Posted on 10/19/2005 1:09:10 PM PDT by raccoonradio
Today's lesson: Don't cross Christian broadcasting.
Maynard (Mass.) High School's radio frequency, 91.7 FM, is being seized by a network of Christian broadcasting stations that the Federal Communications Commission has ruled is a better use of the public airwaves.
``People are furious,'' said faculty adviser Joe Magno.
Maynard High's WAVM, which has been broadcasting from the school for 35 years, found itself in this David vs. Goliath battle when it applied to increase its transmitter signal from 10 to 250 watts.
According to Magno, that ``opens the floodgates for any other station to challenge the station's license and take its frequency.''
Using a point scale that considers such factors as audience size, the FCC ruled the Christian broadcasting network the better applicant. WAVM is given 30 days to appeal, and has done so.
If the FCC refuses to overturn its decision, WAVM will fall silent.
``The little guy does not stand much of a chance. Legally, we don't have a leg to stand on,'' Magno said.
Although WAVM applied for the power increase five years ago, the group just heard about the outcome of the application process and were told the frequency was designated to another applicant.
Maynard school Superintendent Mark Masterson has written a letter of appeal to the FCC and sent copies of it to every federal representative decrying the decision.
The station only "just heard about the outcome of the application process" now?
The station was in jeopardy before a few years ago when WUMB (Univ. of Mass. Boston) tried to put a translator (re-broadcaster of signal) nearby, which would have knocked WAVM off air. The two sides came to an agreement sparing the high school station.
Sure, it's great to have Christian/religious radio stations but at the expense of a high school station serving the local community? ("Since 1973, we have served the community of Maynard through programs such as Church Services and the Beacon Santa Telethon.") Not sure if the religious station would be local, or one carrying nationally syndicated shows via satellite.
Interesting.
(There have been other stations like this who lost their license because they stayed off air for a year or so--disinterest...including WPAA from Philips Academy in Andover, MA. I think Philips Academy was George H.W. Bush's alma mater, but it didn't stop the FCC from pulling the license. However if this station regularly broadcasts--not like WPAA, which just "lost interest" in going on air--maybe they should stay on.
Who knows. (Maybe either they or the religious group can be given a low power AM or FM frequency and they can all be happy?)
What's a high school need a 250 watt transmitter for? That's too powerful for simple local use, ain't it?
I don't understand the Christian/public school angle here.
If the school wants a more powerful station and their existing frequency conflicts with another, more powerful station, then can't the school just be given another, less-crowded frequency?
It makes sense that the station with the larger audience gets the frequency, regardless of what their affiliation is.
"Geneva. It's nice, but it's not Maynard"
"People," as in two or three?
It's not Divine intervention, it's federal intervention.
That has too much common sense. They wouldn't be able to bash the Christians with that scenario. Doubt it would have been news if it was a rock station.
I wonder which the Libs would would cry about louder if they only knew that this school station broadcasts church services on Sundays, violating their precious separations of church and state.
LOL. Obviously they don't know that info.
There aren't many available frequencies left on the crowded Boston-area radio dial, though maybe they can put them on
the "expanded band AM" (1600-1700 AM) somehow (there are some licensed stations there but hardly any in New England.
Mostly "Pirate stations" set up there.
Video on the story.
To see this video go to the following link and look for "FCC pulls plug on
high school radio station". Link may only be up for a short while.
http://www.boston.com/news/necn/Business/
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