FCC proposal could limit KZUM plan
BY JIM ANDERSON
Plans for upgrading, or increasing the
power of KZUM-FM, a Lincoln radio station,
may be limited as a result of a recent Federal
Communications Commission policy proposal.
The FCC proposal deals specifically with
nationwide interference problems between
the radio bands alloted to educational (non
commercial) radio stations and channel six
television stations. A formula used in the
proposal would limit KZUM's upgrading to
100 watts. The station's management had re
quested a power increase from its present 10
watts to 2000, or from two to seven-and-a-half
miles.
Jim Skinner, KZUM's chief operator, said
radio stations affected are in the 88-92 mega
hertz range, the lower end of the radio dial.
Channel six television stations, he said, take
up the 82-88mh bands.
Skinner said the closeness of the two bands
represents poor planning on the part of the
FCC, which alloted them.
"They didn't figure that educational radio
would ever be very popular," Skinner said, "so
they didn't plan for any kind of guard bands,
which would safeguard against interference."
The FCC formula limits the maximum
power of educational radio stations based on
station frequency and the strength of the
channel six television signal. The weaker the
TV signal, the less power the radio station
will be allowed.
Using the formula in KZUM's case
produces the 100 watt limit, which would
cover more than a three mile radius from its
transmitter at 19th Street and Comhusker
Highway. But there is still hope that KZUM
can be as powerful as its management hopes.
Skinner said the FCC formula assumes
that filter traps, devices built into television
sets to screen out radio interference, will be
used. He said, though, that the filter trap re
ferred to by the FCC is a modest one which
cannot handle extreme interference.
"If what I call a 'high performance' filter
trap were to be used and a figure for it
plugged into the FCC formula," Skinner said,
"that could boost the (100 watt) figure by 100
percent-if they (the FCC) would buy that."
He is currently developing such a device,
which KZUM would make available to TV
owners if the FCC approves.
"Eighty to ninety percent of the interfer
ence can be handled by the inexpensive ($2 or
$3) filter trap. The 10 percent that isn't will be
taken care of by the high performance trap.
A bill now pending in the House of Repre
sentatives would allow the FCC to deal with
the problem more effectively. It passed in the
Senate last fall, as SB 929, but hasn't yet been
considered in the House.
The FCC has determined that TV owners
are partially responsible for the quality of
their reception and that it is up to them to
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GO
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EBRASKAN
Number 7 School of Journalism University of Nebraska
July 8, 1982
m&wm $ igtti
Photo by Tim Schaffert
Fourth of July fireworks light the sky at Holmes
Park. Thousands of Lincolnites jammed the park for
the fireworks show.
Storm watch
looks skyward
BY PAT MASTERS
No, tornado spotters aren't people who
lurk behind trees, hide behind bushes or just
stand around looking for tornadoes. They're
specially trained policemen and citizen band
radio operators.
A weather service specialist for the Na
tional Weather Service in Lincoln, Cliff Ken
nel, said that when a tornado is reported, po
lice verify if it touched down by sending spot
ters to the area. Lancaster County is divided
into 39 areas, each manned by spotters from
the Lincoln Police Department, the County
Sheriff's Office or by CB operators.
Spotters are taught through films and liter
ature to spot conditions that might be favora
ble for tornadoes. If conditions are right, tor
nado watches are ordered, Kennel said.
If a tornado sighting is verified, a warning
is given and the civil defense sirens are
sounded. The difference between a tornado
watch and a tornado warning is that a watch
means conditions are favorable for a tornado
and to beware and a warning means to take
cover immediately.
Kennel said the weather service receives
several calls from people who think they see
tornadoes every time the weather changes.
Of course, if a tornado is reported to have
touched down near Lincoln, the sirens are
aounded without verification, Kennel said.
The spotters aren't usuaally in any danger
because they know to drive at a right angle
from a tornado's path instead of trying to out
run it. Kennel said tornadoes usually travel
easterly and last about six minutes.
News director Don Wright said that televi
sion station KOLN-KGIN uses radar to deter
mine relative positions of storms and where
they are moving.
purchase inexpensive filter traps if they're
not satisfied, Skinner said. TV manufacturers
are also partially responsible for the quality
of their sets and should fit them with the
traps to begin with, he said.
"It has not yet been determined whether
or not broadcasters are at all responsible for
the quality of reception," Skinner said, "but
most are voluntarily doing what they can." He
said he personally agrees with the FCC
proposal.
KZUM management is currently drafting
comments on the proposal, which must be
submitted by the middle of August. Private ci
tizens are encouraged to comment as well.
