New low-power FM construction permits continue to trickle out. One new one was issued this week to Nueva Imagen Community Church in McAllen, Texas. ‘Rocket Docket’ Resolves Contentious Philly MX The FCC resolved a highly contentious fight between two time-share groups for one frequency in Philadelphia, using the so-called “rocket docket” process intended to speed […]
Archive | LPFM Watch
The most comprehensive source of LPFM news is here every Thursday. Learn about the most important happenings in low-power FM radio.
LPFM Watch: A Real WKRP to Hit the Airwaves (but not in Cincinnati)
A holiday weekend made things even slower for LPFM, especially considering that the vast majority of applications have been processed. That means applicants are gathering resources, building stations and going on the air. One station that received some press this past week is WAYO-LP in Rochester, NY, which recently started broadcasting online and is crowd-funding […]
LPFM Watch: New LPFM for Brownsville, Plus the Diversity of LPFM Radio in Chicago, Wisconsin, and Nebraska
Over the past few weeks, one construction permit was issued for a new low power FM (LPFM) radio station. Ministerio Cielos de Gloria in Brownsville, Texas was granted its permit after several groups (including REC Networks, Prometheus Radio Project and Common Frequency) withdrew their objections and petitions to deny. Initially, these groups protested the application, […]
LPFM Watch: Prometheus Wins Grant to Create ‘Impact Maps’
One new low-power FM stations was added to the rolls this week, with a construction permit awarded to Generation Vision in Brownsville, TX. Prometheus Radio Project was awarded a $35,000 Prototype Fund grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The grant intends to provide early-stage funding for projects that foster civic engagement […]
LPFM Watch: AM Revitalization and LPFM, Firefighter DJs, and more news
As we reported earlier this week, the FCC just released its report and order about the revitalization of AM and its recommendations have implications for low power FM (LPFM) radio stations. One of the policy changes involves expanding the reach of AM stations through FM translators. This would lead to the opening up of an […]
LPFM Watch: 1 New Construction Permit; Hip-Hop LPFM Comes to Charlottesville
One more low-power FM construction permit was issued this week, to the Northside Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC, which will broadcast on 93.1 FM. In other LPFM news, C-Ville reports on a new hip-hop low-power station that went on the air October 5 in Charlottesville, VA. According to the article WVAI 101.3 FM Jamz will […]
LPFM Watch: New LPFM has interest in Historic Preservation and the Arts
I was pleased to see evidence of the growth of low power FM (LPFM) in the FCC’s latest quarterly update about the number of licensed broadcast stations in the United States. By the end of September, 2015, there were 1,364 licensed LPFM stations, which was 215 more than at the end of June, 2015. (more…)
LPFM Watch: First New LPFM Authorized in 7 Weeks
The first LPFM construction permit issued in seven weeks was awarded to Centro de Vida, Inc. in West Palm Beach, FL. This applicant had been in a two-party MX group competing for 98.3 FM. Centro de Vida was able to affect a change in transmitter site sufficient to move its signal out of the same […]
LPFM Watch: Putting the ‘Community’ in Community Radio
This week Radio World published an article about new LPFM grantees who are turning in their construction permits to the FCC because of any number of problems that interfere with getting a station on air. Funding–or the lack of it–seems to be a primary reason for many groups to throw in the towel. Of course […]
LPFM Watch: FCC Makes Decision on Group of Competing Applicants in Baltimore
It’s been nearly two years since the application window opened for new low power FM (LPFM) licenses and the FCC is still working through a few of the more complicated groups of competing applications. Yesterday, the FCC released a memorandum and order (PDF) in regards to the group of mutually exclusive applications in Baltimore, Maryland. […]