Radio Maria USA needs volunteer engineers

[Limp73]

Radio Maria USA which owns WHJM-FM (88.7) Anna, OH and WULM-AM (1600) in Springfield near Dayton,OH is in need of volunteers with an engineering or technical background to maintain its local transmitters and to install studio equipment at its new studio site in Springfield. Other volunteers are also needed for local fundraising functions,visiting parishes and nursing homes and checking local church bulletins for major events that may be worthy of broadcast.

WHJM studio/office in nearby Minster (419)628-8770 (ask for Ernestine Miller)
WULM Dayton office (937)425-8773 (ask for Jill Thomas)

National board president Mary Pyper emphasizes that this is a VOUNTEER position.

If you are a broadcast engineering professional who is a devoted Catholic.. your much needed help will be appreciated.

 

[DanStrassberg]

If you are a broadcast engineering professional who is a devoted Catholic.. your much needed help will be appreciated.

My understanding is that if you are a bona fide religious organization (and maybe even a commercial broadcasting company whose programs target an audience of a particular religious group), you CAN legally make that statement in your recruiting copy. BUT since the positions you are trying to fill appear not to be for on-air talent or even for people who would be working behind the scenes to prepare material for broadcast, what possible reason would you have for restricting the openings to individuals of any particular religious affiliation?

I can imagine your saying that only devout Catholics would be happy working in your environment, but wouldn't it be better to let the applicant discover that for him- or herself? Even saying nothing and then just not making any offers to non-Catholics might be preferable. Sure comes across as both inappropriate and insensitive in multiethnic, multicultural 21st-century America.

 

[Limp73]

Did not mean to offend or sound inappropriate. Should have included anyone interested to help. My apologies.

 

[Bengalsfan]

I can tell you from experience that you get what you pay for. If you ask someone for free labor, you are going to get someone who isn't worth paying for to help you. You can get away with free board ops and such, however engineering is not something you should skimp on. You can get someone in there who thinks they are an engineer and likes to pretend they are an engineer and it will wind up costing you more to repair the problems and/or pay FCC fines for improper operation than it would to actually budget for, and hire, a respected contract engineer.

I have recently cleaned up a LPFM station after a "volunteer" engineer burned up the transmitter, feedline and antenna by not knowing of what he was doing. The studio was wired up with zip cord and had major hum and TI in the audio. For what they paid me to correct the studio problems and repair the damage and replace the equipment at the transmitter, they could have hired me to stop by once a month and check on things. They are now also facing a possible Notice of Liability because another station complained and the FCC field agent found them operating at about three times the licensed power.

I urge your organization to find the money in the budget to hire a reputable engineer.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

Agreed. If you cannot find a broadcast engineer in the market at LEAST try to find a tech-savvy ham that will help. There are plenty of audio installer guys out there that might help you with that part but you do need someone with RF experience (limited as it requires for your power level) to install and oversee the transmission system. Not doing the right thing can cost you and create a lot of hell for the station.