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Some New Ideas I Want To Run With (Plans For My LPFM)

R

R.D.P.

On the main channel do His Glory Radio. (Adult CCM Hits and Oldies)
On HD channel 1 do Retro Radio. (Classic Songs From Larry Norman to the 90s)
ON HD channel 2 do Revolution Radio. (Christian Rock and Hip-Hop)

Won't build out the two HD stations, till I get the main one going and established.  Want to see my first station come to pass, later on this year.  I'm so excited over this dream.  Ready to get to work on it.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. In those two HD channels, I want the letter t to resemble the Cross of Jesus.  And yes I intend to build out two low powered relays for those HD stations.  I want to make sure that everyone, myself included, has a chance to listen to them.
 
I don't think they make FCC Type Certified transmitters which are HD capable. And you have a lot of cost involved too. Most if not all Christian listeners don't own HD Radios, they can't even be bothered with a better analog tuner.
 
That's my one question. Even if you'll be able to do HD subchannels, who will be able to listen? I pray that God will bless your efforts though. Don't give up! :)
 
It is good to DREAM BIG but I offer this advice: After looking long and hard at the LPFM concept, you are likely to have your hands full just getting the station on the air, and then keeping it "pruned and well fertilized". Financially, just meeting the essential needs of your primary audio channel is going to keep you working around the clock.

Broadcasters with big stations in big markets are finding that HD is a challenge when it comes to finances. I haven't seen any figures lately, but what Ibiquity was asking in license fees at one time would probably exceed the entire budget of your LPFM.... and that is before you pay for equipment to make it work.

Focus on your main dream for the main channel for now. You will have your hands full coming up with enough program content for one channel. Program content for THREE channels is beyond the scope of LPFM.
 
Thanks for the advice Mr. Goat Rodeo Cowboy.

I'm going to concentrate on getting one radio station in the works for now.

Those other two will happen, after my first one is on and established.

R.D.P. <><
 
Excellent advice from GRC.

From my past experience as a manager, I can tell you that a one-or two person operation running 24/7 will keep you busier than a one-armed paperhanger.

None of the broadcasters in Tallahassee run HD or plan to for the forseeable future. It may work someway, somehow, way down the road. It is extremely expensive. You can get more listeners on an Internet stream than via HD radio, at least for now.

There are a lot of Christian-formatted stations now in almost every market. You will have to have GREAT content to get noticed. And that is GREAT for the listeners, not for us as wanna be LPFM owner- operators.

Best first step is to have a good consulting engineer to help you plow through that FCC filing process.
 
EMF is not running HD Radio, they are flush with tax free money. HD involves also having to pay iBiquity large sums of cash annually. You'll have ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC public performance royalties to pay every year. Broadcast equipment is not cheap either, nor is a building, buying programming and maintaining equipment which means you'll need to pay an engineer. I have wanted to put a beautiful format LPFM analog station on the air. I estimated it would cost close to $30,000-$40,000 plus to build it and do a quality job of it to my standards. And that is also with refurbishing some used gear involved (Transmitter and EAS

[EDIT]


I have dreamed of having a easy listening LPFM on the air. But it would take $18,000-$30,000 minimum to put this station on the air assuming I had a channel opening up. And that is assuming some used gear would have to be purchased. Doing it to my standards audio wise won't be cheap to do and gear is not cheap to maintain either. And this is not doing HD Radio either. An LPFM station is not cheap to do and meet minimum standards expected of FM broadcast. EMF has millions upon millions of dollar budgets, they don't do HD. And my audio standards are far stricter than Christian Radio ever does except rarely either. Not trying to dissuade you, but when the millionaire and billionaire non commercial Christian broadcasters don't do HD Radio, that is something to listen to.


[EDIT-excess space removed per Terms of Service.]
 
Kent T said:
EMF is not running HD Radio, they are flush with tax free money. HD involves also having to pay iBiquity large sums of cash annually. You'll have ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC public performance royalties to pay every year. Broadcast equipment is not cheap either, nor is a building, buying programming and maintaining equipment which means you'll need to pay an engineer. I have wanted to put a beautiful format LPFM analog station on the air. I estimated it would cost close to $30,000-$40,000 plus to build it and do a quality job of it to my standards. And that is also with refurbishing some used gear involved (Transmitter and EAS
Click to expand...

EMF leases HD channels to feed translators but they do not run HD transmitters on any of their own full power stations -- I thought they had one out west at one point but I think they inherited it from whomever they bought the license from.
 
Other thing to consider is HD Radio is much shorter range than analog coverage. With a LPFM, it would not pay to run HD. You need as much modulation out of that analog LPFM as you can get.
 
As others have already commented and I mentioned in another post, your focus needs to be one station. You need to spend all your time with gaining an audience, being involved in your local community, growing your income base and most importantly being a great ministry to the community. It is not about trying to please everyone with a bunch of formats.

HD is a terrible investment as very, very few people actually have HD radios. It's likely it will go the road of AM Stereo.

Put all your efforts in making one channel sound best and find local personalities that will benefit the ministry.
 
Already have plans of doing just that.

Want to be something different and exciting altogether.

Plan on offering something, no one else here is currently doing.

Want to be a real voice for the voiceless.

R.D.P. <><
 
I'n thinking about those that still say we need a Contemporary Christian music radio station here.

I've had a few people to say that to me recently.

I told these friends, if things work out, I plan on bringing this type of presentation to the airwaves.

R.D.P. <><
 
Already shared this info with Mr. Alan and Josh off site but here we go.

My plans are now to do this:

8:00 to 10:00 Sunday Mornings--Preaching block (2 Local Preachers and a local Church service)
11:00 to 12:00 Sunday Mornings--Preaching block (My Home Church Service)
6:00 to 8:00 Sunday Nights--Preaching Block (2 More local Preachers and a local Church Service)

Rest of the time all music mixed in with Atlanta Braves Baseball. (Should I be able to carry the games on this LPFM outlet) (Want to do it and give my audience something to keep them entertained during the baseball season)

I believe this idea will be winning formula for me and this upstart radio station, once God allows me to get it on the air.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. Let the Moody and AFR people have their national Preachers. I don't want any part of that. Want this LPFM to be all local all the time. No satellite musical formats or programming period. Just a wonderful mix of great CCM from Larry Norman to the present releases, along with some great local Preachers from this city and a broadcast of my favorite baseball team, the red hot Atlanta Braves.
 
Just did and it reflects my new direction for this presentation.

Want to do all music daily and keep the Preaching confined to three separate blocks on Sundays.

Want to do Atlanta Braves Baseball on here too.

R.D.P. <><
 
Broadcasting MLB will probably not work for you as it is very likely that they will require you to carry their commercials. LPFMs cannot broadcast commercials so this will disqualify you. You may want to instead carry a few local college night games... sports with Contemporary Christian Music did not work for us.
 
Sports can get expensive if you have to pay for the broadcasting rights and then have to sell enough
spots or underwriters to carry the game.

The AM daytimer I worked for carried Alabama Crimson Tide football, for a few years. We had 6 advertisers. But then one year, one advertiser said, "You don't carry ALL the games, since you have
to sign off at sunset." All of a sudden, four of the six sponsors were gone. We finished out the season per our agreement, but never renewed.

Focus on your primary format for now. There is a lot of "lip service" for Christian radio that doesn't translate into financial support. The AM daytimer had done fairly well for over a decade, but the advent of all the new Christian networks and such finished it off. I bought the music library. It contained CCM going back to the 70s, before there was enough music to build a full time format.

That station is now leased to a Catholic group. They are struggling to make the $5k lease payments.
 
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