There continues to be a slow trickle of newly granted low power FM (LPFM) construction permits this month, with 5 more granted this week. Additionally, a few applications were dismissed, including Greater Broadcasting Network, Inc. (Duncanville, Texas) and Iglesia Pentecostes del Principe de Paz (Grand Prairie, Texas). Also, a LPFM that is still fundraising in order to get on the air full-time is now in the midst of an emergency temporary permit so that it can report important news for flood victims in Texas.
New LPFM Construction Permits this Week
NICE Corp. (Boulder, CO)
Dallas Arts District Foundation (Dallas, TX)
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Household of Faith (Arlington, TX)
Extend the Dream Foundation, Inc. (Iowa City, IA)
Gilberto Sanchez Jr. Ministries (Brownsville, TX)
KWVH-LP Broadcasting with an Emergency Temporary Permit in Flooded Area in Texas
The Pacifica Network is reporting that one of its affiliate stations, Wimberley Valley Radio, received an emergency temporary permit in order to begin broadcasting over LPFM. According to Pacifica,
Over Memorial Day weekend, massive flooding devastated parts of Texas along the Blanco River, including Wimberley, Texas, where, as of June 9, nine lives have been claimed in the area, with two children still missing. Such a crisis presents the need for the transmission of reliable, current information to those undergoing the arduous recovery process. In the aftermath of the flooding, local internet station and Pacifica Affiliate Wimberley Valley Radio—who already had a construction permit and was in the process of raising capital to launch their LPFM—perceived this need. Under a temporary emergency permit issued June 5, 2015 by the FCC, the station will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 30 days, under the call letters KWVH-LP on 94.1 FM.”
The station is still fundraising in order to get on the air permanently.
WJJA-LP License Assigned to Southeast Kentucky Eco Research
As we wrote last year, Appalachian Media Outreach was granted a new LPFM construction permit in 2014 for a station in Renfro Valley, Kentucky. At the time, it already held the license for the southern gospel and bluegrass station WJJA-LP in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, so it’s not surprising that it is now divesting that license since it cannot hold licenses for more than one LPFM.
This week, the FCC granted Appalachian Media Outreach’s application to assign WJJA-LP to Southeast Kentucky Eco Research Inc. According to its application, “Assignor is the permittee of WKUR-LP, Renfro Valley, Kentucky…A condition in the WKUR-LP construction permit is the divestiture of WJJA-LP. The proposed transaction is intended to implement that divestiture.” The new owner is taking over the license “without consideration” and plans to air programming related to water conservation as well as “coverage of local public interest events,” according to the application.
KGIA-LP License Cancelled
Grand Island Adventist Educational Radio in Grand Island, Nebraska just surrendered the license for KGIA-LP on June 4, 2015. The Christian radio station received its construction permit in 2003 and aired syndicated religious programming from the Radio 74 network.
LPFM Watch is a weekly feature on Radio Survivor appearing every Thursday.
