Sponsored by

LPFM ON FIRE
A Special eBook Supplement
to Radio World

LPFM 2015
By Paul Mclane

The expansion of the low-power FM service in the United States continues

apace, bringing a fresh injection of signals to the band after the recent FCC
application window.
Counting both original and new LPFM stations, some 966 are on the air now,
according to the FCC database, and another 1,571 construction permits have
been issued, with yet more to come.
Such numbers are impressive but dont reveal the breadth of new content,
program ideas and enthusiastic people behind the statistics.
In this eBook, Radio World hears from five of these new broadcasters. In Kileen,
Texas, a new radio signal will serve military veterans, families and their supporters.
In top-10 market Philadelphia, a nonprofit community media center has found
an FM frequency that covers half a million potential listeners. Down I-95, Radio
Newark plans to bring its unique programming about astronomy, chemistry,
engineering and other scientific topics to the dial. A local news organization in
Haverhill, Mass., has found another outlet for its content. And Ronald Reagans
boyhood hometown in Illinois will be hearing its own Christian radio station with a
strong signal in town.
(In an earlier eBook about LPFM, we reported on the outcome of the special
application window; we dug into the most interesting MX applications; we talked
with several managers of existing stations; and we shared
tips for newbies. You can read that here.)
Tell us about your own LPFM plans or success story.
Email radioworld@nbmedia.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
New LPFM Slated for Philly

Fort Hood Support Network

Moves Forward With LPFM

This LPFM Cant Afford

to Be a Plaything

12

LPFM Brings Christian Radio

to Northwest Illinois

14

Newark Science Station

Builds People Up

19
Cover art: iStockphoto/zirui01

LPFM on Fire

Radio World eBook

New LPFM Slated for Philly

PhillyCAM gets a slot in the countrys No. 8 market
By Ken Deutsch
Philadelphia is a big city with its share of big
problems.
According to drexelmedicine.org, these include
high violent crime and unemployment rates, a
school district in distress, rampant homelessness
and an HIV/AIDS rate five times the national average. Philadelphia also struggles with poverty; a
recent Philadelphia Inquirer story reported that
the city has the highest rate of deep poverty
people with incomes below half of the poverty
line of the nations 10 biggest cities.
Enter PhillyCAM. Philadelphia Community
Access Media is a nonprofit community media
center offering courses in filmmaking, TV production, acting and related areas. For the last
five years, the organization has also run the citys
public access cable TV channel, with a companion
live-streaming website.
The organization has received a construction
permit for a low-power FM station.
PhillyCAM is representative of the ethnic and
racial diversity here, said Gretjen Clausing, executive director. We want to add a radio station
that gives people an opportunity to have significant access to what they dont get in the mainstream media. Our goal is to support local artists
and nonprofit organizations, which is a real need
Gretjen clausing

Radio World eBook

Jennifer Walker operates the Broadcast Pix

switcher in the control Room.

in Philadelphia. Like our TV station, the LPFM will

be reflective of the needs of the city, and the idea
is to have people coming together to get an education, gain digital literacy and media training.
Also involved in the effort are Hawaii-based
consulting engineer Don Mussell (see sidebar,
page 7) and California lawyer Michael Couzens.
The existing building that houses PhillyCAMs
production studios, education and community
spaces has enough room for a radio facility. Equipment will soon be purchased or contributed, and
people will be trained. No call letters have been
granted as yet, and the station will probably start
life as an online entity before appearing on the
FM band at 106.5.
PhillyCAM had been part of a six-way tie among
applicants for this opportunity under the FCCs
point system; five other applicants were dismissed
in a batch in December by applicants requests,
in what appeared to be a negotiated outcome.
The FCC at first rejected its application too,
saying PhillyCAM hadnt provided enough information to qualify for a waiver regarding possible
interference to stations WISX(FM), Philadelphia

LPFM on FIre

Building Your LPFM Station:

Selecting the right equipment

One of the challenges in launching a new LPFM station is assembling a package of equipment that provides
the reliability and ease of use required for broadcast, but also fits your budget requirements.

Recommended Studio Equipment

1.

Microphone choose a directional (cardioid) mic. This will provide

better rejection of background noise. A mic without an On/Off switch
will help you avoid having the mic accidentally switched off. Your audio
board should handle the mic On/Off Function.

2.

Microphone boom arm for mounting and positioning your mic,

and isolate it from physical vibration and shock.

3.

Microphone processor a mic processor conditions your

announcer voice audio by giving it a consistent output, reducing
unwanted background noise, improving intelligibility, and creating the
most sonically pleasing on-air sound for talent.

4.

Audio Source Equipment CD players, portable music players,

turntables, tape machines, etc.. These will be determined by the various
media formats you intend to use for audio playback.

5.

PC - a PC may be used for playback of individual audio files stored on

hard disk. It may also be used in conjunction with automation software
for playback of multiple audio files controlled by a schedule (playlist).

6.

Monitor Speakers a good set of stereo speakers will work for

this, though you may want to look into speakers specifically designed
for this task. They are usually listed as Studio Monitors. Near field
designs can be very compact and accurate.

