Music coalition takes on Microsoft, Google and pals

A coalition representing the American music industry has petitioned the FCC - with typically understated claims - to prevent exploitation of white-space frequencies, claiming that such use will interfere with wireless microphones. "The white spaces proposals being considered by the FCC could turn 'Music City' into a silent …

[Lukin Brewer]

Don't be so stingy!

The Yanks can have Lloyd-Webber until "Steamboat Willy" goes out of copyright. Everyone wins that way.

Actually, make that until "Snow White" goes out of copyright. Don't bother to thank us, American cousins, it's the "special relationship" at work.

[Steve]

Range & Use

Given that the mic only needs to be able to transmit the length of the venue, just crank the power and fuck anyone who complains. You're at a gig - shut up, watch the band and stop pissing around with your phone.

In this context, the mic transmission is the only "signal" and anything else is noise. If you want to use that frequency, go somewhere where everyone else in the room isn't trying to use it for something else.

[Pierre]

Mwahahaha

Good old music industry. "We're using these wavelenghts that have been allocated to someone else.Please prevent anyone else from doing the same." Next thing, they will ask for the TV station to stop emitting maybe?

[Anonymous Coward]

If it can detect unused frequencies

If it can detect unused frequencies, then wouldn't it be able to detect the use of other equipment, such as hospital gear and microphones?

Paris, because we can only hope her microphone gets effected.

[Aubry Thonon]

So let me get this straight...

An industry which is using a slab of "non-owned" wavelength *for free* is trying to stop another group from doing the same?

There's a reason companies bid for spectrum, people - you want exclusive use of a band, pay for the right.

[Derek Williams]

Actually we do pay for it

Every event has to licence the radio mics it uses - on an event by event basis..... A lot of people think this will only affect the theatre and concert industry - however this will affect all radio mics - from the corporate events launching whatever great bit of new technology - right down to the local karaoke - it's going to be painful

[Chewy]

Spinal Tap here we come

there'll be plenty of guitars smashed up if the music industry loses

[Marco van Beek]

Reply to Pierre (re Mwahahaha).

In the UK OFCOM were going to sell off a load of radio frequencies as part of the Digital Dividend. At the moment there is a band called Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) used by TV, radio and live music. Since there is no way that the UK event industry can afford the billions of pounds that is the going cost of a radio spectrum these days, it would have mean that no event in the UK would be able to use radio mics, in-ear monitors or walkie talkies for events after 2012. Not even the BBC. A lot of time an effort has gone into making sure that these frequencies are treated separately, but there is still a long battle ahead. You can read more about it here: http://www.beirg.org.uk/ and here: http://www.jfmg.co.uk/