A dream of a local Christian radio station is in need of funds as they race to meet a January on air deadline.
The radio station, KPGC 95.1, is a low band FM radio station being built in Norman. It is the dream of Len Doughty who has been working for three years to make his vision a reality.
Doughty, a registered nurse, discovered a void in good family Christian radio in the area and felt called to fill that void.
His journey began by educating himself on all things broadcasting. Doughty received his technical certification from the Society of Broadcast Engineers and developed a plan to get the station built and launched. Community interest is strong and enthusiastic, but finances are short of what is needed. Unlike large commercial radio stations, which can cost millions of dollars to launch, Len has worked with experienced broadcasters and other professionals to develop the plan to launch KPGC for $25,000.
KPGC 95.1 will be non-commercial, non-profit and educational. The board of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, His Will, Inc., will oversee operations. KPGC is part of a “new breed” of Low Power FM (LPFM) stations intended to allow communities to have their own station. The station will be heard by listeners in communities in the area and in vehicles as people drive through the area.
Doughty hopes the station can help provide support and encouragement in the area that can lead to economic growth as well as spiritual enrichment. The station will project a positive message of hope and restoration through music and a variety of informative, educational and Biblically based programs.
Doughty has benefited from the help of experienced broadcasters and other professionals in this endevour and has completed a business plan and is ready to build the station. Unfortunately, the construction permit obtained from the FCC will expire January 24 of next year. The station must broadcast by that date, or the project is over.
Doughty has split his business plan into two phases in an effort to meet the FCC deadline.
Phase 1 is conservatively designed to get the station On-the-Air as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Initially, the programming will come from Life Talk Radio, but local shows will be produced as soon as possible. The plans for Phase 1 enable the coverage area to remain as strong as originally planned, with the broadcast originating on a hill from the top of the city’s water tower.
Phase 2 will come later with plans for a studio and upgraded equipment. Standby generators will provide a stable signal during power outages. An economically equipped station building will facilitate the production of local and live broadcasts.
Some equipment donations have been helpful, but most of the equipment needed to put the station On-the-Air is yet to be purchased. This includes the construction of a transmitter building, the purchase of the FM broadcast transmitter, transmission cable and broadcast antenna, Emergency Alert System (EAS), audio switcher and related broadcast interfaces and equipment. Phase 1 funding must also cover the first year of liability insurance and music royalty fees that require up front payment.
The goal is to raise the essential $18,000 of the $25,000 initial budget by the end of this campaign on November 30 of this year.
The initial funding of $18,000, will be enough to put the station on the air before the January deadline, preserving the FCC license. This will allow them to pursue other fund raising efforts to support the continuing operation and further development of KPGC.
Monthly operating expenses to keep the station on-the-air for the first year make up the rest of the funding needed above the $18,000. They currently have a matching grant from a generous donor. That means that the donor will give an amount equal to the amount of contributions.
They are also working on applications for grants which must be turned in by the end of the year. If the station is broadcasting by then it will increase the likelihood the station might receive the grants.
If you would like to help fund this endeavor you can do so through a GoFundMe acount they have set up. A link can be found on the Montgomery County News Facebook page.