[grc] GRC 2016 Closing Note re: Detroit

[Michelle Bradley]

As some you may have noticed, I did not raise my hand on that vote to 
extend to Detroit at this time.  I want to explain my reasoning for this.

- Unlike other recent GRCs, the proposed host station has not covered 
their construction permit yet and that there is the potential the 
station does not complete construction.  This permittee is not eligible 
for any additional extensions after May 20, 2017.  A part of the modern 
GRC experience is to have a functional station so that can be used as 
part of the overall program.
- Out of the 889 granted construction permits that have not been covered 
for license, the proposed host station is the only one of these 
permittees that is under a special operating condition involving a 
directional antenna where the directional antenna is being used to 
decrease a contour (in this case, towards Canada). This permittee does 
not have automatic program test authority. Before this applicant can 
flip the switch, a site survey will need to be done by a surveyor which 
will need to be included with the license to cover.  There may also be 
some additional coordination with Canada required before the license can 
be covered.  Even though I would like to see a GRC centered around a 
barnraising, the best experience would be one that would involve a 
station that has automatic program test authority.
- A station that is still constructing or just after post construction 
will be focused on a lot of functions associated with their station and 
may have not established themselves in the community yet.  They may not 
be able to give enough focus on the planning.  Those stations should 
have their rep(s) attend a conference and then bid for the following year.
- As I have mentioned many times so far, Zac and Co. pulled through and 
did a fantastic job hosting us this year.  Despite the great execution 
of the GRC, there were a couple of miss-steps (most notably, the raffle 
of the quilt) that may have been prevented if the hosts of the 
conference had attended a previous conference or two.  We must keep 
traditions going and start some new traditions along the way.
- As I also mentioned yesterday, the safety of attendees as well as 
assuring that attendees are welcome, not just by the station staff but 
by the host city.  With that, any host city should be in a jurisdiction 
that has anti-discrimination laws at the state level or ordinances at 
the local level that specifically protects, at the minimum, sexual 
orientation _and_ gender identity in respect to housing and public 
accommodations.  Jurisdictions that have laws that specifically 
discriminate (such as North Carolina and Mississippi) should be excluded 
as a matter of principle in order to assure full diversity.  [note: The 
municipality of Detroit does have these protections.]

If WNUC-LP finishes construction and files a license to cover this year, 
then I am more likely to raise my hand, but if another established 
station comes forward, especially one who has attended previous GRCs, I 
must put my support in that direction, especially if it is a full-power 
(our last two were LPFMs, we need to make sure full-powers still realize 
that they are still welcome...)

Sorry folks, I am an analyst by trade... it's just in my blood. :)

No matter who does it and where they do it, let's work towards an 
awesome GRC in 2017!

=m




On 10/11/2016 5:09 PM, Danny via grc wrote:
> For many great reasons, Detroit would be an awesome place to host a future
> GRC!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grc [mailto:grc-bounces at maillist.peak.org] On Behalf Of Paul Bame via
> grc
> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 3:45 PM
> To: grc at maillist.peak.org
> Subject: [grc] GRC 2016 Closing Note re: Detroit
>
>
> Based on inquiry from Detroit, we agreed that Detroit WNUC-LP would be a
> great place for a future Grassroots Radio Conference, and that we might even
> be able to help build stuff or knowledge while at such a conference. When
> WNUC-LP is ready, we welcome their invitation on this list and connecting
> them to the historical memory and resources which exist.
>
>      -Paul (pablito) Bame, Prometheus Radio Project
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