Last week I wrote about the FCC’s decision regarding a group of low power FM (LPFM) applicants in Baltimore, Maryland and noted that two college radio groups will likely have their applications dismissed. Although not a college radio station, it turns out that one of the tentatively selected winners of a frequency in Baltimore has some plans to work with college students. According to the application for Center for Emerging Media (CEM),
…CEM has begun working with the Breaking Ground initiative at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, under which professors and students have already begun collecting the stories of working people in Baltimore. We anticipate that this low-frequency station would be a good training ground for the UMBC students to learn how to express these stories through media.”
Around since 2000, CEM was founded by a radio journalist “as a vehicle to produce educational pieces for broadcast on public radio venues, both local and national,” according to its application. CEM will likely share its frequency with United Workers Association and Benedictine Society of Baltimore City, as the three groups are the FCC’s tentative selectees. Read more about the ins and outs of the competition for a frequency in Baltimore on REC Networks.
In other LPFM news, Matthew shared some details yesterday about KFTW-LP aka “the Southside Pirate” in Fort Worth, Texas.
I was also interested to read that an existing LPFM high school radio station that’s been around since 2002 is changing frequencies due to potential interference from a full power station that wants to use its 97.7 FM channel. According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the Jackson Hole High School radio station in Wyoming will be moving to 104.3 FM. The article states, “‘Being a secondary service, it has to give way to a full-power station,’ said Bob Culver, who encouraged staff at the high school in 2002 to start the low-power station.'”
Finally, on Saturday, a new LPFM station, Lexington Community Radio, launched in Lexington, Kentucky. The Lexington Herald-Ledger reports that, “WLXL-95.7 LPFM founder Debra Hensley, insurance agency executive and former Urban County Council member, introduced the low-power FM broadcasting station at Fayette County Public Schools’ STEAM Academy on East Sixth Street amid bands playing and people taking part in scavenger hunts.”
LPFM Watch is a weekly feature on Radio Survivor appearing every Thursday.
