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The question is, what’s next for these networked radio repeaters.  You’ve likely seen the signs along state roads.  By tuning to 1610 AM on your dial, you can get alerts on any number of road conditions and traffic issues from Idaho Transportation Department.  Newer technology has, however, rendered the radio system obsolete and it has been shut down.

We could have mini-documentaries about our beautiful venues as well as stories about Idaho history.

I’ve got a call out to ITD.  It’s possible the frequency could be used for other emergency purposes.  Heck, there have been some rumblings out of Washington about closing down the entire AM radio band and transferring it to emergency communications.  This is because of all the new demands we have for electronic uses by the public and the squeeze on bandwidth.

I was sharing this story with Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke.  Like me, he has no control over the future of these low power systems but mused the signal could be used for other forms of public communication.

Not that anyone in state government wants to add another layer but I envision two ideas.  One would be community radio.  Split these low power transmitters up and let local towns broadcast meetings and information.

Or, have a programming goal where travelers can get all sorts of tourist information.  One of my former coworkers voiced a commercial for Southern Idaho Tourism.  It was so very good I sent it to friends all over the country.

We could have mini-documentaries about our beautiful venues as well as stories about Idaho history.  It would be one time production effort and then the stories could air on a continuous loop.

Just a thought from a history buff.

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