7.

Headphones look for the closed ear variety. This eliminates

bleed into open microphones. Also look for headphones with 1/4 plugs
your audio board will most likely have a 1/4 headphone output.

8.

Audio Board (Console) the most critical piece of gear in your

studio. The console mixes all your sources (mic, CD Players, PC, remote
feeds, etc.) to create the program output that is sent to your on-air
processing and transmitter. (See sidebar on facing page to learn why
youd want a broadcast console instead of a pro-sound mixer.)

9.

EAS decoder you will be required to rebroadcast emergency

alerts you get from the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS decoder
receives these alerts for rebroadcast.

10. Phone Hybrid a phone hybrid separates incoming audio (the

caller) from outgoing audio (the in studio talent). When these signals are
separate you can ensure that caller audio is not sent back to the caller.
Broadcast audio consoles can create this return signal (called mix-minus
the program mix minus the caller audio).
11. FM Receiver / Modulation Monitor the Mod Monitor helps
you make sure you are not modulating above FCC limits. Most Mod
Monitors also have an audio output that can be used as your off air
audio monitor. Your transmitter may have a deviation meter. If so it may
be adequate for mod monitor use, in which case youll need an FM tuner
for off air monitoring. PLL varieties that stay locked on frequency are
best.

Recommended Transmission Equipment

1.

On Air Processor your on-air processor conditions your final

program output before it is sent to the transmitter. It determines your
overall station sound and allows you to broadcast the loudest, cleanest
signal without overmodulating. It also contains a stereo generator to
produce the composite signal required by your transmitter for FM Stereo
broadcast.

2.

FM Exciter/Transmitter depending on your antenna type and

height above average terrain (HAAT) youll typically need a 100 to 200
watt exciter/transmitter.

3.

Antenna your dealer for RF equipment can help you choose a

suitable antenna. Polarization and the number of bays are variables in
this decision.

4.

Tower or mast various options here include leasing space on an

existing tower, mounting your antenna on an existing structure (such as
a church steeple), or building your own dedicated tower. Your RF dealer
can advise you here as well.

5.

Studio to Transmitter Link (STL) if your transmitter is

in the same building as your studio or in near proximity you can use
a balanced audio connection. For longer distances you can look at
microwave links, unlicensed wireless Internet radios, or streaming over
public Internet using a pair of codecs.

6.

Cables and Connectors in addition to the audio cabling

required you will need good low attenuation coax cable to connect your
transmitter/exciter to the antenna.

LPFM Interface Flowchart

Audio
Console

Control
Room
Speaker

Control
Room
Speaker

Headphones
Microphone
EAS Unit
Program Output

Mic Processor
Modulation Monitor
External Monitor In

USB

Send

Antenna/
Tower

Receive

Automation PC

Phone Hybrid and Handset

Coax

CD Player

On Air Processor
FM Exciter/Transmitter

Why Use a RADIO Console

Instead of a Regular Music
Store Mixer?

THE 2015
WHEATSTONE & AUDIOARTS
LPFM ALL STAR TEAM

A real broadcast board will offer speaker muting that

mutes your monitor speakers when your mic is on,
eliminating the possibility of feedback.
It will provide a means of controlling an On Air Tally
(light) to alert others that you are currently on air with a
live mic.
It will give you two PGM busses as a straightforward way
to output programming to air and streaming, and provide
logic associated with the channel ON/OFF circuitry that
allows for start/stop control of external devices.
The console should not have numerous knobs and
controls for unneeded functions, typical of many music
store mixers. Too many controls provide opportunities to
do harm to your program!
The console is also the most heavily used piece of
equipment you will own, so reliability and build quality
are of utmost importance.

For over 35 years, weve

been building the equipment
that broadcasters, large and
small, depend on every day.
Please visit lowpwrfm.com
to learn more
Going to NAB 2015? See Wheatstone at Booth C755!

BROADCAST AUDIO PERFECTIONISTS

phone 1.252.638-7000 | wheatstone.com | sales@wheatstone.com

the exterior of the

PhillycaM building at
699 Ranstead street,
Philadelphia.

and WLTW(FM), Camden, N.J., formerly WWIQ.

Those are on second-adjacent FM frequencies.
PhillyCAM then revised its planned transmitter
location in a petition for reconsideration. The new
antenna site is atop a six-story office building at
444 North 3rd Street about 10 blocks from PhillyCAM headquarters. According to an engineering
exhibit filed with the FCC by consulting engineer
Donald E. Mussell Jr., the signal footprint will cover an estimated 561,000 persons at the planned
90 watts of power.

