New! Full Power Community Radio!
Brick House Radio is now applying for a full power license!
October 11-22, 2007 is the only time THIS DECADE that the FCC is accepting new non-profit community Full Power radio FM license applications.
With your support we can extend the reach of community radio to nearly two thirds of the Louisville and Southern Indiana area!
This is an incredible opportunity -- But to reach this goal, time is critical and your support WILL make the difference.
What will it take to complete the application in the next two weeks? Volunteers, Funds Now, Pledges Later - and your enthusiasm!
Donations are needed for the initial application costs now -- Please go to
More Information:
communitybiz@yahoo.com 502 762 2285 or 502 410 2786
Please read down to learn more!
Thank you for your interest in the Louisville area community media projects we are developing.
In particular, we are forwarding for you our current information regarding the rapidly approaching deadline for a new Southern Indiana/Louisville area full power non-profit community radio station. Community radio is a wonderful, grassroots way to get local news, music and voices, by the community and for the community, on the air.
This is a great opportunity for the region -- But we'll need to act now to meet the October 19 FCC filing deadline for this application.
In this letter we'll be describing the opportunity to launch the new station, along with new airtime and underwriting prospects. In turn, we're requesting immediate as well as long term financial and / or community support. Please respond with any support, referrals or questions you may have.
To learn more, make a direct donation, underwriting commitment, or to share your ideas for programming and how to move these projects forward, please go to www.wxbh.org or respond to the contacts above.
Thank you.
Background:
Community radio is a distinctive and critically important form of communication. Unlike Commercial radio, community radio is a non-profit format designed to serve community needs for diverse content and values. Unlike Public radio, community radio is generally run by and for the community by members and volunteers, and offers a very grassroots approach to community journalism, storytelling, music and culture.
The classic community radio network in the United States, Pacifica Radio, has pioneered this approach since the 1950's, and is advising us in this process.
This October 22 FCC application period is probably the last full power community radio license opportunity in the US this decade.
This is a wonderful opportunity to develop community based media for southern Indiana and Louisville -- We hope that you and others will be able to join in to turn this opportunity into a reality.
Since the filing is on a very tight deadline (only a week to complete engineering studies, legal filings and management tasks needed to apply for the FCC license), this project requires additional community support for the current working group in the next few days in order to succeed with the application.
We hope that you or some of your contacts will act to support the application and the station's broader public service and programming opportunities. As you can see, there are many connections between this project and other community media and sustainability projects we've discussed.
In turn, there are opportunities for near term and longer participation in the station. Benefits from supporting and being involved in the station and related projects include underwriter recognition, radio shows and related communty affairs media coverage of local organizations, businesses and individuals, and distribution locally and worldwide through our affiliates and partners.
WXBH-LP, 92.7 FM ( streaming at http://www.wxbh.org ), is our new low-power FM station in the area. Brick House (Brycc House, Inc.), a local non-profit community center deeply involved in media and free-speech issues is the license holder of WXBH.
WXBH, the area's first low-power radio licensee, is working diligently to promote the community radio model in the region. As an aside, if you or people or organizations you know would like to get your story, music or news up on the airwaves, please contact us with your ideas and we'll help get your programming broadcast now on the existing low power signal.
We are networking with several local and national media democracy projects. The Pacifica Network and Public Radio Capital have played an important role in our efforts thus far, informing us of the opportunity and providing advice and some critical preliminary engineering data.
Here is a rough outline of the next steps in the process:
The FCC window for filing the license application is October 12 to 19. We have completed the initial first phase engineering study, background research, 501 c 3 sponsor and developed a process for maximal eligibility under the FCC "points" system.
If all goes well, by October 22 the following additional steps will have been accomplished:
* Fees for the engineering, legal and management costs of the filing need to be committed now (by 10/4?/07).
* Retainers for the next steps of application engineering, legal and management will be signed shortly
* Fees will have to be paid by station supporters prior to the October 22 filing deadline, probably half now and half upon completion. These supporters will probably be simply a group of individual concerned citizens who recognize the social entrepreneurship opportunity in the station and are willing to step forward now to make the station possible.
* A final engineering study of the site needs to be completed.
* An experienced communications law firm will further develop and finalize the application.
* Access to tower facilities will need to be confirmed.
* Non-interference confirmation from possibly affected stations will be secured.
* Current status documents for the filing non-profit prepared.
* A program and operations operating agreement MOU will be confirmed by the filing non-profit.
* A letter will be filed showing sufficient "net liquidity" to build and operate the station for it's first three months.
* Brick House and possibly other community organizations in consortia will file the application.
Our guesstimate from discussion so far is that filling costs will run between $7,000 and $10,000, due before the filing.
The "Net Liquidity" amounts which need to be shown as available for the first 3 months of operation will probably range from $30,000 to $70,000. These do not have to be contracted funds, but do need to be pledged and verified.
Funders for these two steps are necessarily individuals or organizations who can take the initiative now to support this project. If you or others you know can support this project through direct donations or underwriting and airtime agreements, please feel free to contact me directly now at 502 762 2285 or 502 410 2786.
The filing non-profit (Brick House and/or consortia partners) needs these and related agreements with funders to pay for the filing costs prior to signing the retainers.
The benefits of a community radio station in the southern Indiana / Louisville market are significant and are probably worth far more in dollars and in community value than the costs of application discussed here. But it is important to emphasize that there is no guarantee that filing for the station will result in getting the license, as that is the decision of the FCC. On the other hand, if we do not file, we guarantee not getting a non-commercial community station....
We have full documentation on this project development. Correspondence with Pacifica, Public Radio Capital, legal and engineering advisors is available for your review as a donor and supporter of the project.
With that background, we hope that you and other individuals, businesses and non-profits in the area who are enthusiastic about open local media and sustainability will step up to this opportunity. Please contact us at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
On behalf of Brycc House, Inc., and WXBH-LP
More information:
communitybiz@yahoo.com 502 762 2285 or 502 410 2786