More info on High-Frequency Trading and how DRM plays into the picture

 

Check out this article from Experimental Radio News. Benn Kobb offers the latest news and details on these mysterious HFT stations.

As the World ‘Turms’ by Benn Kobb

Reprinted here by permission of the author. Thanks Benn!

--------

Subject: As the World ‘Turms’

It would seem like 2021 would end with no FCC action on the three mysterious entities requesting licenses under the umbrella of International Broadcasting, but likely involved in sending private messages to trading clients in Europe and Asia.

In fact there has been action, of a sort.

Two of those applicants are still waiting to receive construction permits. The third — Turms Tech, part of Turms Holdings, a subsidiary of Emcor Securities of New York — already has a construction permit and says it has built a 10 kW DRM station in New Jersey.

Turms requested callsign WIPE. It is so listed with the FCC. Turms has no license to operate this station. Yet.

The FCC is apparently not clear about whether Turms intends to use WIPE for conventional broadcasting — you know, the only type of transmission permitted under the FCC rules for such HF stations.

Turms originally told the FCC that it will engage in “broadcast and data services” and “broadcast of financial, economic news and data through distribution of programs generally prepared on the basis of requests by clients.”

Clear as mud. If broadcasting business news on shortwave to DRM receivers is profitable, you’d think that WTWW, WRMI, WBCQ, WWRB etc. would have discovered that years ago.

And what’s that about “data”? The FCC rules are plain that HFBC stations are for broadcasting to the public. There is no exemption to that requirement whether the broadcast is audio for listening or data for decoding.

So to clarify the issues, on Dec. 3, 2021 five FCC staff members asked WIPE’s consulting engineer if he could answer a few questions.

He couldn’t, at the time. Quoting from a record of that online meeting: “The information being sought was clarification of certain general non-technical items that will be possibly proposed by the pending shortwave operation. These type of items or clarifications are not normally items that this [engineering] firm would be knowledgeable.”

Presumably after consulting with his client Turms, he later provided FCC with these answers:

– – –

Q: Clarification is requested regarding the audio and data content of the general service to be provided, if known?

A: Airtime will be sold to anyone interested in broadcasting his contents. Editorial line will focus on contemporary topics, no religious or political contents. More specifically the target we’re looking for is global news and financial information, CNBC style programs.

Q: Will encryption be used in the transmitted signal?

A: No encryption will be used, this is a general broadcast.

Q. Will there be a contract for reception of the signal required?

A. No contract will be required for the reception.

Q. Will a DRM receiver be required for either or both the audio or the data?

A. A DRM receiver will be required for both audio and data.

Q. Will the proposed transmitter site receive other international HF signals to be rebroadcast on the intended operation?

A. No.

– – –

The FCC’s question about contract is especially pertinent, as the FCC considers broadcasting to require no contract between transmitting and receiving parties. A private data operation would involve such a contract, usually for some kind of subscription or other fee for service.

So what should we believe? WIPE will not engage in private data communications, but will instead pursue a sketchy business plan?

On December 23, 2021, RF engineer Alex Pilosov submitted a detailed objection — his second — to the TURMS application. According to Pilosov, “the directors and officers of TURMS do not claim any broadcasting experience, but certainly have substantial business experience, and are aware of the business of trading and data transmission.

“What TURMS claims,” he told the FCC, “is that a company without any experience in broadcasting decides to construct the first International Broadcast station in 20 years dedicated to ‘financial news’ programming, and ‘data broadcast to the general public,’ foregoing any subscription revenues, but somehow able to recoup the setup costs by broadcast operations alone.

“The second possibility, apparent from digging into the facts and associated entities, is that TURMS instead lacked candor in its filings, and that its application for ‘International Broadcast’ is merely a pretext for private data transmission business.”

If and when WIPE goes on the air — on 9.65, 11.850, 13.720 and 15.450 MHz — DRM monitoring by the SWL community should help establish the facts about any possible encrypted or otherwise non-public, non-broadcast emissions from this station.

Benn Kobb

The "High-Frequency Parties" return!

You might remember our previous input on SWBC matters several years back. Now, with this pending application containing potentially "spurious emissions", we have decided to say our piece. We are known as the High-Frequency Parties, consisting of Benn Kobb, Dr. Kim Andrew Elliott and myself, Christopher Rumbaugh.

We're filing an objection with the FCC to an application for International Broadcast Station being proposed in Illinois. Do we want and support DRM? Of Course we do! Do we believe that latency arbitrage in International Shortwave Broadcast Bands is a deleterious intruder? You bet your sweet bippy we do! Read our take here.