Skinner said he's optimistic about the sta
tion's chances of eventually getting the up
grading that is wanted.
He is encouraged, he said, by the prospects
of the filter trap he is working on as well as
the bill pending in the House of Representa
tives. Ethanol plant
gets go-ahead
BY PAT MASTERS
Despite concerns of local citizens, con
struction in northeast Lincoln of a $27 million
alcohol fuel plant producing about 10 million
gallons a year may begin by 1984.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning
Commission recently voted 7-0 to recommend
to the city council that it let Nebraska Fuels
Corporation construct the ethanol plant at
8301 Fletcher Ave. The plant would change
grain into alcohol.
Commission chairman Bob Hans said pub
lic hearings will be held in July before the city
council considers granting a zoning permit to
the corporation. If the council grants the per
mit, then the corporation must apply for a
building permit and several other permits, a
process that will take about two years.
Mary Bell, president of the Northeast
Rural Neighborhood Association, said she
was concerned about sewage disposal, plant
fire prevention and offensive odors from the
plant.
As a result of the association's concern,
the commission added six conditions to the
permit. The conditions include waste disposal
stipulations, fire prevention standards, plant
waste water line construction, a dangerous
chemical listing and an engineer's or arche
tect's certification that alcohol spill seepage
won't contaminate the ground water.
Hans said if the City-County Health De
partment finds odors from the plant a nui
sance or obnoxious to the community, a pub
lic hearing could be held and more conditions
to the permit might be added. The health de
partment could close the plant, he said.
Sandy Nystron, manager of The Weigh
Station at 84th and Cornhusker, said if the
plant causes any air pollution then she is
against building it. The off-sale bar and night
club is across the street from the proposed
building area.
The president of Dobson Brothers Con
struction at 7845 Fletcher Ave. said the plant
shouldn't create any odor problems.
Adna Dobson said plenty of odors already
come from the soybean processing plant
Archer Daniel Midlands atJ8th and Thayer
and the new plant shouldn't be any worse.
"I'm sure the plant will be safe," said John
L. Hoppe jr., the president of John L. Hoppe
Lumber Co. at 75th and Cornhusker.
Softball players can improve
batting skills if they're cagey
'Butterfly9 graceful
BY MARK KR1EGER
Lincoln's avid softball players can now try
to improve their batting skills for the price of
ft Coke.
The Cage, 4835 Garland St., is Lincoln's
only softball batting cage. It features auto
matic pitching machines for slow-pitch and
fast-pitch softball all on a coin operated sys
tem. Jim and Lari Stopek, 911 Smoky Hill Rd.,
own and operate The Cage, which has been
open a little over a week.
The Cage is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
seven davs a week.
"It's all coin operated with 10 balls for 50
cents," Mrs. Stopek said. "The balls are
pitched every six seconds."
The Cage has helmets and bats available
for no charge if the customers need them,
Stopek said.
The Cage has six automatic pitching ma
chines that hold 450 balls each. They are capa
ble of throwing fast or slow-pitches. The slow
pitches have a high arc and travel slowly
while the fast-pitches have a small arc and
travel very quickly toward the plate.
"We have three set on fast-pitch and three
set for slow-pitch," Mrs. Stopek said. The
Cage also features a special team rate.
BY JEAN TIMMERMAN
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Repertory Theatre's cast of "Madame Butter
fly" accepted the challenge of a difficult
opera and carried it off gracefully.
The July 1 opening of the Puccini opera at
Kimball Hall was pleasant both to watch and
listen to. The opera was directed by Gregg
Tallman.
Costume designer Mary Byington's batik
looking, handpainted costumes and umbrellas
harmonized well to make an original Oriental
look.
Peter Schroeder, as B.F. Pinkerton, a liete
nant in the U. S. Navy, played the part well.
His actions, along with his physical character
istics, suited the materialistic Pinkerton
character.
Deanna Mumgaard, as Suzuki the servant,
added a sweet, personal touch to the opera as
she remained forever faithful to the es
tranged Madame Butterfly.
Cherie Carl, as Madame Butterfly, did a
magnificant job at one of the longest roles
wTitten for a soprano. Her powerful voice
carried well though it faltered on a few occa
sions. Ms. Carl never let the audience forget
that Madame Butterfly was alone, and no
body would be her friend since she had re
nounced her family and religion to marry
Pinkerton.
Robert Emile conducted the music for the
opera w ith his usual finesse.
The UN L Opera Theater carried off "Ma
dame Butterfly" professionally.