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I want an LPFM license in Madison, Mississippi

I hope our friend understood all that free info, I shared with him. If he doesn't, then he may as well hang up his hat and forget about pursuing a LPFM radio station. Hope I didn't talk above his head, Mr. Frankberry sir. Just trying to help him do things right, where he can pursue a station of his own. Hey I'm still offering to send him copies of the station logs, I have to fill out, if he wants any. I'll even send him a sample copy, with instructions, on how to fill it out legally.

Dan <><​
 
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Just remember this in closing sir. You may not get everything you want, if the LPFM radio station works out. Chances are, you may have to bite your own tongue and do things that may not appeal to you, just to stay afloat. Take this advice, from someone that's been in the LPFM business for five years and run with it. I may not like everything we do here but if the blessings are still coming, the listeners are still loving the presentation and the bills are being paid, I must bite my tongue and do them anyway or else I lose this radio station.​

Dan <><
 
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Thisi said:
I meant, "We want", not "I want"
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Who is the "we"? Do you already have a board or committee of people who are behind this station? I really hope so, because your thought-free one-liner posts here give me no confidence that you're in a position to launch a radio station yourself. You didn't even have the reading skills to start the topic in the right section - this is "buy or sell". I'm not convinced you're capable of reading these posts.

I've been there, and done it. But when I say I, what I really mean is that I was a part of a local movement to set up and launch a non-profit station. I didn't launch a station myself - that would be ridiculous. The vast majority of the work in setting up a community radio station is in community-building work, not in transmitters and licenses and studios and music logs. As an old friend of mine used to say at any given opportunity, it's "90% community, 10% radio". We had endless interminable meetings, had to make a strong case for funders and underwriters to give us thousands in set-up and running costs, had to constantly manage the competing needs of funders, volunteers and listeners. On one occasion, we had to break up a literal fist-fight in the building between two guys who wanted to do the same show.

It was endless, often thankless, work. Often, we'd go to bed at night thinking we had no chance of ever launching. You need to really love what you're doing, and have the staying power to work all the hours God gives you - and you don't even seem to be able to build a functioning website, or ask knowledgeable people for help without throwing one-liner insults. Community radio, more so than any other type of radio, is made of people. Are you confident, intelligent and pleasant enough to convince people to work for your station for free, to fund your station, to build a community of local people around your station? If not, then this is as far as you're getting.

(Just noticed the post from @frankberry - you can answer when you're back from "vacation"!)
 
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Miss Tuned makes a powerful statement in regard to the sort of personality one needs to spearhead starting a radio station. I have always been a friendly person, talking with anybody and always being myself. I'd make a horrible poker player. I'd say people tend to like me because they can see that I'm just being me, no pretending to be who I'm not. In my various advertising sales positions I've had I have not been that 'could sell anything' guy but rather my clients slowly come around and tend to be loyal and trusting. Once they're on with me they tend to stick with me. Yes, I am concerned with their continued success and willing to go beyond selling advertising to help them. I believe this serves me well and has allowed me through doors that might have otherwise been closed.

I try to bond with people, finding something where we share an interest or view. I can ask questions and demonstrate interest. I also respect differing opinions. I think that helps. My Dad told of a speaker that said if it doesn't matter, always agree. As an example, he said he and his wife were watching TV one evening with their son and daughter got in an argument. The son comes down and asks his Dad, you heard the argument, am I right? Dad says you are son. Minutes later the daughter asks him who is right. He says you are to his daughter. The wife looks over and says Dad should say both are right. He tells his wife, you're right dear.

Smiling helps a bunch. If you smile easily as a part of your personality, it will help. People can tell if it is forced. I visit clients in person. I get to know them. I get to know their business. Then I sincerely try to help. If they succeed, so do I.

I'm passionate about radio. I love this business. It's as much a part of me as any vital organ in my body. That passion drives my posts here. Failure does too. When it doesn't fall together, you learn and avoid the previous pitfalls. And you don't want others to experience it.