Once again, antiquated rules are hindering radio technologies. In this case, latency arbitrage is certainly a reasonable use of radio waves - but it does not belong in-band with International Broadcast stations. International Broadcast bands are global-village shared public resources for the promotion of culture, ideas and mutual understanding - not encrypted financial trading data.

UPDATE 20200708 1830 UTC : Here is an article in Radioworld on the "High-Frequency Parties" objection filing.

Former FCC Chairman says "Let DRM compete with HD AM"

Former FCC Chairman Mark Fowler submitted his thoughts on AM Revitalization. See the article here. I think he is right, let the market decide! Even some tests without commitment to accepting the DRM standard would show good faith. Take a look at #drmlog tweets  and you will see both Shortwave and Medium wave DRM reports. India is the proving ground here. Current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has always told us he is for AM Revitalization. Let's tell him that DRM is the proven solution for groundwave AND skywave AM! Heck, tell him retired Chairman Fowler says "hi" too!

The "High-Frequency Parties" submit an FCC filing

I have ranted ad nauseum on this blog about needed changes to federal regulations about shortwave broadcasting. So with compatriots Benn Kobb and Dr. Kim Andrew Elliott, I have put my money where my mouth is - by co-submitting a filing to the FCC about updating said regulations for shortwave broadcasting!

Please enjoy it here. In addition, Benn has posted a FAQ to clarify the finer points of our treatise.

This is not a proposal, merely a response to FCC Docket 18-227 "Media Bureau Seeks Comment on the Status of Competition in the Marketplace for Delivery of Audio Programming".

DRM Recommends DRM30 for FCC’s AM Revitalization

The title has it! Read the Radio World story here.

Frequent readers of DRMNA will accuse me of being a broken record on this topic, but AM HD Radio is effectively dead. DRM30 is THE alternative that can survive skywave and revive the heyday of AM-blowtorch radio. Imagine stereo signals covering a third or more of CONUS! DRM30 can do it!

With huge night skywave distances covered and good fidelity stereo, AM could be fun again (like these "radiophone dancers" in Atlanta were enjoying in May 1920). Can you imagine what Wolfman Jack would think of digital stereo coverage via DRM30?

Music on AM via DRM30 could be a revolution.

NRSC - take a look at DRM for MW!

This Radio World article talks about the NRSC and their "impact". How about they check-out the impact of allowing DRM on MW in the USA?

In fact, this BBC study on Project Mayflower might just tell them what they need to know. Even at modest power levels, DRM works well and sounds better than AM!

This is one of many documents that plead our case - that DRM is the digital solution for the mediumwave and shortwave bands.

Let Radio World know what you think about DRM! Perhaps the FCC and NRSC will get the picture and allow DRM to be tested head-to-head with IBOC on the AM/MW broadcast band.

FCC asks about AM revitalization

Does one of the "better written" among us want to file a comment?
At least one of the current batch of comments discusses DRM. Let's add another!

Greetings IEEE Broadcast Symposium attendees

Welcome IEEE Broadcast Symposium attendees and thanks for stopping by drmna.info!

About us: We are a group of enthusiasts and specialists that recognize the value of the Digital Radio Mondiale technology and want it for North America. As the shortwave bands are abandoned by traditional analogue broadcasting, we see an opening for this excellent digital alternative. We'd love to have your insight and input regarding DRM in North America. Please take time to join the DRMNA Yahoo Group and read through the drmna.info posts. Be sure to check-out our Technical Bibliography too.

DRM offers improvements compared to traditional shortwave broadcasting including audio quality, stereo, image transmission, text and even video. DRM is a solution for end users as well as the broadcasting chain such as STL. Please look into the DRM standard and help us in our work to encourage the FCC to make changes friendly to the implementation of DRM in NA. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

[drmna.info IEEE BTS flyer (tnx guaco!)]

"FCC Launches Remake Of Radio Spectrum Technology"

Check out this article on the CommLawBlog.

Could this be our opportunity to comment on changing domestic SW Broadcasting regulations? What about opening 26MHz to domestic low-power broadcasting services? We will try and keep you updated when the comment period opens!

Let's change the domestic broadcasting prohibition!

If you are not already aware, the FCC regulations prohibit strictly domestic broadcasting by U.S. shortwave stations. Of course, this is an obscure and fairly well ignored regulation. Let's see if the FCC will take notice and consider changing this "Cold War" remnant! Join the crusade to change this at the Reboot FCC site.