We want to add a radio station

that gives people an opportunity to have significant access
to what they dont get in the
mainstream media.
Gretjen Clausing

LPFM on Fire

Music anD talK

The Prometheus Radio Project is supporting
the effort, offering encouragement and technical expertise.
The activist group has been a prominent LPFM
advocate since launch of the service, with a stated
goal to free the airwaves from corporate control. It pursues its mission in places such as Immokalee, Fla., where the Coalition of Immokalee
Workers broadcasts in five languages to help organize immigrant farm workers and assist them
in getting higher wages and better
working conditions in the fields; and
in Opelousas, La., where it helped
a station that is run by an AfricanAmerican community development
organization. The latter entity sponsors agriculture programs, leases land
to farmers and preserves the regions
heritage of zydeco music on the airwaves.
The Prometheus Radio Project has
not given us any money, said Clausing, but they have been very generous with their advice. We are a subscriber to their Torchlight service that
keeps an eye on our application and
gives us alerts if things happen.
When PhillyCAMs LPFM hits the
air, what will it do for its community?
Itll be a combination of talk and

Radio World eBook

music, based on where we see the energy of our

producers going, said Clausing. We have a tremendously diverse music scene here, and I want
to feature home-grown musicians of all different
genres, as well as people from the poetry community. And of course, well have a lot of community
news, but not just studio talk. Radio producers will
be out in the field creating documentaries.
Because a large portion of Philadelphia is nonwhite, the content on this LPFM will reflect this
diversity.
If you look at the ownership of stations here,
theres a lack of representation of people of color,
said Clausing. We want to hear from all those different perspectives. For example, one PhillyCAM
television producer tells stories from the Indonesian community and is interested in creating work
for the new radio station. Over 50 percent of our
producers represent the large African-American
community. Theres also a wonderful, rich and
deep history of innovators here in Philly representing places such as Liberia, Cambodia, Mexico
and Puerto Rico.
Clausing also looks forward to bringing some
surprises to the Philadelphia audience.
Youll discover new things because the stations programming will expose you to ideas you
normally wouldnt be seeking. Radio helps build
communities where you can learn more.
Ken Deutsch is entering his 30th year of writing
for Radio World and its sister publications. l
PhillycaM members salima hakeem, Mike
Pleasant, Jim Brossy and Bintu Kaaba are interviewed by lynn Washington in the Main studio.

Radio World eBook

Viable, Alternative
A few words with Don Mussell, PhillyCAM consulting engineer.
How did you manage to
wedge another station
into the Philly market?
The LPFM rules allow
for a second adjacent
waiver for overlap, as
long as no population is
affected. That was the
case in Philadelphia and
other large cities across
the country. I simply
looked for openings in
the allocations, and researched the possibilities. I found a number of
channels in Philadelphia, and the one chosen was
decided by the applicant as the most desirable
on the basis of incoming interference potential.
Were you involved in other engineering projects
for this client, or was this the first?
During this window, I was involved in a number
of LPFM applications across the mainland U.S., as
well as Hawaii. This was the only proposal done
by PhillyCAM. I had not worked with them previously.
What is your general feeling about LPFMs?
The FCC rules allow them, so they have as much
right to apply as any other permitted radio service. In some cases, the LPFM process is the last
viable means for an alternative radio service
in many locations. I am
well aware of the opposition of many other
interests, but the FCC
felt that the public benefits outweighed their
objections, and the FCC
allowed for this new service. I am happy to be of
service in this regard.

LPFM on FIre

Fort Hood Support Network

Moves Forward With LPFM
Veterans organization changes tactics
to better serve community

Veterans attend an event at under the hood.

Malachi Muncy stands in the doorway.

By Paul RiisManDel
Radio by and for military veterans, families and
supporters is coming to Killeen, Texas, and the
Fort Hood Army base.
A low-power FM construction permit was recently awarded to the Fort Hood Support Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 2008
to provide third-party mental health and legal resources to veterans.
From 2009, FHSNs main project was the Under
the Hood Caf and Outreach Center in downtown Killeen. The center provided a space for veterans to organize around issues of importance to
the Fort Hood community, along with educational
and cultural programs, art workshops and discus-

LPFM on Fire

sion groups; but it closed in December. FHSN

stated in an announcement: We feel that we
need to have a lighter and more flexible approach
to serving the GIs at Fort Hood (and beyond). We
need to explore new options.
Malachi Muncy was the manager of Under the
Hood and filed the groups LPFM application. He
says that staff at the Prometheus Radio Project
sparked the idea for a station when they informed
FHSN about LPFM opportunities.

VisiOn
It seemed in line with our vision and our mission to meet the needs of our community through
educational programming, Muncy said.
With the transition from the outreach center to

Radio World eBook

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the banner from under the hood website.

a radio station, a goal still is to provide a safe

space for veterans and members of the military
community to share their individual experiences,
not just about war and not just what you see on
recruitment posters.
FHSN plans to locate its new studio and transmitter in downtown Killeen, a city of 127,000 that
sits directly adjacent to Fort Hood, which has its
own population of 53,416. Muncy says that the
station will reach most of the base housing and
cover most of Killeen.
The city has three full-power FM stations, three
existing LPFMs and two translator stations. However, I dont feel like theres anything with a Fort
Hood identity on the airwaves now, said Muncy.
With so many active military service members
in the potential audience, one of the main things
we want to try to do is keep people on the base
informed of their rights, Muncy says. In the military, service members have different rights than
a civilian population might have, especially when
dealing with military law or regulations.
He elaborates: Social justice issues that apply
on a broader scale in our society also apply within
the military context. Theres racism in society, and