That passion drives a thirst for knowledge. I say I'm no expert. I have just seen a lot. I've watched things succeed and I've watched things fail. I made mental notes. I analyzed why.

Like so many jobs, it 90% something else and maybe 10% what you love. Without the 90%, the 10% won't happen so you had better learn to master the 90% and find satisfaction in doing this.

If you want a station, knowing why is important. I think we have something inside us that makes us want to leave something behind; something that matters to the general population. I want to serve a community with a common place where they can get news and information about the place where they live, where they can come together to be on the same page to build on the local quality of life. It's not that I can do this on my own but if I can be a part of making that happen, all the better.

So, as you decide if you want a radio station, I urge you to look at yourself and ask yourself why and how you have the personality to do it. Do not think you can pawn off what you don't enjoy to someone else. You have to know it all and learn to like it as much as you can. For many it is sales. As I have told people, to hire someone to sell for you, you have to understand and guide that person in what they do. The good salespeople are unaffordable so you have to cultivate a newbie in most instances and you'll need to pay them. They'll come to you for advice when they can't seem to get through to a client. You had better be able to help with knowledge because you faced the same issue in the past.

A quick point on sales: you are going to fail if you can't offer a paycheck to that sales/underwriting person. How many jobs would you take with zero salary? Maybe you might just give them your paycheck so you understand why people won't accept that commission only offer. Sales requires going to see people and getting to know them so they want to be an advertiser or underwriter. That never happens until at least the 5th to 8th visit. In fact I have seen it take a year.
 
I also noticed that his site wasn't functioning right either. All I saw was dead links and coming soon type of messages. With that being said, I don't think he's in a position to even start up a LPFM radio station. Many people on here, have been kind enough to help him learn the rules and everything else involved in starting up this radio station. Some have even given him ideas as it relates to the programming he should offer. All we get from this fellow, is insults and one liners that sound very flippant to me. If he's going to present himself like this, then what makes him believe he can start up or run a LPFM radio station. Since many of us are trying to help him, realize the dream, he should be man enough to say thanks for all your help and advice. I will do these things and work hard at making it happen. It seems like to me, he doesn't want to take our own advice and learn from it. Since that's the case, I believe the time for him to abandon the dream should happen now. If he won't even pay us attention and do what needs to be done, it would be a waste of his time and resources to go any further.

Dan <><

P.S. Loved those two posts you just made Missed Tuned and B-Turner. Learned so much from them.​
 
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R.D.P. said:
All we get from this fellow, is insults and one liners that sound very flippant to me. If he's going to present himself like this, then what makes him believe he can start up or run a LPFM radio station.​
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Not being completely in touch with reality? :unsure:

Seriously, reading the thread to this point was an eye-opener even for those of us with no real intention of owning, operating, or even being involved with an LPFM facility.

For some, the price of education is steep.

Thanks to all that have contributed to the education; perhaps the powers-that-be could move the thread to a more appropriate location since the content has drifted.
 
Step one is to find an open frequency for the service you want to provide in the community you want to serve that can be licensed with the FCC. I found no frequency for a Madison Mississippi LPFM that works under the current FCC rules. And, no I don't want his money. I have always helped people get licenses for free. Spread the love.

I will remember those who helped me along the way for the rest of my life. I also remember those who said I was stupid or crazy and could never succeed. The experts were laughing when I told the newspaper that I would play some Irish folk songs and Inca Indian music. They said I'd surely go broke.
But, they all went broke instead.

No opportunity ever opened for me to own a station in my Ohio hometown. I had to move. The FCC granted me commercial FM's near Lafayette Indiana and Indianapolis starting out. That was more than 30 years ago. So, never let anyone say you can't do it. I'm still on the air and those who love what I do won't mind if I play something that's unusual. And yes the bills are all paid.

I still love radio even after half a century in it. But I hate all the ego clashes.
 
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Spareparts said:
The link on the wyab.com website to the FCC wyab public file is broken.
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Spareparts -

That is a very recent issue with the FCC's online PIF. The old links used lower callsigns, while the updated links need to be uppercase. This is a known situation that just crept up in the past few days and affected many stations. I appreciate you bringing it to light, and we will get the link updated this evening.

