All this week we’ve been dissecting the FCC’s newly released list of competing groups (MX groups) for low power FM (LPFM) licenses in the Midwest and Eastern states. Amid the 111 MX groups there are a number of colleges, high schools, school districts, and academies hoping to get on the air with new LPFM stations. As I’ve mentioned previously, there are around 100 colleges and universities that applied for new LPFM licenses. So far, nearly 50 of these applications have been granted.
Although many of the colleges still in the running for new licenses might be in tentative time share situations, a lot can change in the coming weeks as applicants file amendments to their applications. It’s also notable that quite a few of the applicants already run online or campus-only radio stations.
Additionally, an application for Bryant University (Smithfield, Rhode Island) was dismissed by the FCC this week because the school did not disclose that it had a pending FM application in Rhode Island (it had filed a Petition for Reconsideration for a dismissed application). It did reveal that it holds the license for WJMF. As Radio Survivor readers may recall, while Bryant University still owns the license for WJMF-FM, the frequency is being used by WGBH for classical music programming. Student programming airs online and over WJMF’s HD channel.
Here’s a quick look at some of the college and university-related groups in this new batch of MX groups:
Manchester Community College (Manchester, CT) – tentative time share with Society of the Missionaries
Morton College (Chicago, IL) – tentative time share with Sound of Hope Radio and Urban Media One
Benedictine University (Springfield, IL) – tentatively selected
Holy Cross College (South Bend, IN) – tentative time share with Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration
Kentucky State University (KY) – tentative time share with Woods and Waters Land Trust
Lasell College Radio (Auburndale, MA) – tentative time share with City of Boston and Global Ministries Christian Church
Massasoit Community College (Brockton, MA) – application was dismissed, but there is a pending Petition for Reconsideration
Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD) – didn’t qualify for a diversity point, so will likely lose out to others in group, including Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University (East Baltimore, MD) – tentative time share with 4 other groups
The Summit University Planning Council (St. Paul, MN) – tentative time share with 6 other groups
Livingstone College (Salisbury, NC) – tentatively selected
Atlantic Cape Community College (Mays Landing, NJ) – had a defective exhibit, may lose to others in group
Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (Columbus, OH) – application was dismissed
Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA) – didn’t qualify for diversity point, so will likely lose out to Berks Radio Association
Brown Student Radio (Providence, RI) – tentative time share with 5 others
Visible Music College (Memphis, TN) -tentative time share with Soulsville Foundation and the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music
WRVU Friends and Family (Nashville, TN) – tentative time share with 5 other groups (this group was active in the fight over the future of college radio at Vanderbilt University)
Rectors & Visitors of the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) – Likely to lose to Blue Ridge Free Media
Marshall University Graduate College (Charleston, WV) – didn’t qualify for diversity point, likely to lose to Partnership for African American Churches
To keep up to date on college radio news, see my College Radio Watch column every Friday. Most weeks I provide an overview of the week’s LPFM news related to college radio. Additionally, we recap LPFM news every Thursday in our LPFM Watch feature on Radio Survivor.
