December 28, 1994


               COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATION BUREAU ACTIVITIES

ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

Officials from Saint Lucie County, FL, called the FCC's Vero Beach
office to report a serious interference problem affecting three
police  and local government frequencies.  FCC investigators
quickly determined that one of the police department's own
transmitters was malfunctioning in a way that produced a loud
buzzing sound on several frequencies.  Apparently, the problem
began when a new solid-state radio frequency amplifier and power
supply were added to increase its range.  The power supply was
replaced and the problem interference ceased.

SEISMOGRAPH INTERFERENCE:

The FCC's New York office received a complaint from the
Guilderland, NY, Police Department last week.  The police were
experiencing radio interference from an unknown source.  An FCC
engineer, using mobile direction-finding techniques, identified the
signal source as an isolated wooded area on Pinacle Mountain in the
Helderbergs Mountains near Albany, NY.  There, he found a
transmitter owned by the New York State Geological Survey.  The
transmitter was operating erratically,producing unwanted signals on
the Guilder police frequency.  At this time, there does not appear
to be a valid authorization for the seismograph station and the New
York office is still looking into the matter.

ASSISTANCE TO NOAA:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates
the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system of
satellites used for locating crashed airplanes and ships in
distress.  Last week, the SARSAT system was blocked by a signal
identified as coming from the Norfolk, VA, area.  The FCC was
contacted and a mobile unit equipped with radio direction-finding
equipment was dispatched to locate the unknown signal operating on
the 406 distress frequency.  FCC engineers identified the problem
as an emergency position indicating beacon aboard the USNS San
Diego docked at the Norfolk Naval Base.  The Navy is taking
corrective action.

                                  (over)
                                    -2-

EMERGENCY MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS: 

The FCC's Buffalo office received a all from the New York State
Emergency Medical Service in Syracuse, NY.  A frequency used by
hospitals to communicate with medics transporting emergency
patients was receiving severe interference from a strong signal
which also affected communications throughout a five-county area. 
After initial attempts by the licensee and their technical
personnel failed to locate the source of interference, FCC
investigators tracked down the signal to the hospital located on
the campus of Syracuse University.  At the source of the problem,
the FCC found a faulty control unit which was causing the base
station at the hospital to constantly transmit, thereby tying up
the frequency.  The licensee's service technician corrected the
control unit immediately.

$3,000,000 AIR SAFETY FORFEITURE:

Last week, the Commission released a NEWS Bulletin that culminated
an investigation of Centel Cellular of North Carolina by the FCC's
Norfolk office.  Last Spring, at the request of the FAA, the FCC
sent investigators to Centel's tower site near Greensboro Airport,
NC, and found that the structure had been constructed without
proper FAA notification.  The tower penetrated the "air safety
zone" of the airport and presented a danger to low flying aircraft
in the area.  The forfeiture notice allows Centel 30 days to pay
the forfeiture or to file a response showing good reason for not
paying.

                                   -FCC-

     News Media contact: Patricia A. Chew at (202) 418-0500.
     Compliance and Information Bureau contact: Jeff B. Young at
(202) 418-1176.