Who is IBS...how can IBS Membership benefit your station?
Who is IBS?
The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS), is your trusted and experienced resource for information, action and help.
IBS is a not for profit education corporation founded in 1940.
IBS serves not for profit education affiliated high school radio and college radio stations and streaming/ webcasters.
IBS has continuously served IBS Members for over 67 years!!!
IBS Board and national headquarters staff have over 1,000 cumulative years of radio experience ready to help you!
IBS is your trusted and experienced resource.
IBS has over 1,000 IBS Member radio, TV, and webcasting stations!!!
IBS Members represent 90% of all education radio stations and webcasters that affiliate nationally.
IBS mails monthly four to eight page color print monthly Newsletters to all member radio/streaming stations during the academic year.
IBS represents you in Washington, DC on Copyright and FCC negotiation and litigation.
IBS Washington, DC, legal team has offices right down the street from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and SoundExchange.
IBS hosts coast-to-coast radio conferences with over 250 seminars presented annually.
IBS Fall radio conferences have only a $25 per person IBS Member registration fee including lunch.
IBS gives YOU the BEST information and representation for LESS investment from you!
IBS hosts a giant international three day 72-seminar radio and webcasting conference in NY City every March for 67 years.
IBS Member first delegate is FREE to the IBS International radio and webcast conference, an $80 value!
IBS annually provides more than 250 seminars coast to coast to help you be your best!
IBS has world headquarters directors and staff ready to serve you 24/7/365.
IBS has over 30 local offices/local telephone service in most major US and Canadian cities.
IBS is close to most of you! IBS is your local helpful neighbor.
IBS offices and facilities have been in the same location for over 35 years.
IBS has full time Washington, DC based law firm representation for copyright concerns.
IBS is YOUR Voice internationally and throughout the United States and Canada.
IBS Board and staff attend major radio and webcast conferences (CMJ, NAB, NFCB, IRTS, RTNDA, BEA, Public Radio, etc.).
IBS will meet with you at these conferences to assist you with your concerns.
IBS is a member of and strategic partner of other major broadcasting organizations (NAB, CMJ, IRTS, BEA, NFCB, NPR, AIR, etc.)
IBS has consulting radio engineers ready to help you.
IBS provides free programming resources for you.
IBS Industry Associates provide you, the valued IBS Member, with special member discounts on services and equipment.
IBS is growing fast - JOIN TODAY!!!
IBS World Headquarters: 367 Windsor Highway, New Windsor, NY 12553 Phone: 845-565-0003 FAX: 845-565-7446
Coast-to-coast across North America IBS branch offices/local telephone service are closer to YOU! (see below)
| New York City: 917-338-7572 |
Boston, MA: 617-395-7993 |
Chicago, IL: 312-235-6566 |
Washington-DC: 202-465-4340 |
| Los Angeles, CA: 213-291-1634 |
San Diego, CA: 619-793-5246 |
Oakland, CA: 510-868-0892 |
San Francisco, CA: 415-738-0548 |
| Nashville, TN: 615-469-2400 |
New Orleans: 504-754-1346 |
Tampa, FL: 813-426-3642 |
Seattle, WA: 206-274-4668 |
| Philadelphia, PA: 215-825-5163 |
Indianapolis, IN: 317-536-2726 |
Dallas, TX: 214-432-7567 |
San Antonio, TX: 210-579-0596 |
| St. Louis, MO: 314-754-8447 |
Minneapolis, MN: 612-605-4429 |
Atlanta, GA: 404-474-8884 |
Detroit, MI: 313-281-4001 |
| Milwaukee, WI: 414-431-8178 |
Columbus, OH: 614-559-4614 |
|
Salt Lake City, UT: 801-413-2967 |
Go to IBS First Website Page - click here!
IBS - Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is a nonprofit association of mostly student-staffed radio stations based at schools and colleges across the country. Over 1,000 IBS member-stations operate all sizes and types of facilities including Internet - Webcasting, closed-circuit, AM carrier-current, cable radio and FCC-licensed FM and AM stations.
