That is one of the reasons the only (not so great) choice we have in English language radio is ICRT. I think Scott02 will be out of luck.

Back in the United States there is a law governing low power RF devices. As a general rule, you are able to build a transmitter that can broadcast in the AM or FM band that has a power less than 100mw, an attenna of no longer than ??? feet, to transmit no fathrer than (?)500 feet.

I’m a little rusty on the rules but Radio Shack inludes it in their electronic projects.

Now if it’s an off the shelf device… it would have an FCC sticker, like a cordless phone. The rules say that you may not created and must accept interference from the primary services on the band.

Too make a long story short. If you bought it off the shelf here… what is it licensed for?
And you’d want to check to see if the 100mw rule (FCC Part 97, I think) applies here in Taiwan. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

All transmitting equipment needs to be licensed by DGT, the local authority who assigns frequencies. They may also come and check if the equipment is within the specifications you provided when applying the (frequency) license.
There are also rules and regulations regarding the height of antennas and towers which most likley also require a permit for constructing them.

Where did you get this card? Can you point us to the web site of the manufacterer?

Are you sure that it is nothing but a low power no licensed required “toy” that will let you broadcast music within your house?

If it’s a legal product, it should have an instruction manual telling you the legal ways to use it in Taiwan.

I’m thinking of getting a low power transmitter to send my ADSL radio to other rooms of my house. I found a kit in the local electronic hobby shop. Am I right to assume if it is for sale, it will be legal to use?

Any advice?

Well, what about an Internet radio station like through

live365.com

No licensing involved!

Kenneth