KCBP 95.5 FM Community Radio is almost here!
By JAMES COSTELLO
The good news: our nonprofit, community radio station should be on the air by the August 12 deadline. The bad news: we won’t be broadcasting at full-power. What gives?
Our application for a use permit is currently in the Stanislaus County Planning Department for approval, which is expected by early July. After approval arrives, we have to apply for building permits which will take time to process All of this means that we will not be able to broadcast at full-power from our tower site west of Patterson by the August 12 deadline mandated by Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
However, we can broadcast at low-power from a site just west of Westley. A homeowner there, has given us permission to put up a temporary radio antenna so that we can get a signal on the air by our deadline which will satisfy the FCC.
When all of our approvals are granted, we can start construction at the main tower site which will take 2 to 3 months. The final result will be a radio station dedicated to our Stanislaus County community. What does all of this mean?
To make this new enterprise valuable for the community, we need volunteers who wish to learn programming and to develop shows for broadcast. And/or, we need volunteers to help develop programming or help solicit underwriting. We also need people who are experienced in radio to offer their expertise as we develop and grow.
To succeed, we must provide programs and entertainment that you, the community needs and wants, so YOUR input is critical. There is a vibrant, musical scene here that we would like to capture. There are poetry readings and live events that we would like to broadcast. Great things are happening in our schools and we want students to share their activities with us on the air. Local theater companies are producing quality performances that could be broadcast to the greater County community. We also want to cover local political and public affairs. We now webs stream at least 6 shows produced locally. That and other programming will continue at www.kcbpradio.org
Lastly, we need financial support. We have received generous donations but we will need much more.
ACTION: to volunteer, contact outreach coordinator Jocelyn Cooper at the Peace/Life Center (209) 529-5750, or email jocelyncooper2012@gmail.com<mailto:jocelyncooper2012@gmail.com>. To donate, send your check to Dave Tucker, memo: “Radio KCBP” at Modesto Peace/Life Center, P.O. Box 134, Modesto, CA 95353. Or go the Center’s website at peacelifecenter.org