IBS was founded in 1940 by the originators of AM carrier-current campus college radio. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) has been continuously serving school and college radio for over 67 years. Originally, most of the interest involved exchanging technical information among colleges on this new form of transmission. As more stations became established and grew, the interest evolved to include management, programming, funding, recruiting, training, and other operational and creative areas.
Since AM carrier-current stations are permitted to carry commercials, a strong emphasis was initially placed on commercial advertising. Remember - at that time, FM broadcasting was not a factor so AM carrier-current stations were able to appeal more directly to those who had been listening to local commercial AM stations.
When the FM broadcast band was shifted to its present band (88.1 - 107.9 MHz), IBS people were active in efforts to reserve a group of frequencies specifically for noncommercial educational use. The result was the creation of the reserved band (88.1 - 91.9 MHz) where most noncommercial stations are now located. IBS was also active in convincing the FCC to establish the category of Class D (10-watt) noncommercial FM stations as an entry level. This encouraged hundreds of new stations to get started, most of them eventually increasing power to at least minimum Class A facilities of 100-watts.
In more recent years, when the FCC decided that bigger was better, (at least for noncommercial FM), IBS was the only national organization actively fighting for retention of 10-watt FM stations.
LPFM (Low Power FM) is the emphasis for new low power noncommercial radio. IBS continues to advocate for, just as NPR (National Public Radio) and NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) oppose the creation of more LPFM FCC licenses. Following the FCC recommendation, IBS believes Congress should eliminate third adjacent channel protection for FM Radio. This will allow over 2,000 more noncommercial radio stations through out the USA.
When restrictive rules threatened the future of carrier current stations, IBS, working with equipment vendors, got the FCC to relax the rules and recognize the importance of these stations.
In 1970s, copyright laws were changed to allow performing rights organizations to collect fees for noncommercial broadcast performances. IBS presented testimony which resulted in significantly lower rates for college radio than for any other class of broadcast stations.
IBS also filed detailed comments with the FCC on their proposed changes in rules governing underwriting announcements. The changes which were eventually adopted gave stations unprecedented latitude in the frequency and content of these announcements and encouraged new interest on the part of potential underwriters. We were first to file a Petition for Reconsideration which got the FCC to exempt noncommercial operators from the $35 fee on permit applications.
Anyone who's been involved with college radio can tell you that the needs, problems, joys and interests of these stations are often quite different from those of "conventional" stations. Our stations require a centralized information resource to help share ideas, information and solutions. Stations should not have to continually "re-invent the wheel" because of turnover. IBS can help new stations get established and existing stations in their operation, growth and development.
We do it with a combination of printed materials, responses to email, telephone/fax calls and mail inquiries, national and regional conventions and workshops. Beyond dealing with individual member station questions and problems, we represent the interests of our stations as a whole before the FCC and other governmental and industry agencies, organizations and companies.
The IBS Board of Directors includes a cross-section of respected industry professionals who contribute their expertise and experience voluntarily - much the same way most stations depend on voluntary participation. Let's face it: your station is different from most others. The constant turnover of people, limited budgets and the unique character of college radio stations require a unique organization to respond to those needs.
For college radio,
IBS is your trusted and experienced resource for college radio, high school radio, and education webcast.
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How can your station join IBS?
How do you get in touch with IBS?
Very easily.
Just get in touch with IBS via email, IBSHQ@aol.com, phone (845) 565-0003 or fax (845) 565-7446. Ask for a membership application form. Or simply send your dues payment ($95 for the academic year) payable to IBS and mail to:
IBS
367 Windsor Highway
New Windsor, NY 12553
We'll follow-up from there and make sure your station will receive the full range of IBS services being provided.
Be sure and send us your FAX number and IBS will immediately send you membership information.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions about IBS or if your station needs help with a specific question or problem...get in touch and we'll try to help.
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How can you start a new station at
your school or college?
