Online Forty Niner: v8n17: KBEACH fights for freedom

As an Internet radio station, KBEACH, Cal State Long Beach's Internet radio station is not obligated to follow Federal Communications Commission's regulations, but as a college station, they have to abide by the FCC rules, according music director Stacy Odachi.

"It's a big concern of mine because I'm so big on free radio and for radio democracy. " Odachi said. "The only rules that we have are that we cannot say the seven dirty words over the air. That bothers me."

Odachi wants KBEACH to have an open session from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. where they would just have free speech and be able to broadcast free materials.

"That's late at night, there aren't that many students on campus at that point. It's mainly for whoever's on the Internet," Odachi said.

But KBEACH, located on the first floor of the University Student Union, also has a low frequency AM station, which means they have to abide by FCC regulations like regular radio stations.

"KBEACH is primarily Internet, but what we also have a100 milliwatts AM station -- it might transmit up to 100 miles. You run into FCC regulations right away," said Fred Sanchez, director of administrative services for Associated Students, Inc. "If you are at that frequency and lower you don't have to have an FCC license, but you still have to abide by the regulations. There are no licenses available in this area for those stations.

"I don't even think they should put on the regulations. The only reason they have regulations is because we have the low frequency radio station," said Tommy Bakic, a KBEACH disc jockey. "I'm all for getting rid of an AM station. I'm saying wipe it out and doing whatever we want with the station."

The Obscenity Profanity and Indecency regulation (OPI) also monitors what broadcasters cannot say over the air, which includes the seven dirty. Anytime disc jockeys uses profanity on the air, they have to write the time, the host and the description of what was said.

Also, the station represents CSULB, which means it should serve as an educational function and be in accordance with the university's atmosphere.

Eventually Odachi said she wants to discuss these issues with the A.S.I. but there is not telling how they will consider it.

"I would talk liaison with A.S.I. and ask them if it would be possible to have an open time [on air]," Odachi said. "Hopefully we'll get a good response."

"If they go on the air they have to conform, but if they go on Internet they would not have regulations," Sanchez said.