July 19, 1994


        FIELD OPERATIONS BUREAU ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 10


SECRET SERVICE INTERFERENCE:

Officials from the White House Communications Agency contacted the
Denver Office last Thursday to complain about interference in the
Denver area.  They told FCC engineers that communications equipment
used by Secret Service agents protecting the Vice-Presidential
motorcade was seriously affected by unknown signals on two
frequencies.  FCC investigators using direction-finding techniques
identified the problem as a common carrier paging transmitter in
Cherry Creek, CO.  The paging system license agreed to limit
operations for the duration of the Vice-Presidential visit.

INTERFERENCE TO FIRE FIGHTERS:

The Douglas, AZ, office received a request from the U.S. Forest
Service in the Colorado National Forest in Southeastern Arizona to
help them eliminate a communications problem they were having with
portable repeater stations they had brought into the area to
coordinate fighting wildfires.  The interference posed an immediate
threat to the safety of the lives of the fire fighters and, using
mobile radio direction-finding units, immediate action was taken by
the FCC to trace the source of interference.  

ABANDONED RADIO STATION:

Recent field surveys have indicated that many AM directional
stations are not properly maintaining their signal patterns.  As a
result, FCC inspectors have been randomly inspecting these stations
to encourage compliance.  Last week, the Dallas Office sent an
inspector to Denison, TX, to check an AM/M station and was
surprised to find that the station was operating completely
unattended.  The station did not change to its nighttime patter,
had no Disc Jockey, and no one  watching the EBS receiver.  Pre-
recorded programming and commercials were brought in periodically
by an employee, but the station had no telephone or apparent
contact point.  FCC inspectors finally tracked down the station
manager who explained that times were hard and he had to lay off
the station's employees.  A violation notice is being prepared and
further action will be coordinated with the Mass Media Bureau.

                                  (over)

                                    -2-

FCC ALERTS CUSTOMS OFFICE:

FCC investigators in Detroit passed along a tip to the Tampa office
that a shipment of illegal radio transceivers was being imported
through Jacksonville, FL, Customs Office.  FCC inspectors inspected
the shipment and uncovered approximately $250,000 worth of CB radio
equipment that had been modified to operate on several out-of-band
frequencies.  Additionally, Customs has issued a recall order to
the importer for an additional four shipments that had been
released prior to the FCC investigation.  The FCC and Customs
authorities are considering whether to have the equipment
destroyed.


                                   -FCC-

     News Media contact: Patricia A. Chew at (202) 418-0500.
     Field Operations Bureau contact: Jeff Young at (202) 418-1176.