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Inradio andtelevisionbroadcasting arimshot is a station that attempts to reach a largermedia market from a distantsuburban,exurban, or evenrural location. The term is primarily used withFM stations, and mainly inNorth America. The name derives not from the sound of arimshot in music, but rather frombasketball, where the ball hits the rim of the basket, and may or may not go in.
Rimshot stations are often at a disadvantage compared to higher-strength signals in a market. Many rimshot operators attempt to serve the larger market with a signal that has deficiencies in the intended listening area, especially on the far side from where it is transmitted.
Many (if not most) rimshot stations are "move-ins", having moved to about halfway between theircity of license (which they are legally required to cover and serve) and themetro area which they actually care about. In this manner, thebroadcast range of the station ideally covers both. Although stations have traditionally been required to keep their main studio in their community of license, this has become less and less meaningful as more and more have been grantedwaivers toconsolidateradio studios at a single location due toconcentration of media ownership.
In the U.S., it wasFCC MM docket 80-90[1] that allowed FM stations to have closer spacing, thereby allowing move-ins, and some new stations as well. This has generally been allowed, especially when it makes room for additional stations in outlying areas. In these cases, thetable of allotments is amended in arulemaking proceeding, although this is not always a requirement to move a station in most cases, depending on each particular situation.
On an international level, stations which attempt to serve another country are called "border blasters". These are primarily MexicanAM stations operating at very high power onclear channels to reach theAmerican Southwest and beyond viaskywave at night.
In Canada, theCRTC restricts most same-market duopolies in television to channels broadcasting in different languages. Hence, English-language duopolies in major Canadian markets have involved stations licensed to rimshot major cities or serve different portions of a larger metropolitan area (such asVictoria andChilliwack forVancouver,Hamilton andBarrie forToronto,Pembroke forOttawa andSherbrooke forMontreal).