Social justice issues that apply

on a broader scale in our
society also apply within the
military context.
Malachi Muncy

10 LPFM on Fire

theres racism in the military. Theres sexism in society, and theres sexism in the military. We want
to encourage dialog and make sure those things
are being talked about.
Those objectives raise the question that if having a station brings more attention, will this stoke
controversy or create friction with military brass?
Muncys opinion is that it wont necessarily make
us more or less controversial.
FHSN has had a presence at community events
like the Veterans Day parade and Memorial Day
ceremonies, along with hosting public charitable
activities, such as a sleeping bag drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy, he explains. So Muncy
believes that the group has become sufficiently
established in the community that even folks
who disagree with us on a particular matter had
a chance to see that were doing good things.

iRReFutaBle Value
Muncy acknowledges there has been a little
bit of tension with military leadership, but he also
hopes that regardless of politics or viewpoints,
we can provide some value that is irrefutable in a
way, that were a value to the brass, just so long
as it doesnt compromise our values.
One way the station might provide
that value is by providing vital communications during emergencies or
crisis situations, such as the mass
shootings that occurred on the base
in 2009 and 2014.
Prometheus helped FHSNs radio
plans get off the ground, providing encouragement, instructional webinars
and engineering consultation to get
through the application process. The
group also referred FHSN to engineer
Jim Ellinger in Austin, who will assist
with transmitter and tower installation.
FHSNs singleton application for
94.3 FM was approved by the FCC in

Radio World eBook

January 2014. Muncy admits that they were surprised to receive their authorization so quickly.

eXPenses
Now the group is focused on fundraising and
plans to create a paid position to supervise the
station building through to launch. Muncy estimates that FHSN has spent $2,000 so far and will
spend another $30,000 to get on the air; this includes the salary for the paid position.
Because they are still looking for studio space,
Muncy is not sure what the stations ongoing operating expenses will be. However, once on-air,
he hopes the underwriting announcements and
on-air fund drives will contribute to making both
FHSN and its station financially sustainable.
The FHSN board, made up of veterans and supporters, is also working out how to run the station,
defining their decision-making processes and
programming policies. Muncy found some guidance at the Grassroots Radio Conference held in
Iowa City, Iowa, in August 2014, a mostly annual
convergence of community radio broadcasters
and activists. That event allowed him to forge

some strong connections in community radio.

More locally, the group has been in contact with
staff at Wimberley Valley Radio, which is building
an LPFM station in Wimberley, Texas, and is a
little further along, according to Muncy. Weve
got a lot of good people on speed dial to help us
when we have questions.
Muncy, an Army National Guard veteran with
two tours in Iraq, has a degree in journalism, but
had no radio experience prior to starting the station project. That led him to pursue an associates
degree in radio broadcasting.
He says there is a lot of enthusiasm about the
station, both in Killeen and amongst national and
global veterans groups.
Its sort of like an extended community, if
youre at Fort Campbell or Fort Bliss its like youre
at Fort Hood.
Muncy sums up the potential of FHSNs new
low-power station, calling it super-exciting.
Paul Riismandel is co-founder and operations
director of Radio Survivor; he has more than 20
years of experience in noncommercial radio and
instructional media. l

the former under the hood caf in downtown Kileen is shown prior to its closing.

Radio World eBook

LPFM on FIre

11

This LPFM Cant Afford

to Be a Plaything
Local news emphasis gives purpose
to Massachusetts station WHAV
By tiM cOcO

250-watters were looked down upon by some

for their feeble powers, just as are todays lowpower FMs. These relatively weak stations, however, play vital roles in serving communities.

When low-power FMs were first debated, widespread concern was expressed that any new stations might merely be playthings for hobbyists.
FillinG a neWs neeD
I cant speak to the merit of the argument as
Public Media of New England Inc., WHAVs
it applies to other stations, but WHAV in Haverparent, sought an LPFM because a city of this
hill, Mass., will be an instrument of local service.
size desperately needs a radio station to serve
Even in its current incarnation as an Internet stanews-hungry residents and provide emergency
tion, Part 15 AM and background audio service
information.
to seven public access cable television stations,
While Haverhill sits within the outer boundarit is the local news leader.
ies of Boston media, the city is largely ignored. In
Just recently, for example, WHAV carried live
fact, a regional newspaper chain closed its local
a police press conference regarding the Christoffice nearly three years ago leaving WHAV
mas day desecration of a local churchs nativity
as the only local, full-time news medium to be
display. The thousands of Internet tune-ins and
based in the city. In addition, the once-local FM
simultaneous public viewing of text stories at
outlet changed its city of license to a neighborwhav.net brought down the servers. While we
ing town 10 years ago.
immediately upgraded the servers, the incident
was instructive. Haverhills
61,000 residents are clamoring for local news and
information they cannot
receive elsewhere.
I know the value of
news because my career
started in the newsroom
of the original WHAV(AM)
in 1978. I then went on to
work as a reporter for daily
newspapers. My mentors
were old-time newsmen
(as they were called in the
day) Bernard J. Barney
Gallagher at the former
daily Haverhill Gazette
and Edwin V. Johnson at
WHAV.
The original WHAV went
on the air as a 250-watt
station in 1947. I imagine WhaV news Director Dana a. esmel reviews copy changes with
those post-World War II intern sarah tiso from northern essex community college.

