Amador County - The Federal Communications Commission is in the midst of processing applications from 9 groups competing for an open radio frequency in Sutter Creek. The application window for the frequency became available February 19th and stayed open for less than two weeks, but interested parties have known of its availability since last October, when the FCC announced it would open at least 66 FM channels in towns across the country for “non-commercial, educational” broadcast purposes, or NCE. In California, channels were opened in McKinleyville, Westley, Hemet and Sutter Creek. Competing applicants for Sutter Creek are the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation, Hispanic Family Christian Network, Indiana Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Sutter Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Educational Media Foundation, Calvary Chapel of Amador County, Farms of Amador, Grace Public Radio and Mother Lode Public Radio. Four of these applicants have affiliations or backing from Christian groups who also support, operate or fund numerous other frequencies throughout the country. The Hispanic Family Christian Network is also applying for the Westley and Hemet channels, while Grace Public Radio has a second application in for McKinleyville. Representatives of locally-based, smaller groups like Farms of Amador have made it clear that there mission is to offer “an alternative to corporate media and its incredible influence on the information people receive nationwide.” As an example, they cited massive corporate entities like Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and Clear Channel Radio. After the FCC’s initial announcement of its intent to open low-power channels five years ago, community activists across the country hailed the move as an opportunity to give the “little man” a voice on a medium dominated by conglomerates. But the multi-step process takes years of proactive follow-up through a maze of bureaucracy, not to mention stiff competition from well-funded Christian organizations. “Church groups make up roughly half the 344 applicants licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for stations with a broadcasting range of about five miles,” according to a 2005 article in the San Francisco Chronicle. An FCC release says the Sutter Creek frequency “is designated as a Class A station, with a maximum contour distance of about 17 miles.” The FCC says it “will select from among the competing NCE FM applicants by using a point system,” although the specifics of that system are hard to verify. One source involved with the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation told TSPN there are a number of factors involved in the selection process, including “the existence of your non-profit organization for at least two years,” whether you have previously applied or already operate a station on another frequency, and the educational mission of your group. The local frequency, FM 107.5, will be a full-power station with the capability of reaching Sacramento once it is fully operational. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.-
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Amador County - The Federal Communications Commission is in the midst of processing applications from 9 groups competing for an open radio frequency in Sutter Creek. The application window for the frequency became available February 19th and stayed open for less than two weeks, but interested parties have known of its availability since last October, when the FCC announced it would open at least 66 FM channels in towns across the country for “non-commercial, educational” broadcast purposes, or NCE. In California, channels were opened in McKinleyville, Westley, Hemet and Sutter Creek. Competing applicants for Sutter Creek are the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation, Hispanic Family Christian Network, Indiana Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Sutter Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Educational Media Foundation, Calvary Chapel of Amador County, Farms of Amador, Grace Public Radio and Mother Lode Public Radio. Four of these applicants have affiliations or backing from Christian groups who also support, operate or fund numerous other frequencies throughout the country. The Hispanic Family Christian Network is also applying for the Westley and Hemet channels, while Grace Public Radio has a second application in for McKinleyville. Representatives of locally-based, smaller groups like Farms of Amador have made it clear that there mission is to offer “an alternative to corporate media and its incredible influence on the information people receive nationwide.” As an example, they cited massive corporate entities like Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and Clear Channel Radio. After the FCC’s initial announcement of its intent to open low-power channels five years ago, community activists across the country hailed the move as an opportunity to give the “little man” a voice on a medium dominated by conglomerates. But the multi-step process takes years of proactive follow-up through a maze of bureaucracy, not to mention stiff competition from well-funded Christian organizations. “Church groups make up roughly half the 344 applicants licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for stations with a broadcasting range of about five miles,” according to a 2005 article in the San Francisco Chronicle. An FCC release says the Sutter Creek frequency “is designated as a Class A station, with a maximum contour distance of about 17 miles.” The FCC says it “will select from among the competing NCE FM applicants by using a point system,” although the specifics of that system are hard to verify. One source involved with the Sonora Sierra Heritage Foundation told TSPN there are a number of factors involved in the selection process, including “the existence of your non-profit organization for at least two years,” whether you have previously applied or already operate a station on another frequency, and the educational mission of your group. The local frequency, FM 107.5, will be a full-power station with the capability of reaching Sacramento once it is fully operational. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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