04.16.08

The Federal Communications Commission has begun the process of granting "construction permits." This is the first step towards a license to broadcast over the airwaves. Because Grassroots Community Radio Initiative and Peace Abbey Radio are competing for stations with other non-profit organizations, the staff of the FCC will take some time to review the applications and determine worthiness. In the meantime, we're raising funds, applying for grants, and building our organization. Also, we have reached out to other applicants in the hopes of collaborating so we may create really wonderful non-commercial, educational, and community oriented radio stations.

Please help us by making a DONATION

01.07.08

Technical Amendments filed by midnight deadline, making minor adjustments to our applications. Our consulting engineer says FCC decisions could come as soon as February but more than likely, by summer 2008!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

We've filed our applications with the FCC. Now we wait for the Commission to review our applications, possibly ask us more questions, and then make their licensing decisions.

In the meantime, we have lots of things to accomplish, including fundraising, finding partners and people who want to collaborate with us, and starting the process of training citizen producers, developing programming, and reaching out to potential listeners/stakeholders! TO HELP US...

THE STORY:

The FCC, the federal agency that regulates all radio and TV broadcasting, is allowing non-profit groups (such as schools, organizations, churches) to apply for new radio licenses starting in October of this year. These will be non-commercial, educational stations. (examples include WORT, Madison, WI, WPKN, Bridgeport, CT, and WMNF-FM in Tampa)

A group of media producers and citizens from the Boston area are collaborating with a non-profit organization, the Sherborn, MA based Peace Abbey, (website) to acquire a license and build a new radio station and a community center for media production and education.

The Director of the Peace Abbey, Lewis Randa, has donated a beautiful barn to serve as this effort's home base. (The Abbey runs a small farm and is located in Sherborn, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston). In a fortuitous turn of events (and an example of positive karma) when new community radio stations are established, the process is referred to as a “barn raising.”

We are seeking actively to work with a wide variety of groups and individuals with an interest in radio and other media and who are willing to commit to the idea that progressive social movements need to build capacity (schools, “think tanks,” political action groups, and yes, radio stations).

To the greatest extent possible, the new station will produce local programs that serve and reach a large and diverse community. It will be independent of major institutions such as universities, and networks such as NPR, but may air programming produced by these institutions.

This effort, in part, is a proactive attempt to counter the increasing (and increasingly destructive to our democracy) consolidation of broadcast media into fewer and fewer ownership hands and to give local residents a place to share ideas and improve the world.

Lofty goals indeed!

Right now we are developing a budget and writing a business plan. Also, we are forming an advisory board and setting up this website. We are appealing for money and in-kind assistance from anyone and everyone who will listen.

We've raised more than $1,000 to hire an engineering firm, Broadcast Signal Lab of Medfield, MA to survey the state for the best available FM frequency.

We need to raise $100,000 over the next two years. A portion of that may go towards hiring Coordinators responsible for the FCC application, and legal advisors to help us answer questions as part of the permitting process.. The rest will go towards hiring consultants (radio engineers, architects, fundraisers, etc) and daily incidental costs (web development, phone service, travel, fundraising events, etc.)

TO MAKE A SECURE On-Line DONATION

Donations by check should be made to The Peace Abbey, a 501(C)3 organization and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Checks should say “Radio Station” on the subject line and be mailed to the contact address below.

Peace Abbey Radio
c/o David Goodman
65 Cornwall Street, #108
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

If you have any questions about all of this, don’t hesitate to contact us! Tell everyone you know and have them tell 10 people and they will tell 10 people, and on and on and on.