As of today, 1468 new low power FM (LPFM) construction permits have been issued as a result of the fall 2013 application window. As 2014 draws to a close, we’re hearing more and more about the plans for many of these new stations. In case you missed our other LPFM coverage this week, be sure to check out Paul’s piece about a new book about LPFM called Low Power to the People: Pirates, Protest and Politics in FM Radio Activism and Matthew’s post about a LPFM station in a former ghost town in New Mexico.
Latest Call Signs for New LPFMs include KZIT, WSAX, and More
On Friday, the FCC released its latest list of call sign actions. Plenty of LPFM stations are represented, giving us a glimpse of some of the chosen call signs for new stations. Some call signs of interest include WIWI-LP (Academy of Excellence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), KZIT-LP (SAM-SNO Educational Media in Olympia, Washington), WSHT-LP (Sabbath Inc in Indianapolis, IN), WUSS-LP (Salem Radio Inc. in Salem, South Carolina), KDOH-LP (Teshuvah International Ministries, Inc. in Golden, Colorado), WXOX-LP (Art x FM, Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky) and WSAX-LP (Semm Foundation, Columbus, OH) for a jazz music station.
Dismissals This Week
Some of the dismissed applications this week include LIBERTAD EN CRISTO (Huntington Station, NY) , AMERICAN CENTER FOR CIVIL JUSTICE, INC. (Rockaway Beach, NY), CURRENT RIVER BROADCASTING, INC. (Doniphan, MO), IPSWICH BAY BROADCASTING CORP. (Ipswich, MA), EVOLVEMENT MEDIA GROUP (Newburyport, MA), RADIO ELIZABETH, INC. (Elizabeth, NJ), NORTHERN NEW JERSEY CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING, INC. (Parsippany, NJ), CARILLON COMMUNICATIONS (Lorain, OH), ROOTSRADIO (Bakersfield, CA), and SALISBURY COMMUNITY BROADCASTING (Salisbury, NC),
New Construction Permits this Week to Churches, College, and other Community Groups
This week construction permits were granted to 10 groups, including:
Churches/Religious Groups:
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (Lorain, OH)
Calvary Chapel Morris Hills (Dover, NJ)
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn (Queens, NY): This group is in a time-share with the Global Service Center for Quitting Chinese Community Party, Inc. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn will broadcast on weekdays from 5am to 2pm, on Saturdays from midnight to 8am and from 4pm to midnight, and all day on Sundays.
Christopher Center Corporation (Fostoria, OH): This non-profit was formed by “local members of the Knights of Columbus.” It plans to air a Catholic talk format, airing mostly syndicated programming from the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network.
Other community Groups:
Current River Community Radio Foundation (Doniphan, MO): According to its application, this station will air locally programmed music, news, talk, sports, and public affairs programming. Some specific programs will include a “river report…hunting report…Sunday morning and evening gospel readings with local religious leaders…community round table…and a…local artist spotlight…” I was also interested to see that the station plans to air a “radio swap meet” during which “listeners can call in and announce their events…or list any items they have for sale.” I’m a big fan of these local swap meet shows (I LOVE listening to Trading Time on KZYX in Philo, California).
Newburyport Community Media Center (Newburyport, MA): This group already runs community access cable television channels under the name PortMedia. Additionally, it has an Internet radio station and with the LPFM station it plans to continue with a range of community programming. The station plans to air “…updates about the Council on Aging, specific art and cultural reviews and offerings specifically for seniors or low income, programming recapping the School Committee meetings and City Council meetings as well as other important meetings in the city…” Additionally, high school and middle school students will produce radio programs and hope to host “alternative music shows.”
Educational Lab Inc. (Brooklyn, NY): This group plans to air a variety of community programs, including broadcasts of school board meetings, health-themed shows, programs on crime reduction, and information about jobs in the area.
Rhythm Foundation, Inc. (Yuba City, CA): This non-profit is focused on “providing leadership in exploring and attempting to resolve social and cultural differences in society.” Its proposed programming “will be directed to listeners of all backgrounds and ages in an effort to instill a sense of harmony and cooperation among all members of the community” and will include “family development, child rearing, education, health information, and the social relationships of groups in society,” according to its application.
The Global Service Center for Quitting Chinese Communist Party, Inc. (Flushing, NY): This group piqued our interest because it was also an applicant for a license in Los Angeles, but asked for that application to be dismissed earlier this year. This week the non-profit was successfully granted a time-share license in New York (it will be sharing the frequency with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn). The group is focused on “multicultural diversity” and it hopes to “bring significant programming to under-represented groups in the Chinatown district of Flushing” in order to promote “the interests and needs of the Chinese language population,” according to its application. According to the FCC authorization, the Global Service Center for Quitting Chinese Communist Party will broadcast Monday-Friday from midnight to 5:00 am and from 2:00 pm to 12:00 midnight. On Saturdays it will broadcast from 8am to 4pm and it will not broadcast on Sundays. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn will broadcast at all other times, including all day Sunday.
Colleges:
Livingstone College (Salisbury, NC): According to its application, Livingstone College plans to “integrate the station into its curriculum” and “anticipates that the station will be used to teach its students communication, management, and technical skills.” The small liberal arts college has been in existence since 1879 and “is a private historically black institution” in a “Christian-based environment,” according to its website.
Radio Survivor reports on LPFM news every Thursday in our LPFM Watch feature.
