Applicants vie for county FM radio frequency
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Virginia Tech and a religious station chain are competing for the radio frequency at 90.7 on the FM dial with the radio tower to be located in Chesterfield County. Other radio companies may have also filed on the frequency that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has set aside for a nonprofit radio station.

As of press deadline, only two applications were in the public file at the Central Library. The application deadline ended Oct. 22.

The FCC has opened up numerous nonprofit frequencies nationwide for petitioners, and the industry speculates it may take several years to assign the frequencies.

Other companies may have filed with the FCC but not yet made their filings available.

The application includes antenna height and power from a specified tower site so the FCC can determine if the new signal might interfere with existing FM signals. While the signal of the two applicants will easily cover Chesterfield County, it may not put a good signal throughout the Richmond metro.

Positive Alternative Radio (PAR) intends to extend its gospel or Christian music format into the area, joining 22 of its existing stations. It already has stations in Martinsville, Salem, Culpeper, Danville, Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Emporia, Waynesboro and Appomattox in addition to other radio properties outside of Virginia.

"We're an ecumenical-type station," said Vernon H. Baker, PAR's chairman of the board in Blacksburg. "We operate on donations and what we call underwriting, but we can't be commercial and advertise sales."

Earlier, PAR and Virginia Tech did battle on a license in Culpeper, and PAR prevailed, said the proud chairman. "But those Virginia Tech people have a lot of money," he added.

The Virginia Tech station would offer a public broadcasting format.

"We wouldn't try to duplicate existing National Public Radio (NPR) programming," explained Glenn Gleixner, general manager of WVTF in Roanoke. The station originates much local programming for the seven-station Virginia Tech chain, which focuses on news, information, talk and public affairs when it isn't playing classical or jazz music. The network does not carry any play-by-play sports programming.

"It'll be alternative programming to what already exists in the market, but who knows what that will be or when that will be, if we get the license [to broadcast]," he said.

Locally, WCVE, with studios in Chesterfield, programs the NPR schedule with "Morning Edition" followed by classical music and then "All Things Considered" and jazz.

"The programming would be an extension of WVTF and Radio IQ with classical jazz and quality talk radio," said Larry Hincker at Virginia Tech. He cautioned that a lot could happen before the license is granted. "It's too far down the road so we don't know if we'll have a local newsperson."

Radio IQ is a service of Virginia Tech and Ferrum College that is not currently available in the Richmond area. It focuses on public affairs programming and news from NPR and the British Broadcasting Corporation with streaming from www.radioiq.org.

Both applicants would locate the radio tower in Chesterfield. PAR hasn't determined where its studio and offices would be. Virginia Tech said its tower of 500 feet would be located at 10366 Beaver Bridge Rd. between Beach and Coalboro roads with 10,000 watts, but its main studio would be located in Henrico County at 2810 N. Parham Rd.