Let's assume you're interested in a noncommercial FM station, since that may be the only realistic possibility for a licensed, on-air station without coming up with the bucks to buy an existing station. First, a frequency search must be done - usually by a hired consultant - to find out if there is a freqency between 88.1 and 91.9 MHz on the FM dial available in your area which could take at least a 100-watt station (minimum) without creating or receiving interference from other stations on the same frequency or those a couple of places on both sides of it. Now you know why you'll probably need a consultant to do the frequency search.
If there is no room left - and in many areas, there is no room left - your chances of getting a new on-air station are virtually none, except for buying an existing station - which usually costs well beyond whatever money you may have for this project. Then, your legal alternatives become an on-campus carrier-current AM, or cable FM piped into an existing local cable TV system or "leaky cable" which is a legal way of providing limited coverage FM. IBS can point you to more details on these alternatives.
However, if there IS a suitable frequency, you usually hire the consultant that did the frequency search to prepare an FCC application for a construction permit. Essentially, this says, here's what you'd like to build, here's the proposed programming, here's how much we estimate it will cost to build and run, and we have the money to do it. It takes some 9 to 12 months or so to get through the FCC processing. If it's clean (from an engineering/technical/legal point of view), you get a construction permit. That gives you 18 months to build.
You can then go on the air, but you must apply immediately for a license to continue to operate. The license itself is fairly routine - it's the construction permit that takes the real work.
There's a lot more to it than that, but these are the basics of the process.
If you're trying to establish a new station, you should also consider membership in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, IBS. We're a non-profit association of college radio stations that's been around for over 60 years and has helped hundreds of stations to get started and in their continued operation. Our email address is: IBSHQ@aol.com
There are a lot more factors to take into account. For example, will the station be licensed to the college or to another non-profit organization? Will it get free space from the college and operate like a student activity? What department will it be under - student activities or an academic department? How will it be governed and funded? Will it be open to participation only by students or will it also be open to community volunteers? What kind of program schedule do you propose? (Sketch out a sample week's worth). Can you operate during vacations and summer recess and if so, will you have enough people available to do it?
These are just some of the kinds of questions that will need to be answered. And there are a lot more details that we haven't gone into here.
Of course, hundreds of college stations have already done this, so it is not impossible. The biggest factor may be where you're located. In a major city, the chances of an availabile frequency are very low. Out in the rural areas, chances are better, but not guaranteed.
Again, for me help, get in touch with us at IBS.
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How can you increase your station's coverage?
If you've already got a licensed noncommercial FM station, and
you want to expand the coverage, the process is similar to staking
out a new noncomm FM. First, a frequency search must be done -
usually by a hired consultant - to find out if there is room on
your present frequency or, if not, on another noncommercial
freqency between 88.1 and 91.9 MHz available in your area which
could take your proposed power at the proposed location and
height, without creating or receiving interference from other
stations on the same frequency or those a couple of places on both
sides of it.
Again, things can be very tight and available space is hard to
find in many areas. But, if you do, you usually hire the
consultant that did the frequency search to prepare an FCC
application for a construction permit. Essentially, this says,
here's what you'd like to build, here's how much we estimate it
will cost to build and run, and we have the money to do it. If
it's clean (from an engineering/technical/legal point of view),
you get a construction permit. That gives you 18 months to build.
You can then go on the air with the increased facilities, but you
must apply immediately for a license to continue to operate. The
license itself is fairly routine - it's the construction permit
that takes the real work.
Remember, with FM, both power and height count. If you maintain
the same power but increase your antenna height above average
terrain, your coverage will increase. In fact, some stations have
actually reduced their power, but increased height to a point
where they get greater coverage at less power.
Again, IBS membership can provide some of the help you'll need
along the way.
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Contents of this site copyright 1996 - 2008, all rights reserved by the
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, Inc.,
367 Windsor Highway, New Windsor, NY 12553-7900
Phone: 845-565-0003
Fax: 845-565-7446
Web site design and content by
Jeff Tellis, IBS Vice President for Information Services
September 15, 1941 - - March 14, 2006
