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P.O. Box 2091, Port Townsend, Wa 98368 info@kptz.org (360) 379-6886
NEWS FLASH .......September 26th., 2008 Radio Port Townsend receives the license to construct from the FCC. Our call sign has been registered
KPTZ 91.9 FM
Our plan is to test broadcast in about 12 months.
Our Pledge Goal was $64,000 ...... we received $68,848 in Founder pledges
THANK YOU!
Radio Port Townsend is a non-profit organization with a mission to secure for our community a non-commercial, educational FM radio license. We are applying for an FCC license to operate at 91.5 on the FM dial. Our plan is to fund, build and operate a local access radio station that is vibrant, independent, and local.
Radio Port Townsend Board: Sherry Jones, Collin Brown, Colin Foden, Ann Katzenbach
Radio Port Townsend Mission Statement
KRPT will contribute to the quality of life in the communities it serves by providing:
• A community-driven radio service that is educational, entertaining, informative and relevant.
• Exposure to music, arts, issues and current events
• An inclusive forum for members of the community to constructively express their ideas, opinions and concerns
• A long-term commitment to high quality in the areas of broadcasting, management, funding and programming
We are looking for supporters who:
· Recognize this once-in-a-generation chance to have a local, independent radio
· Appreciate our potential to create unique and vibrant programming
· Are willing to pledge their financial support
· Are interested in volunteering to help put Radio Port Townsend on the air
· Want to stay tuned to the project's status by signing our email address list
Consider Donating or Making a Pledge
This is a rare opportunity to be a part of the history of Port Townsend and to create a legacy for generations to come. Become a founding member of the station by donating money toward the application process now, or pledging that you will donate money later for the start up of the radio station. The station will provide a voice for local education, arts, sports, political discussion, news and information. We envision partnerships with a wide variety of innovative local organizations. If you value local radio, please help us put Port Townsend “on the air” by supporting us with a generous donation or pledge if our FCC application is granted.
Player Up to $100
Streamer $100 - $499
Broadcaster $500 - $999
Sponsor $1,000 - $4,999
Producer $5,000 - $9,999
Star $10,000 +
Your pledge can be mailed to :
Radio Port Townsend,
PO Box 2091,
Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Please include your name, address, email, phone number and signature.
or simply email your pledge to info@kptz.org and please include name, address and phone number.
Thank you
Abby Wilde
Agnes Woods
Annod & John Bickley
Aric & Aimee Kelley Spencer
Aron Uchitelle
Aug Boeger
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STREAMER - $100-$499
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George Radebaugh
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Harrison Law Inc.
Heinz Boeckmann
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Jane Fulmer
Jane and Jim Dow
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Jennifer & Jason Dempsey
Jerry Ryder & Ann Norton
Jim Costello
Jim Westall
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Jody & Richard Glaubman
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Linda R. & Michael L. Holbrook
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Maitland & Doris Hardyman
Margie McDonald
Markus Stein
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Niagara Woodworks, Inc.
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OlympusNet
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Sheila Lauder\
Shoe School
SOS Printing – Dan Huntingford
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Toni Vincent
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Val Johnstone
Valerie Sloane
Vicki Young & Karen Newman
Barbara Ierulli & Russell Johnson
Carla Main & Brad West
Chris Jones
Dave & Jeanette Woodruff
Dorn Campbell
Eric Durfey
Greg Mitchell
Harriet Capron
Helen and Kees Kolff
Howard & Suzie Learned
Jefferson County Democrats
Joann Loehr
Key City Fish – Johnpaul Davies
Larry Stein & Patricia Cogan
Mary Davies
Michael Fleming & Susan Lee
Michelle Sandoval and Marty Gay
Pane d’Amore- Frank D’Amore & Linda Yakush
Phil Meany
Rocky Friedman
Suzanne Hainsworth
Thatcher Bailey
Tony & Elena Brenna
Tony Petrillo & Peggy Meyer
SPONSOR - $1,000 - $4,999
Audrey Fain
Brian Norvell
Colleen & Stan Freidberg
Dana Roberts & Carol Anne Modena
Janet & Leslie Cox
Jim and Barbara Ewing
Julie & Bruce Marston
Libby Atkins & Martha Trolin
Paul Becker and Lisa Crosby
Port Townsend Peace Movement
Printery – Mike Kenna
Rainshadow Records
Steve Blamires & Helen Star
Wallyworks Enterprises, Ltd.
PRODUCER - $5000 - $9999
Anonymous
Sherry Jones & Richard Davies
Colin Foden
Ann Katzenback
STAR - $10000 plus
Latest News - December 18 2007
UPDATE
RADIO PT FILES AMENDED APPLICATION
Greetings from Radio PT! On December 12, 2007, Radio Port Townsend filed an amended application, which removes our proposed signal from all competition and potential interference.