12

LPFM on Fire

Radio World eBook

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These are not complaints about the business

needs and decisions of others, but rather a demonstration of the need for WHAV to fill a niche.
Despite its low signal strength, WHAV faces
many of the same expenses and challenges of
other commercial and noncommercial stations
alike.
Obtaining a construction permit was a costly
endeavor, due to back-and-forth legal filings
and an eventual settlement with an applicant in
a nearby city. Thanks go out to engineer David
J. Doherty of Skywaves Consulting LLC, Millbury, Mass., and attorneys Howard M. Liberman and Lee G. Petro of Drinker Biddle & Reath

Haverhills 61,000
residents are clamoring
for local news and
information they cannot
receive elsewhere.
LLP, Washington. On the home front, WHAV is
now incurring expenses toward obtaining zoning board approval for a new 60-foot tower and
pre-fab transmitter building on a 255-foot hill in
a remote part of the 36-square-mile city.
Other than additions of EAS and modulation
monitor equipment, WHAVs studios in the citys
Ward Hill neighborhood are largely in place. We
previously built the on-air and news studios with
professional broadcast boards, microphones,
hybrids, computers, automation, studio desks
and ancillary equipment, almost all of which was
obtained from Radio World advertisers.
Besides news led by News Director Dana A.
Esmel (formerly associated with stations WCCM
and WCAP), WHAV carries customized local
weather from Nashua, N.H.-based Hometown
Forecast Services, a local talk program that traces its roots back to the original WHAV, Community Spotlight every hour, Pacifica Network educational programs and its own Soft Gold music

14

LPFM on Fire

blend. Esmel and producer Nathan E. Webster III

are, thus far, the only paid regular staff. Interns
from Northern Essex Community College and
volunteers augment their work.
My fellow board members include Anita M.
Purcell, a retired banker and real estate broker,
and William D. Cox Jr., a prominent local attorney. The more controversial aspects of local
news reporting likely make them nervous, but
they recognize the importance of a fully independent news department.
Beside myself, many alumni of the original
AM station have played roles at the new WHAV.
These include Phil Christie, who voices image liners and started at WHAV in 1948 as a disc jockey
(the term was so new then, station managers
explained the expression by dressing Phil in actual horse racing jockey garb in local newspaper
advertising). Others include Jack Bevelaqua, the
last host of the original stations Open Mike
Show, and Marc Lemay, former news director. A few years ago, Dancing with the Stars
host Tom Bergeron and retired WBZ news anchor Gary LaPierre returned to the station that
launched their careers on what would have been
WHAVs 60th anniversary.
Bergeron, incidentally, just agreed to serve
as honorary chairman of WHAVs forthcoming
Make Waves capital campaign to pay the estimated $100,000 cost of putting the new FM on
the air.
This LPFM cant afford to be a plaything.
The author is president of Public Media of
New England Inc. and volunteer general manager of WHAV. He started his career at the original
WHAV(AM) in 1978. Contact him at (978) 3742111 or email to tcoco@whav.net. l

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SixMix USB is perfect for LPFM!

The SixMix USB Broadcast Console is
a full-featured professional radio
station audio mixer. It features
10 inputs, and accepts 2 mics,
plus 7 stereo Line sources,
such as CD players, a
telephone hybrid, tape
decks or turntables.
But the coolest feature is
the built-in USB connection to your computer!
Just connect a USB cable
to your PC or laptop, start your
playout software, and youre on the
air. No extra hardware needed!
SixMix is perfect for live broadcasting, with colorcoded controls and color-changing LEDs that instantly
show channel status. No more on-air mistakes! It has exactly
what you need for doing a live show, even with a guest announcer and
listener call-ins.
SixMix is also ideal for preparing your pre-show content. It works with any digital
editor thats compatible with a standard USB codec. Record, edit, and play without
any complicated wiring or extra gear!

SixMix features a stereo Program mixing

bus, a Mix-Minus output, a Cue bus with
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LPFM Brings Christian Radio

to Northwest Illinois
WLPL is a religious station with local focus, programming
By scOtt FyBush
Ronald Reagans boyhood hometown of Dixon,
Ill., has plenty going for it: 16,000 people, a scenic location along Interstate 88 two hours west
of Chicago, even an annual Petunia Festival each
summer. But until this year, it was missing something: a Christian radio station with a strong signal
in town.
There was plenty of secular radio, and one
Christian station that came from Rockford that
you could get some of the time, says Pastor Don
Beasley of Turning Point Community Church.
Over the years, the church looked into using radio to promote itself.
We had talked about it for a long time and
looked into having something on the radio, but

the expense of doing more than just advertising

[on commercial stations] was prohibitive, Beasley
says. But when a window for low-power FM applications opened in 2013, a mentor of Beasleys
suggested the church apply for its own low-power FM station, referring him to consultant John
Broomall of Christian Community Broadcasters.
Broomall found the church a frequency
104.3 on which it ended up as an uncontested
singleton applicant, and by January 2014, the
church was the proud holder of a construction
permit.
Then we had 16 months to build it, Beasley says. In the beginning, there were a couple
of people who said, What do we know about
doing radio? and the answer was, Absolutely
nothing!

