Podcast #331 – New Low-Power FM Opportunity Coming this November
It’s been nearly three years since the FCC first announced that a new low-power FM (LPFM) application window would be forthcoming. Now we know that November 1 – 8, 2023 will be the third-ever opportunity for qualified non-profits to apply for a license. Jennifer, Eric and Paul review all the pertinent details, explaining why there […]
Why There Will Be Fewer Opportunities for New LPFMs in the November Application Window
Going into the 2023 application window for new low-power FM stations we are unlikely to see the kind of massive expansion of the sort we had after the 2013 window. That’s because there are many fewer open frequencies, stemming from the fact that there are simply more FM radio stations on the dial in 2023 […]
FrankenFMs Up for Final Vote at FCC
Today there are 13 FrankenFM radio stations broadcasting in the US. These are vestiges of the analog TV past, given a short term lease by the Federal Communications Commission, now with a chance at a longer life. Until July 2022 FrankenFMs were the analog audio signals of low-power TV (LPTV) stations on channel 6, which […]
New Opportunity for Low-Power FM Community Radio Stations Opens November 1, 2023
Though we’ve been waiting some three years, the Federal Communications Commission has finally announced the third-ever application window for low-power FM (LPFM) stations, running November 1 – 8, 2023. An application window is a set period of time during which qualified organizations and entities may submit their applications to get a broadcast license. The FCC […]
Princeton Review’s “Best College Radio Stations” List for 2023
It’s time for another (extremely belated) best college radio station list! Back in August, 2022, Princeton Review published its latest college guide (The Best 388 Colleges, 2023 edition), which includes a ranking of schools with the “Best College Radio Stations.” This marks the return of this annual list, which is based on student surveys about […]
Radio Station Visit #171: College Radio Station WSLC at Sarah Lawrence College
I felt nostalgia for so many different eras of college radio during a visit to Sarah Lawrence College’s student-run radio station WSLC in Bronxville, New York. Located in beautiful Bates Hall, built in 1928 as one of the college’s first buildings, the station’s large windows afford DJs fresh air and a view of the lush […]
Radio Station Visit #170: College Radio Station BSR at Brown University
Tucked away on the 3rd floor of the Campus Center at Brown University is a college radio station with a fascinating history. BSR (Brown Student and Community Radio) currently broadcasts online and over 101.1 FM in Providence, Rhode Island, with call letters WBRU-LP, but it is the descendant of likely the first AM carrier current […]
It’s the Final Shutdown for Ireland’s Longwave RTÉ 252
After being on the precipice of shutdown since 2014, Ireland’s long wave (LW) RTÉ 252 is finally leaving the airwaves on April 14. I was alerted to the news thanks to James Cridland’s International Radio Trends, and realized I had not given the station much thought since September, 2021 when it returned to the air after two months of […]
Clock Tower Becomes Radio Station Again at John Carroll University “Turn Back the Clock” Event
The clock tower on the campus of John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, has been unoccupied for more than 14,000 days (over 38 years), though once housed the school’s radio station. The station returns this coming Tuesday, March 28, for a six hour broadcast beginning at 6 PM EDT. WJCU 88.7 FM will host […]
Radio Station Visit #169: Bard College Radio Station WXBC
On a crisp November afternoon, I marveled at the autumnal beauty at Bard College in New York’s Hudson Valley. Bright red leaves clung to the trees within view of Ward Manor, a gorgeous 1916 mansion that is now a residence hall and home to college radio station WXBC. Tamar Faggen, WXBC’s General Director enthusiastically greeted […]