-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Montana Missoula LPFM 80' Tower Request Denied
- Thread starter RF101
- Start date
The KEIV-LP CP Expires: 04/02/2027.
This is the City Council report on the tower.
pub-missoula.escribemeetings.com
This is the City Council report on the tower.
Conditional Use Request for Wireless Communication Facility at 5425 Gharrett Street - City Council Meeting - March 16, 2026
Last edited:
Yes, there is still time and I pray the pastor and members press on in their effort to avail the community of this 24hr gospel witness.
Last century several churches got fiberglass "steeples". There "steeples" had / have cell antennas hidden under the fiberglass. It was a decent workaround to the NIMBYs. Assuming they are not too close to a runway, they could build a steeple with a bell that they ring at noon, and possibly let the city or county put tornado sirens up there to. Of course they hid the antenna in the structure too.
If that isn't practical, couldn't they go on an existing tower or building? The cost of tower construction would probably pay several years of rent.
If that isn't practical, couldn't they go on an existing tower or building? The cost of tower construction would probably pay several years of rent.
The church is south of town.. no steeple.. its a one story building and nothing tall nearby. leasing space and getting an stl is probably not fesible for them for a number of reasons.
Even with 80 feet at the church the signal wouldnt city grad the entire city
Even with 80 feet at the church the signal wouldnt city grad the entire city
It should not be that hard to move a LPFM into it's COL. There are a couple of translator towers (for AMs) that appear to cover Missoula (on paper) that have an antenna height upper 100ft.*.
If you have a person that knows a little about Linux they can take two used computers (really cheap if they can't handle the latest Microsoft operating system) install a Linux operating system and get a tunneling protocol program with support for under $15 a month last time I checked.
* I know a large number of folks have a hard time accepting Radio-locator but for speed you just type in Missoula MT and OTA stations show up. Of course if someone is paying you, you should start with FCCdata then double check using the clunky FCC site. Time is money.
you entirely missed something i said... renting tower space probably isnt fesible. and id wager theyd spend more to rent space than the station ver brought in every month
Not doubting that a bit, on paper. So, probably asking a rhetorical question here, why won't the city let them put up an 80-foot tower, when some towers already exist, which are clearly taller than that height? Bottom line (it appears to me, from this armchair) is, they are a church, which desires to have a constant gospel witness in their community and the counsel is opposed to such. Wonder if they fought the church from the get go or this is their first battle with them? To quote the old song written by Joel Hemphill, carry on church, 'til Jesus comes.
Officially (separating Church and State) that might be the city's issue. There are already "ugly" towers in town. Why do there need to be more in a residential area.
As a Christian, If I was on the City counsel, I would have had a meeting with the Church before and explained to them that there are existing towers that would allow them cover more people at sub 100 foot levels. Also most likely it will be cheaper when you factor in tower construction and insurance too.
Then I would tell them I was voting against them not as a negative to the Church but when you look at it from a financial and more importantly spreading the Word to the most people view, the City is doing them a favor.
There could be mileage restrictions on the LPFM to move.
Haven't seen the LPFM license, etc. So, the CP is actually for/on the church property? Is the COL the town the church is in or right outside of, as they say?
Even though Missoula is a college town, it is still MT and still pretty darned conservative. I doubt they (the city council) have a problem with Baptists. The neighborhood living across the street might be the bigger issue.
I see they have erected a tall cross on the property, which NO city government is likely to concern themselves with. Seems like you could put a dipole on top of that, keep it white in color so as not to distract, and it would work out for everybody. But maybe I am just being dumb here. And maybe this is blasphemous; if so, sincerely sorry for the suggestion.
Missoula is in the bottom of a bowl and not huge geographically- the church are on one lip of the bowl so even at 80 feet and 100 watts should cover town pretty well.
I see they have erected a tall cross on the property, which NO city government is likely to concern themselves with. Seems like you could put a dipole on top of that, keep it white in color so as not to distract, and it would work out for everybody. But maybe I am just being dumb here. And maybe this is blasphemous; if so, sincerely sorry for the suggestion.
Missoula is in the bottom of a bowl and not huge geographically- the church are on one lip of the bowl so even at 80 feet and 100 watts should cover town pretty well.
Thanks for the input on the town, etc. Re: the antenna on the cross, now that could be an option, if push came to shove. Wonder what the taller, (and I believe somebody said) uglier towers are used for in the town?
It should be an outreach. Not a revenue grab like KLove.
I count at least 5 towers within 5 miles of Missoula. I haven't tried to rent space in Missoula but it can't be that high. If you look at the Missoula page on radio locator this town is over radioed. I doubt anyone is making large dollars to pay large expenses. There are a couple of LPFMs on some of these towers. A non profit in KY has discovered insurance on a tower is not cheap either. It really depends on how much this church wants to spend.
There was a Lutheran Church in Lake Worth FL that had a 100 foot cross erected in 2009 that had T-Mobile antennas inside. Like Chico said they could think about modifying the existing cross if they are determined to have antenna in site. They really should do a 5 or 10 year study on the costs either way.
The CP is on their property and wants to build the tower behind the church. Some LPFM stations have a very small area that they can be moved to.
Addressing the outreach versus money grabbing, I say amen. Jesus has two sses and they aren't dollar signs. To which non-prophet in KY are you referring?