We moved to 91.9, and our proposed tower site, in order to avoid interference on that new frequency.
At 91.9 we are far enough away from the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s frequency (91.1) that they no longer pose a conflict.
In addition, our move to 91.9 opens up 91.5 so that Sequim Community Broadcasting can file an amended application on that frequency, and the Port Townsend Seventh Day Adventist Church has bowed to community pressure and agreed to reduce its signal in that direction to give Sequim a chance to get on the air.
For more information about Sequim, check out http://www.SCBRadio.com
Meanwhile, Friday Harbor amended its application to remove conflict as well.
These amendments mean that we are no longer MX ed, and can receive expedited processing by the FCC. We should hear within several weeks whether or not we will get a license.
Thanks to all of you who sent donations to help us pay for the application. So far, we have received about $3,300 toward our estimated $6,000 in costs. We appreciate your continued support for our effort to bring you community radio.
Happy Holidays!
Sherry Jones, Ann Katzenbach, ,Colin Foden, Collin Brown
What’s the Status of Our Application?
On October 17, 2007 Radio Port Townsend filed its application for a full-power, noncommercial, educational FM license with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The application is posted on the FCC database along with all the other applications they received. A copy of our application is at Port Townsend Public Library or can be viewed online at http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_sear.htm. Hundreds of applications were submitted during this filing window, and many of them are “mutually exclusive” with others (“MX ed” according to FCC lingo).
Is Radio Port Townsend MX ed?
Unfortunately, yes. Mainly, we are MXed by an application of the Seventh Day Adventist Church for a l KW station on 91.1. There is also conflict with an applicant for 91.9 in Friday Harbor. (There are other applicants for 91.5 in Granite Falls and Getchell but these are insignificant conflicts because they are far away.) Contrary to the Leader report of November 28, 2007, the FCC has not awarded a license to the Seventh Day Adventists, but as discussed below, their application would likely win over Radio Port Townsend’s.
What Happens Now?
The FCC is encouraging MX ed applicants to amend their applications and/or settle with other applicants so that they no longer interfere with each other. Applicants who amend and settle by January 8 will receive expedited consideration and might be granted licenses as early as the summer of 2008. If applicants don’t do anything the FCC will sort out all the applications and determine winners, but that will take years.
Is Amendment or Settlement Possible for Radio PT?
Yes. Our solution to eliminate this conflict is to move to another available frequency. We are coordinating our efforts with Sequim Community Broadcasting, and Friday Harbor whose applications were also in conflict with the Seventh Day Adventists, so that all of our applications can be granted. However, this change will require more engineering, legal advise, and negotiation with the other applicant for that frequency.
Are you proposing combining the station with Sequim and Friday Harbor?
No, we are not suggesting moving to another community or enlarging our signal to include them, but rather to shuffle our individual frequencies around to avoid conflict with the Seventh Day Adventists. So, Sequim might move onto 91.5, Friday Harbor would change its application and we would move onto 91.9 so that we all three could have our own stations.
Why is Port Townsend MX ed by Applicants on Different Frequencies?
The FCC rules require radio stations on the same and nearby frequencies (first, second, and third-adjacent) to be a minimum distance apart. So, for example, the minimum distance between our and the Seventh Day Adventist towers would have to be 42 kilometers, but their proposed tower is just south of Gardiner, only about 15 kilometers away.
Who Would Get the License According to the FCC Rules?
When applicants are MX ed, the FCC first compares which applicant provides significantly more first or second noncommercial radio service. This is the “fair distribution” factor. If there is no significant difference between the applicants in the “fair distribution”, the FCC compares their “localism and diversity” points, such as whether the applicants have any other radio stations. As between Radio PT’s and the Seventh Day Adventist’s application, assuming no other problems with them, the Seventh Day Adventists win under the “fair distribution” factor, because they propose a much larger signal (from Oak Harbor to Sequim) that provides first non-commercial service to over 60,000 people. Our application provides first and second service to 27,000 people
Why Didn’t Radio Port Townsend Foresee This Competition?
The FCC does not require public notice prior to filing applications for radio licenses. While we publicized our plans, the Seventh Day Adventists did not. So we had no way of knowing what their application would propose.
We knew that organizations would win, in the event of competition, if they proposed coverage to significantly more people, but we relied on our engineer's judgment in proposing a signal that would be big enough to serve lots of us in and near Port Townsend, but not so big as to interfere with signals coming from elsewhere. We thought we were carving out as large a niche as possible for ourselves in a very crowded market. We also wanted a genuinely local station, as opposed to a regional one.
