New community radio station in the works
by Kootenai Valley Record
July 8, 2008
South Lincoln County could have a new community radio station on the air as early as this fall pending the outcome of ongoing efforts to raise funds for some needed equipment.
The Federal Communications Commission approved a license for the new station at FM88.9 this spring. The only thing standing in the way of full operation is the lack of a directional antenna and a microwave link to the Libby studio from the transmission site on King Mountain just outside Troy.
The directional antenna, required by the FCC to keep the station from overlapping into the coverage areas of stations on the same frequency in Missoula and Canada, is expected to cost about $4,000 while the microwave link would be another $3,000, said technician Rick Vogel. A group of volunteers working on the project in conjunction with the Troy Fine Arts Council and the Troy Area Community Association is seeking grants to fund the purchase of the equipment.
"Troy is very involved in this," Vogel said.
If money can’t be found, "Plan B" would require modifying the FCC license, moving the transmission site to Libby and operating with reduced range, Vogel said.
Tests indicate that with the 50-watt transmitter currently on hand, the station has enough power to clearly reach west to Moyie Springs, south almost to Highway 200, north on Highway 37 to the Fisher River, and nearly 30 miles southeast on Highway 2. But the station is licensed for 400 watts, and with another $6,000 invested to boost the power, the station could reach as far as Sandpoint and nearly to Kalispell, Vogel said.
Some of those working on the project – including Vogel – were previously involved with Libby’s other non-profit local station at FM105.3, KJRZ. Some of the same programs formerly carried on KJRZ are planned for the new station, and there are also some new people getting involved with some new programming ideas, Vogel said.
"We want this to be everybody’s station," he said.
Vogel called it "a miracle" that the group was able to find a clear channel and get through the normally laborious licensing process in such short order. The application was filed during a one-week window last October for full-power non-commercial stations, and after some potential frequency conflicts were sorted out, the FCC gave the green light in May.
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Editor’s Note: See the July 7, 2008 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Monday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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