In Southern California, there was some interesting LPFM news this week. Light Bringer Project (Altadena, CA), Newtown Pasadena Foundation (Altadena, CA), Side Street Projects (Pasadena, CA) and Razorcake/Gorsky Press (Pasadena, CA) filed a “joint request for approval of settlement” with the FCC, asking for the FCC to grant the Razorcake application for 92.7 FM and dismiss the others. The FCC has subsequently dismissed applications for Light Bringer Project, Newtown Pasadena Foundation, and Side Street Projects.
Although Razorcake/Gorsky Press is now the sole applicant for 92.7 FM, it is awaiting word on a Petition to Deny filed by religious broadcaster Educational Media Foundation (K-Love Radio) due to concerns over interference with one of its radio stations. Educational Media Foundation claims that a new LPFM on this frequency will cause “impermissible interference to KYLA.”
If Razorcake/Gorsky Press prevails, Pasadena could get a new LPFM devoted to punk rock music. According to its application, “the proposed radio station would center around punk music; the music itself, its production, fans, and common themes found therein. Furthermore, since punk has historically been concerned with social, political, and ethical issues, public affairs, talk, and political programming would be relevant and vital to the vision of the proposed station.”
More Scoop on New San Francisco LPFM
Last week I wrote about the newly granted construction permit for the World Peace through Technology Organization in San Francisco. Since it’s licensed in my home city, I reached out to them to see if I could get more details about their plans for the new 100.1 FM station in San Francisco. The group’s Communication Director Justin Weiner wrote back and told me,
The World Peace Through Technology Organization is excited about the opportunity to create a new radio station here in the Bay Area. We have a lot of planning ahead of us, so it’s a bit early to say anything definite, but it will be a great boon to our mission of inspiring peace through technology, media, education, and art. And it will give us a chance to showcase the great music and ideas that form the community of the How Weird Street Faire, San Francisco’s legendary electronic music festival.”
I’ll continue to follow this group’s efforts and hope to have more details soon.
Three LPFM Grants in Washington State, including existing online station Hollow Earth Radio
In Seattle, both Hollow Earth Radio (100.3 FM) and SouthEast Effective Development (105.7 FM) were granted construction permits for new LPFM radio stations. Hollow Earth (whose progress we’ve been following for awhile now) already operates a streaming freeform radio station that “presents a forum for underrepresented music, sounds and perspectives.” With more of an experimental music focus that many of the LPFM grantees thus far, Hollow Earth plays “found sound, field recordings, forgotten music, local musicians, bedroom recordings, low-fi demos, dreams, storytelling, and things that feel real.” The station also does some interesting events, including noise + yoga nights.
SouthEast Effective Development is a Seattle non-profit focused on “community revitalization through affordable housing, economic development and arts and cultural programs for Southeast Seattle.” Programming over its new LPFM is expected to “be geared towards the local area, including refugee and immigrant communities, seniors and youth”… with an “eclectic and diverse range of music, arts, stories and experiences from…more than forty different cultures.”
In nearby Tacoma, Washington, Fab-5 was also granted a construction permit for a radio station at 95.3 FM. The non-profit hopes to use the new LPFM station as part of its “urban arts education” projects. Fab-5 runs “urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different urban arts mediums (DJing, legal graffiti, breakdancing & the lyricists lounge)” and works with public schools, after school programs, and juvenile detention facilities.
Three Additional Grants to High School, Catholic Group and to Tenants’ Rights Organization
Millard Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska was granted a construction permit for a new LPFM radio station to be based at one of its schools. According to its application, the 99.3 FM station will be aligned with school curriculum as part of a Communications Career Academy and will “be used to teach its students communication, management, and technical skills.”
Community Alliance of Tenants was granted a construction permit for a new station in Portland, Oregon. The 96.7 FM station will be used to augment the group’s tenants’ rights outreach efforts.
Saint Joseph Radio, Inc. in Lewistown, Montana was granted a construction permit at 105.3 FM. The group plans to air Catholic programming, including syndicated programming from EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network and Ave Maria Radio. According to its application, the station “will also work with local Roman Catholic parishes, catechism programs and organizations to assist their educational efforts with respect to teaching of the Catholic religion.”
Three Dismissals in Minnesota, Atlanta, and West Virginia
Just three applications were dismissed this week. Upper Mississippi Academy in Fort Snelling, MN withdrew its application, Veterans Center, Inc. in Atlanta, GA was dismissed by the FCC because a study concluded that the proposed transmitter site does not meet minimum spacing requirements, and Tri-State Sephardic Center in McMechen, WV had its application dismissed by the FCC because it did not provide proper documentation of its non-profit status.
Radio Survivor reports on LPFM news every Thursday in our LPFM Watch feature.
