Free Radio Berkeley’s 75-watt transmitter arrived safe and sound. It’s been re-tuned to 88.7 FM and is presently putting out about 80-90 watts. A shed’s been cleared out to serve as a full-time studio space; a military surplus mast has been procured and assembled; and a new antenna sits on top of it. Soon the station will be webcasting as well. The vibe is increasingly active as more and more people return to the city: there is much to do and many stories to tell.
There are approximately four workable microradio frequencies in the New Orleans metropolitan area, three short-term and one (arguably) longer-term:
88.7: A construction permit has been granted for a Calvary Chapel translator, which is not yet on the air.
92.9: A construction permit has been granted for a translator currently held by Radio Assist Ministry, which is not yet on the air.
96.3: This frequency clears the FCC’s original channel-spacing rules for a 100-watt LPFM station (i.e., before Congress meddled and made them more restrictive). On one side, three channels away, is a station owned by Entercom. On the other, four clicks away…is a station owned by Entercom.
103.7: A construction permit has been granted for a translator currently owned by Edgewater Broadcasting, which is not yet on the air.
The station’s original frequency, 94.5, is just one channel away from a pre-existing local station which has resumed sporadic broadcasts. There is a local TV station broadcasting on Channel 6, too, which ostensibly precludes the use of 87.9.
At least three operational transmitters now circulate in New Orleans.
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