Pastor Don Beasley sits in the temporary control room of his WlPl(lP), Dixon, ill. this space, carved
out of the library of his church, will soon be replaced with a purpose-built studio that will double as a
recording studio for the churchs worship music team.

16 LPFM on Fire

Radio World eBook

Fortunately, the churchs base of about 175

members included several with useful experience.
One of the young ladies in our church went to
school for broadcasting, and a lady in our church
works in secular radio, so shes been helpful for
programming, and we have another who went to
school for sports broadcasting, Beasley says.

liFe POint RaDiO

An early challenge was finding a set of call letters the station could use.
I spent an hour and a half one day on it, Beasley says. Its like youre trying to pick out a domain name for a website. Most of his initial choices were already in use, but then Beasley thought
of a plan to start a show called Life Point Live,
which led to the choice of WLPL(LP). The Live
part never materialized, but the calls led to the stations eventual on-air nickname, Life Point Radio.
With a budget of about $25,000, the church
spent much of 2014 getting its new station built,
a project that included finding temporary space
in the churchs existing building for a small studio
and transmitter room.
I cleared out my library, put it in storage, Beasley says.
While WLPL began testing from that temporary
space in late December 2014 and signed on officially from there in early January 2015, Pastor Beasley plans to get his library back pretty soon. The
church expects to spend about $20,000 this year
to build out an addition to its building that will
house a permanent studio. The new radio space
will double as a recording studio for the church
worship team, which composes much of its own
music and hopes to begin releasing some of it on
CD and playing it on WLPL.
Unlike some religious LPFMs, WLPL is locally
programmed.
Right now, we started off with music, and were
getting everything figured out, sweepers, liners,
beds, Beasley says. The next step will be adding
more ministry programming. We have a bunch
of different stuff, one- and two- and 10-minute
pieces and three half-hour shows that were going to run during the week. Saturday is going to
be all news and local events that are going on in
the area, Sunday will be all preaching, Beasley

Radio World eBook

says, including broadcasts of Turning Points own

services.
In a stroke of luck, Turning Points building is located on a bluff overlooking Dixon and the Rock
River, providing excellent line of sight for the 100watt signal.
We already have a lot of people listening that
Im finding out about, Beasley says. It gets out
to about 15 miles, a radius that encompasses
nearly 100,000 potential listeners. In the next
few months, WLPL hopes to reach out to more of
those listeners with a publicity campaign that will
include billboards, window stickers and interviews
in the local newspaper and secular radio stations.
There hasnt been a new radio station built in
our town in at least 35 years, Beasley says.
WLPL also plans to add streaming audio, in part
to provide a connection to ministries the church
operates overseas. Along the way, Beasley says
the radio station will become an important part
of the churchs local ministry, too, helping to raise

Every day I think of

another way we can use it.
Don Beasley

visibility for seminars the church runs on faith issues that include premarital counseling.
It was an eye opener that we needed a better
delivery system, and the radio opened that up for
us, Beasley says.
Another eye-opener has been the amount of
detailed regulatory compliance that goes into
running a licensed radio station.
I had no idea of all the stuff thats in there that
you had to do. You listen to the radio, and you
never think of what it takes for it to be there. Its
a lot more than people realize, Beasley says.
Weve learmed a lot more about radio than I
thought I ever would.
That doesnt mean hes having second thoughts
about putting WLPL on the air, though.
Every day I think of another way we can use
it, he says. l

LPFM on FIre

17

Newark Science Station

Builds People Up
Delaware LPFM avoids a franchised sound
through unique programming choices
By stePhen WORDen
Fabulously bored with talk of the Kardashians, monotonized by
narrow musical genres, left vacant by newscasts that are little more
than headlines, I looked at radio and saw bad juvenile humor; automated, satellite-based talking heads and robotic music hosts; supernarrow playlists from New York, Nashville and L.A.; the right bashing
the left and the left bashing the right; the same programs in every
market across the country its like Subway has franchised radio.
I made a pact with the universe. Lets build a radio station that
builds people up.
Radio Newark is a Science Radio Station. If you Google those words
youll find radionewark.org on the first page. According to Google,
were the number one science radio station in the world. Dozens of
broadcast partners provide a magical combination of entertainment,
information and inspiration as we learn of the latest developments in
astronomy, chemistry, engineering, astronautics, oceanography, meteorology and so on. Science but not the boring kind!
I began to work on our program format, affiliate, rebroadcast and
content partner relationships and automation systems in early 2009.
In the fall of that year, the business plan was written with the help
of a counselor from the Service Corps of Retired Executives (now a
board member). We incorporated in 2010 and applied for our 501(c)
(3) designation in 2011 as an educational broadcast service.
To date our station has been heard online, but now we also have a
construction permit for an LPFM at 99.9 MHz.

