School Radio Station Fights for Survival

[SOURCE: eSchool News]
A high school radio station that has been broadcasting for more than 30 years is in danger of being shut down. Reason: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last month awarded the station's frequency to an upstart religious broadcaster based some 3,000 miles away. The station ran into trouble when it tried to increase its power signal from the meager 10 watts it has broadcast for most of its existence to 250 watts, resulting in a bid for its frequency by Living Proof, which reportedly plans to build a facility in nearby Lunenburg, Mass. According to FCC rules, when a radio station files a petition to make a "major change," it opens the rights to its frequency to be challenged. Living Proof filed a competing claim on WAVM's frequency, and school officials received a letter from the FCC dated Oct. 6 saying it was granting the station's frequency to Living Proof, pending the outcome of an appeal process. School officials question the agency's decision for two reasons: One, it's ambiguous what is meant by a "major change," and in this case, the rule shouldn't apply to the relatively modest upgrade in WAVM's signal; and two, an out-of-town religious organization shouldn't be given priority over a local school with a well-established and highly successful program when it comes to competing for a spot on the airwaves. "The FCC doesn't do warm and fuzzy--the fact that we've got a track record a mile long means nothing to them. All we are is files and forms and numbers," said Joseph Magno, the station's faculty adviser, who added that the rules favor "big business" and "big-money [players in] Washington."
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5970