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WDFH- Community Radio in Westchester County

B

Barry

In yesterday's Journal News, Westchester's daily newspaper, there was a front page article about the county's only community radio station, WDFH. They are struggling financially, and appealing for funds to be able to keep broadcasting.
Westchester's only on air community station has an interesting history of ups and downs, and is an illustration of the travails of establishing a noncommercial station in the crowded spectrum in the shadow of New York City. After years and years of trying, they were able to get permission from the F.C.C. for a low power signal on 90.3 FM, and an antenna at a reasonable height. This went on the air last year, with approx. 53 watts, directional, from a site north of Pleasantville. This apparently covers a rather limited area, as I am not able to receive it in many parts of the county.
I wonder whether the lack of funds is due more to the economy, or local apathy, with so many other radio stations audible in the area. Most of their talk programming originates from Pacifica, and is probably also available on WBAI.
The interesting newspaper article:http://www.lohud.com/article/20104120330.
A detailed station history from the WDFH website: http://www.wdfh.org/history.htm.
 
Nice to hear WDFH streaming now. The music mix is certainly unique - organic progressive rock, and I hear that telltale vinyl crackle on some tracks. I used to listen to WDFH's predecessor on cable TV in the 80s. Founder Marc has been at this a long time. Hopefully the station is on the path to financial stability.

Anyone in the area looking to get involved in radio either as a hobby or for training purposes might look into DFH.
 
Step one, dump all of that Pacifica crap and get some volunteer jocks on the air in its place. If WBAI can't raise sufficient money with a signal booming off of Empire in the middle of the dial, why would a 53 watt directional pea shooter in Pleasantville be able to?

If you get more of the local community involved, the people that know the people involved will support it and spread the word, in turn getting more supporters.

I applaud what Mark Sophos is trying to do and has done over the past 30 years with the station, but it's time to lose the aging hippie/radical programming from Pacifica. It's polarizing at best, and I'm sure makes potential donors go away.

Partner with an area high school for some talent. Grab interns from a community college in the area. Sell blocks of time on Sunday morning to the local churches. I don't care whether you agree with them or not, it's money to keep the station afloat and support the other 160 hours you want to program during the week. Things can be done to save a rare local outlet like this, but it takes being creative and not just sitting there saying "we need money to stay on". Sell an hour to the local chamber of commerce (most likely a 501c3 non-profit, so it can be done, as with the churches) to talk about their towns and interview local townspeople about the rec teams and other activities going on. Again, you have to engage the local community to garner support for an LPFM.

Taking Pacifica off the bird isn't going to do it, and it will result in WDFH going dark or turning into another member of the God Squad of stations.
 
WNTIRadio said:
Step one, dump all of that Pacifica crap and get some volunteer jocks on the air in its place. If WBAI can't raise sufficient money with a signal booming off of Empire in the middle of the dial, why would a 53 watt directional pea shooter in Pleasantville be able to?
Click to expand...

Would you include "Democracy Now!"? Day in and day out, it gets big ratings spikes at WBAI and is probably the one show that lures most of the pledge money. Whether or not you like its political view, it has proven to attract loyal audiences who will support the station financially. Granted, what other 'BAI programs 'DFH simulcasts may be negligible, but "DN!" would seem to me to be more of a help than a hindrance.

And can a non-com station sell airtime to churches?
 
Depends upon who you're trying to target. I would debate a "big ratings spike". Okay, well maybe in comparison to the handful of listeners that the other BAI shows attract, but I don't know anyone or know anyone who knows anyone that listens to Democracy Now. And that covers both people in the industry and out of the industry. All ages and income levels too.

Also, BAI comes in quite well in all of WDFH's coverage area, so I don't see what they gain other than filling airtime by airing any of those shows.
 
My college station recently moved Democracy Now from 6 in the evening to 5 in the morning. Internet listening went down during the Democracy Now show, so we figured that translated into declining listenership over the air, and so it was moved to 5 AM.
 
I was on my way home today, passing through on 684 and the Saw Mill, so I figured I would flip on WDFH and see what was going on. I heard 3 "hippie protest songs" in a row, including "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie (the only one I could immediately recognize). It's not that protest songs can't be aired, but when you have a whole block from the 60's, and they sure do SOUND old and outdated.

I don't know who they're trying to target, but nobody under 60 is going to be interested in hearing all these anti-Vietnam songs, especially since what's going on now in the world is so complex. Bring it up to date, at the very least.

It sounds like a station that would have a large following in Greenwich Village, but not central and northern Westchester.
 
I agree that airing Pacifica shows and very dated music may not be the best way to connect with the community they are trying to serve (and hope to receive donations from).
But Westchester does not have a tradition of having community radio. So it may be difficult to come up with programming that draws in the community, on a shoestring budget. But unfortunately there does not seem to be any buzz in the area about WDFH.
 
Actually, I think one of the things the station does best is blend 60s, 70s and newer progressive rock/AAA. They feature plenty of things I haven't heard in years and some I've never heard, and it's well-segued. I had the station on (via the web) most of the day Sunday and found it most listenable. Granted, the genre is an acquired taste, but then so is most college/alternative rock. DFH appears to own this genre. Most other noncomms are programming newer music.

I'm not at all a fan of Democracy Now, nor transmissions from planet BAI in general, but I will tune back in for the music. DFH needs to get some more personalities that can match the quality of Vinnie Curran and Dave Foster's music shows. But the station sounds really good for what they're doing.
 
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