[BC] FIRST LPFM BITES THE BUST

[Tom Taggart]

When the LPFM windows were first announced, I volunteered to do apps, in response to a push by the Presbyterian Church to get these stations on the air.  Ended up doing a dozen; only one for an individual Presbyterian church, & one for a Presbyterian college (in South Carolina--Clinton, S.C.)and a variety of other groups that found me. With a realistic view of the construction expenses going into the process that should not be the barrier to building a station.  There's lots of good, used equipment available at reasonable cost or by donation (I gave our old Medalist--in good shape--to the Parkersburg (WV) schools for their LPFM).  ASCAP/BMI can be a drain--$1,200 a year I have heard.  Still, there are other factors killing the LPFM movement, for some stations, at birth. Some observations:

1. Most of the initial interest came not from younger folks but from boomers. Once up and running they (the boomer-founders) don't have the time or energy to keep a station going with out younger volunteers.
2. The proposals that survived initial scrutiny and got on the air had some institutional backing.  Example, above-mentioned WPCX in Clinton, WBWH, Bluffton College (a Mennonite-sponsored liberal arts college in Ohio).
3. Where there was no institutional support, the c.p.'s were never built: Example: Defiance College (Oh), Valley High School (WV).
4. The real work begins once the c.p is granted, but the necessary talents needed to get such a project off the ground are rarely found in academic settings.
5. Few applicants have any clear vision of what they want to do with the LPFM once they got a c.p.  Exception that proves the rule is WTAZ-LP,up in the hills of eastern Tennessee. They have a private music school, they wanted to promote traditional bluegrass music & that's what they do with the station. Couple of times I talked with the principals, sounds like they are having fun doing it. 
6. No secret, then, that many of these stations turned into outlets for religious programing.  The Seventh Day Adventists actively encouraged their local congregations to build stations, there are several on the air.  Programming sounds either canned or off a bird.  Although they could have used some kind of national engineering coordinator for hand-holding--the Marietta church has their antenna in a steeple, about a 1/2 mile from where the FCC think they are.  Still no guarantee: the Athens outlet sits half-built, big self-supporter beside the church, but nothing happening.
7.When these stations can be traded, expect more to become outlets for canned religious programming. Two in my area simulcast, even though supposedly operated by separate entities.
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