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Iowa New LPFM Granted in Des Moines

R

radiorobert

Climate March has been awarded a new LPFM license on 107.9 transmitting with 16 watts.


The award comes after the FCC initially scored a competing application which created a tie and told both entities they would need to share time. The commission reevaluated the application and Climate March came out on top.

The signal pattern is not great for core population coverage.


Thus, I don't understand how this will make an impact much in the part of the metro that would likely relate most to their mission or if it will actually even end up being built.
 
Many LPFMs that are run by existing non-profits are simply radio stations. Programming is not about, say, Climate March, except maybe a PSA or two.
 
From some searching I did online to see what other stations they are affiliated with this will no doubt be probably more of a greenpeace and also left leaning type outlet. Think in the broad vein of Radio Pacifica. Maybe a closer to home example is KHOI in Ames. Probably an eclectic mix of music and programming.
 
radiorobert said:
From some searching I did online to see what other stations they are affiliated with this will no doubt be probably more of a greenpeace and also left leaning type outlet. Think in the broad vein of Radio Pacifica. Maybe a closer to home example is KHOI in Ames. Probably an eclectic mix of music and programming.
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I never heard of KHOI before now, but their programming is definitely eclectic:
 
b-turner said:
Many LPFMs that are run by existing non-profits are simply radio stations. Programming is not about, say, Climate March, except maybe a PSA or two.
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Actually, there are quite a few LPFM radio stations whose parent organizations have motivations beyond owning radio stations just for the fun of owning radio stations. Since LPFM operations have to be noncommercial outlets run by non-profit organizations, it stands to reason that a good many of them are owned, or run by, organizations with ulterior motives.

That said, this particular grant does answer a question that I raised in another thread on the subject; namely, would the current administration grant LPFM licenses to organizations with which it politically disagrees? You might scoff at my concern here, but the head of that administration has made a lot of rhetorical noise about "defanging the left" so I'm relieved to see that this grant was approved
 
Miss Tuned said:
16 watts is certainly power saving - they're doing their bit for the climate.
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And that is a power pig compared to some other LPFMs that are in the single digit power range. For instance KMAZ here in Houston runs all of one watt.
radiofan2023 said:
I never heard of KHOI before now, but their programming is definitely eclectic:
Click to expand...
Looking over the KHOI schedule you would think it was a Pacifica station.
 
Miss Tuned said:
16 watts is certainly power saving - they're doing their bit for the climate.
Click to expand...

Mediafrog+ said:
And that is a power pig compared to some other LPFMs that are in the single digit power range. For instance KMAZ here in Houston runs all of one watt.
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Reading “Climate March’s” website, I get the impression of an organization that had a purpose but is now grasping for continued relevance. It’s hard to see how an LPFM covering the northeast corner of Des Moines assists in that process, but maybe I lack imagination.

Mediafrog+ said:
Looking over the KHOI schedule you would think it was a Pacifica station.
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This seems pretty common for volunteer-run, community-oriented radio stations - e.g. KKFI Kansas City; KOPN Columbia, Mo.; KGNU Boulder-Denver; etc.

It would be cool if KHOI had a translator in Des Moines. That would at least provide a counterweight to all the religious overload on the dial there.
 
The issue with this will be given where its transmitter is located it wont have much of a presence where the majority of the population is. It does sit up at a good height for an LPFM but 16 watts is pretty weak and its on a frequency that will have a fair bit of co-channel interference at various times from KKRF Stuart and KFMW Waterloo.
 


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