This week the total number of granted LPFM applications crossed 1100. LPFMs-to-be are already fundraising and making plans for their new stations. For example, in Portland, Oregon, Q Center’s station Wild Planet Radio, purportedly the “the world’s first nonprofit LGBTQ radio station,” is gearing up to get on the air, sharing a frequency with The Portland Radio Project (which Paul profiled last fall), according to Oregon Live. Amid all of the applicants, numerous schools, colleges, and universities are preparing to build new low power FM radio stations. Earlier this week I wrote about one of the high school applicants and in today’s LPFM Watch, I’ll give an update about the status of some of the college-based applications. I’ve estimated that close to 100 college-based entities applied for new LPFM licenses in the fall 2013 application window and so far there have been approximately 42 granted applications connected with colleges.
San Joaquin Delta Community College District in Stockton, California had its application granted on March 24th. According to its application (PDF), the district formerly operated a licensed 10 watt FM radio station until the school “discontinued the broadcasting program and closed the radio station in the late 1990s.” The application goes on to state that “a revamped and modified radio-television program was established at Delta in the mid-2000s” and that an online radio and television station exists today. Delta College Radio (aka Air DC) will soon be able to broadcast terrestrially thanks to the newly granted construction permit. On March 26, Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon had its application granted. According to its application, Central Oregon Community College reached a technical settlement (PDF) with competing applicant Everlasting Gospel Broadcasting Corporation. Both groups filed minor amendments to move to first adjacent channels. The station at Central Oregon Community College will initially utilize “a core of media students and media club students” as it programmers, according to its application.
A few colleges and universities had their applications dismissed this week, including Worcester State University (Worcester, MA), Manchester Community College (Manchester, CT), Lawson State Community College (Birmingham, AL), and University of Northwestern- St. Paul (Roseville, MN).
The recently dismissed application for University of Washington, Bothell was reinstated on March 25, following the filing of an engineering amendment. Northern Arizona University also filed an engineering amendment and is awaiting word on the status of that. To keep up to date on college radio news, you can also take a look at the College Radio Survivor archives. Most weeks I provide an overview of the week’s LPFM news related to college radio.
LPFM Watch is a weekly feature on Radio Survivor appearing every Thursday.