--- Casual Observer
 
Now for more proof, that a new LPFM radio station for Madison Mississippi won't happen, for now. Details here: Radio Stations in Madison, Mississippi. I'm not an engineer per se but from what I see here, there are no spaces available for a new radio station, in your hometown. Sorry about that Mr. Thisi.

Dan <><​
 
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I see several channels that could fit a 100-watt LPFM there... but that's the easy part. I concur that there doesn't seem to be a coherent plan here to do all the hard work needed to actually make it happen and keep happening day after day.
 
fybush said:
I see several channels that could fit a 100-watt LPFM there... but that's the easy part. I concur that there doesn't seem to be a coherent plan here to do all the hard work needed to actually make it happen and keep happening day after day.
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Thanks for taking a fresh look at this. I see under the spacing requirements the Jackson translator's are only protected for 24 kilometers on co channel. That's 14.9 miles. But, those translators get out like Class A's.
Here's one. Here's another You'll find Madison on the north east side of Jackson on the map. The LPFM contours will be within the translator's contour. Wow!

I guess his next step would be to get some friends together and file for a nonprofit corporation with the Mississippi Secretary of State. The cost is $50.
 
Madison is the wealthy part of the Jackson metro. Those translator owners would be really pissed off. Can't blame them for that. The FCC really needs to change LPFM rules to contours instead of miles because there is a frequency in the noncommercial band where an LPFM wouldn't hurt anyone. But he is prohibited by being short spaced by miles in the LPFM rules These channels are really bad. Better one below.
 
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Madison is 1.3 miles short spaced to this Jackson LPFM. But with a site 1.3 miles North East it would work. 95.1 MHz.
 
Wow! o_O I didn't know that. I was going on info, that was on those two links and thought nothing would work for him. Thanks for sharing this with us Mr. Flying Dutchman and Fybush. I appreciate it.​

Dan <><
 
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Today is Thanksgiving and I have to reflect on my life and like wow! I got to live a dream! I may be old now. But I also remember there was once a time when all I had was a dream.
 
Brother, I applaud you for wanting to dive into the world of LPFM. Looking at your site, you would have a definite niche that could be filled. Having said that... I really believe you would be in over your head given all of the requirements for a license. It takes years to even get ready to apply. It's also extremely expensive even with used equipment. You also must consider that you will have a ton of competition from established stations from Jackson. The reality that many people don't want to talk about is that many listeners simply don't care about a hyper-focused local station such as what you're proposing. As an LPFM that can't sell advertising and must rely on underwriting (and the rules on that are very strict and confusing) and donations, you're going to have a tough time remaining on the air with such a format.

I have two recommendations for you: Reconsider your format if you still want to take the time (again, we're talking years to even prepare to apply) to try and get this off the ground and on the air. Full service with jazz and adult standards only appeals to a very specific listener from a much older demographic. In other words, you're only going to have a small listener base to begin with.

The second is to consider streaming. The advantages of streaming are that streaming does not require a license from the FCC and can be accomplished with much less money. I understand that one must have an app and a device to receive your station, but you can find a much wider listener base than you could have with LPFM. There are still things you will need to do such as being in compliance with ASCAP/BMI/SoundXchange royalty reporting, but it can be done (and there are services such as Live365 that will handle all of that for you).

I don't think any of us are trying to discourage you, but I believe we are simply trying to help you think this through. If any of us can help, I'm sure we all would be glad to. I know I would.

Best wishes!

Jonathan
 
This really comes down to money. Does he have $10,000 to $20,000 for the project? The EAS and the type certified LPFM transmitter will run between 6 & 7 thousand bucks for both. The antenna will be around $500. Then he needs a tower and tower site. He will need a studio.

This project can come together quickly if he has access to resources and is really serious about wanting to do this.

He also needs to find a couple people whom he trusts to put on the board of a nonprofit corporation and get filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
 
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