GOals

Spoken word programming, interstitial music not the other

way round
STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) is cool

18 LPFM on Fire

Stephen Worden/Radio Newark

Radio Newark has three main aims: 1) to promote science, technology, engineering and math as fascinating fields of study and employment; 2) to develop the arts of broadcast journalism and storytelling;
and 3) to give the residents of greater Newark the opportunity to
write, record and broadcast stories about their lives, experiences,
businesses, charities, organizations, events and activities.
Our focus is on the community as a whole, not any particular segment or interest group.
Looking back on five years of programming, here are the principles
we followed:
this image is a mockup of the
Kathrein-scala FMV-4 to scale at
the cP location (building permit
documentation).

Radio World eBook

GatesAirs Flexiva Compact range of solid-state

transmitters symbolizes decades of broadcast
innovation and engineering experience, offering
the industrys most complete solutions to suit all
over-the-air power and coverage requirements in
FM and digital radio. Truly groundbreaking strides
in operational efficiency make high-quality broadcasting and low total cost of ownership a reality
in equal measure.
Specifically for low-power FM applications, the Flexiva
Compact range offers FCC LPFM Type Accepted,
solid-state models ranging from 1 W to
1kW. Overall, Flexiva Compact transmitters deliver a robust, high-performance
over-the-air solution that boosts reliability and simplifies maintenance across
all power levels up to 3.5kW. This bestin-class operational efficiency is rooted
in GatesAirs unique PowerSmart 3D
technology, based on 50-volt LDMOS
FET transistor devices and GatesAirs
innovative amplifier designs. These
advances equate to the industrys highest power density and efficiency, resulting in a compact, lightweight and modular transmitter series that helps broadcasters save
money and reduce carbon footprint.
Broadcasters count on Flexiva Compact as a singleplatform solution for analog and digital broadcast
solutions. Quad-mode operation ensures that broadcasters can leverage a common solution for FM, HD
Radio, FM+HD Radio and DRM+ digital radio. The
industrys most flexible range of fourth-generation
digital exciters guarantee that broadcasters can operate a reliable, high-quality digital radio service from
day one, or easily upgrade from analog to digital
operation anytime in the future.

casting. Flexiva Compact transmitters provide additional headroom to accommodate elevated HD Radio
sidebands and associated power level increases.
Real-Time Adaptive Pre-Correction (RTAC) is the
proprietary GatesAir technology that continuously
optimizes power utilization in Flexiva transmitters,
while maintaining spectral mask compliance of the
digital signal. RTAC continuously monitors and corrects for linear and non-linear distortions at the output, keeping low-power stations within compliance
and maximizing signal coverage.

Finally, GatesAirs PowerSmart 3D maximizes energy

and operational efficiency at the transmitter site
through an enhanced cooling design to keep heat
waste and overall power bills low; and fewer spare
parts to minimize labor and streamline ongoing maintenance. Broadband, frequency agile designs also
eliminate tuning and adjustments on the maintenance
side for consistent and stable performance, keeping
station management, engineers and listeners alike
satisfied.

www.gatesair.com

For broadcasters operating low-power HD Radio,

Flexiva Compact transmitters employ G4 Exgine, the
latest generation architecture for HD Radio broad-

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FCC.gov

coverage plot from

Fcc construction
permit

No need to partner with major national networks

The upper end of the bell curve, not the
middle
Snackable content, no block programming
Never hear the same thing at the same time
Partner/affiliate with great organizations
No blathering; get to the point
Excellent production values
Constant content changes
Topics of general interest
Storytelling matters
Education + entertainment + inspiration =
radio magic

We are training a small army

of citizen broadcasters.

20 LPFM on Fire

Radio Newark promotes radio journalism and

storytelling. Last year we wrote our How to
Broadcast Handbook. This spring we will hold
our first How to Broadcast class at the Newark
Senior Center. We are training a small army of
citizen broadcasters.
Newark, Del., is a good city for LPFM. We have
an affluent, dense population centered on our
broadcast location. There is a civic consciousness here with deep roots, going back to the
founding of the University of Delaware. But no
local AM station, and the only FM station is the
student-focused WVUD, the voice of the University of Delaware.

enGineeRinG
Ive been an analog and digital electronics technician since the
1970s and worked as a master radio-electronics officer in the U.S.
Merchant Marine. Ive been in and
around radio since getting my first
amateur radio license in 1971. I handle the modest LPFM engineering
responsibilities for Radio Newark.

Radio World eBook

www.progressive-concepts.com
Need Help? Contact Us Today!

Progressive Concepts
305 South Bartlett Road
Streamwood, IL 60107

630.736.9822

F: 630.736.0353

Kirk Smith/The Review

stephen Worden is shown working on commentary from cateX Reports.