We have confidence in the engineering services we’ve been provided and are continuing to rely on them in the technical amendment of our application.
Is this a Political Decision by the FCC?
Political favoritism will not (or should not) play into the FCCs decision in this application process. We are all duty-bound to play by the rules. But a political argument can be made that the rules are not as they should be. No narrow interest group should win out over a broad based organization when it comes to a valuable community asset such as the only possible radio station. But that would require new FCC rules.
Why Would Seventh Day Adventists Win Over a Broad-Based Community Station?
According to its current rules, the FCC does not consider factors other than whether an applicant is a nonprofit organization with an educational mission. It does not consider what that mission is, or what their content will be or whether the applicant has broad community support. (Radio stations used to have to demonstrate that they represent a broad cross-section of the community, and public television stations still do, but applicants for radio licenses do not have to anymore.) People who are concerned about this may lobby for rule change at the FCC or support national organizations that do, such as Prometheus Radio or Reclaim the Media.
Can Radio Port Townsend Share with the Seventh Day Adventists?
We have offered to share programming time with the Seventh Day Adventists, but they want their own station. They plan to rebroadcast a nationally produced religious programming transmitted to Seventh Day Adventist radio stations throughout the United States by satellite.
What Additional Costs Are Involved Now?
Dealing with competing applications will require further engineering and legal services, estimated to be about $6,000 in additional costs ($2,000 in engineering, $2,000 in legal, $2,000 in other expenses).
How Can You Help?
We welcome any help you can provide, whether it is your heartfelt support, your technical or legal experience advice, or your financial donation to cover these additional costs. Please call Sherry Jones at 379-8122, email us, or send a donation to P.O. Box 2091, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Why Radio?
It reaches everywhere, it’s low-tech, and it’s free. It’s in the house, out in the garden, and even out on the boat. It still works, even if the electricity doesn’t.
What Kind of Radio Is It?
We are applying for a full power noncommercial educational FM radio license. It will have a 500w transmitter. The engineer predicts that the strongest signal will reach as far as Whidbey Island and as far south as the south end of Marrowstone Island, including Chimacum. Beyond that the signal will be spotty.
Heard We Can’t Get Radio Here Because of [Canadian stations, water, they tried before, etc]
A group from PT applied for a low power FM license in 2001, but the FCC cut off the application period. Their application was not considered on its merits. Our engineer who comes highly recommended has completed his study and even after considered all the potential interference from U.S. and Canadian stations, we have a 9.9 out of 10 chance of getting this license, assuming there are no competing applications. He says there is a station out of Victoria, at 91.3, which will cause some interference for some listeners in the far north, but he says the FCC has issued licenses to other stations in the Puget Sound with the same conditions, and it should not be a problem.
How Much Does the Application Cost?
We have budgeted $2,000 for the engineer, $1,000 for the FCC attorney for advice and to review the application, and $1,000 for miscellaneous costs. The application itself is free. We appreciate your help with these costs in any amount.
What Will Be the Annual Operation Costs of the Station?
For the purpose of the FCC application we will submit a modest budget for annual overhead expenses of $28,000. If we get more financial support from the community, we may have a higher budget and more paid staff, in which case the budget would be $40,000 or $50,000. We anticipate that there will be grants available for independent, rural, and innovative radio programming, and that there will be sufficient community support for the operating expenses.
Where Will the Radio Transmitter Be?
It will be sited at the old water tank site near 20th Street and Howard. We are talking to the city about subletting a cellphone tower there or letting other space at the site. It is higher in elevation than Morgan Hill providing good coverage for our area.
Why Can’t the Signal Reach South County?
Regrettably, the transmitter power is not enough to reach that far, and there are land obstructions in the way. We cannot increase the power of the transmitter without creating interference problems across the sound and in Canada. There will be pockets of good reception, however, as far south as Quilcene.
How Can I Pledge?
We do not need cash up front. All we need for the application is a letter from you indicating how much you are pledging, and attesting that you have that amount in liquid funds that will be given to us if we receive the license. We have a form you can use for this. Your pledge form will not be part of the application, but will be kept in our records. If we do not receive the license, you owe nothing.
Are You Going to Stream on the Internet?
Yes, we are hoping to do that. If we do, we can start broadcasting even before we get the FCC license. In any case, we are excited about programming in general, and we are partnering with sound experts to make recordings and to build an archive of material in advance of broadcasting.
Is This Station Going to Lean Left or Right?
It is our intention to be a broad-based and inclusive radio station. We want everyone to listen. At the same time, we expect there will be programming that reflects a wide range of perspectives and political ideas. We hope that everyone will listen and reach their own conclusions.