But crowbarring a new LPFM station into the

already packed I-95 corridor took some real work
from a genius we found via Radio World.
Doug Vernier of V-Soft Communications writes
software that the broadcast industry uses to
solve adjacent-channel problems. After understanding how close our application was going
to be, he agreed to help with our need for two
second-adjacent channel waivers.
By specifying the four-bay phased vertical array (Kathrein-Scala FMV-4), height and power
level we were able to meet all of the spacing re-

Our focus is on the

community as a whole,
not any particular segment
or interest group.

22 LPFM on Fire

quirements of 73.807. Cue the Happy Dance!

Our antenna location is fortunate. Geologically speaking, Newark sits at the junction of the
Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Piedmont, a region
of rolling hills. The station is sited on the first hill
of the Piedmont, overlooking the city, which lies
on the flat coastal plain. Our natural HAAT allows
us to use an inexpensive Class 3 telephone pole
and aluminum mast to meet interference and
adjacency requirements (and building requirements; were situated in a residential neighborhood).
We run our own servers, supply
our own bandwidth (Verizon FiOS),
use Dell servers with RAID 5 arrays
(production and backup units) and
rely on StationPlaylist for scheduling
and playout. We also heavily utilize
RoboTask for content acquisition and
prep. We spent a long time designing
and proving our DIY automation system. We use Windows Media Services running on Windows Server 2008
and Shoutcast DNAS to serve Windows, Apple and mobile-compatible
streams.
Most of our audio work (prep and
production) is done in home studios
with modest equipment. I use a Rde

Radio World eBook

Projected coverage of
WIZU in a car radio,
using the Nautel RF
Toolkit.

Station coverage plot

based on the FCC
construction permit,
FCC.gov.

Maps: Nautel RF Toolkit/Nautel.com

Radio World eBook

LPFM on FIre

23

NT1 with a pop filter running

through a Really Nice Compressor RNC1773 working in
Super Nice mode to a grayhaired Tascam M-308B mixer.
Audio then goes to a decent
Dell dual-monitor workstation. Weve settled on Audacity so audio-editing skills can
be shared across the organization. Other home studios
use RE-20 mics, Behringer
MDX2600 audio processing, small Mackie mixers and
so on.

It is truly the work of

1,000 helping hands,
and that might be the
best part of this whole
project: working with

Plans
A home to call our own
is on our list of priorities, but
only as the budget allows.
Our current priority is to
obtain the remaining funding needed to get
WIZU(LP) 99.9 MHz constructed. Were halfway
there. Once on the air, we have volunteers to
manage, community events to attend, people to
train and many, many stories to write and produce.
With negligible exceptions, I have found great
support, guidance and assistance from the radio
community. Experienced, brand name people
have spent time understanding our mission and

Email: radioworld@nbmedia.com
Website: www.radioworld.com
Telephone: (703) 852-4600
Business Fax: (703) 852-4582 | Editorial Fax: (703) 852-4585
Editorial Staff
Editor in ChiEf, U.S. Paul J. McLane
nEwS Editor/waShington BUrEaU ChiEf Leslie Stimson
gEar & tEChnoLogy Editor Brett Moss
intErnationaL Editor in ChiEf Marguerite Clark
Latin aMEriCa Editor in ChiEf rogelio ocampo
tEChniCaL Editor rich rarey
tEChniCaL adviSor tom Mcginley
aSSiStant Editor Emily reigart
adminiStration & Production
PUBLiShEr John Casey
EditoriaL dirECtor Paul J. McLane
ProdUCtion dirECtor davis white
ProdUCtion PUBLiCation Coordinator Karen Lee
advErtiSing Coordinator Caroline freeland

24 LPFM on Fire

people who love radio.

offered sound, practical advice on how to make
our station better. Others with business backgrounds have steered us operationally, keeping
our business plan on track. It is truly the work
of 1,000 helping hands, and that might be the
best part of this whole project working with
people who love radio.
Stephen Worden is the founder and GM of
Newark Community Radio. Reach him at (302)
709-1620 or email steve@radionewark.org. l

advErtiSing SalES rEPrESEntativES

US rEgionaL & Canada: John Casey
jcasey@nbmedia.com
t: 212-378-0400, ext. 512 | f: 330-247-128
US rEgionaL: Michele inderrieden
minderrieden@nbmedia.com
t: 212-378-0400, ext. 523 | f: 866-572-6156
EUroPE, MiddLE EaSt & afriCa:
raffaella Calabrese
rcalabrese@broadcast.it
t: +39-320-8911938 | f: +39-02-700436999
Latin aMEriCa: Susana Saibene
susana.saibene@gmail.com
t: +34-607-31-40-71
JaPan: Eiji yoshikawa
callems@world.odn.ne.jp
t: +81-3-3327-5759 | f: +81-3-3322-7933
aSia-PaCifiC: wengong wang
wwg@imaschina.com
t: +86-755-83862930/40/50 | f: +86-755-83862920
CLaSSifiEdS: Michele inderrieden
minderrieden@nbmedia.com
t: 212-378-0400, ext. 523 | f: 866-572-6156

radio world founded by Stevan B. dana

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