RANGELEY – Community radio for the Rangeley region has recently taken a huge step toward becoming reality.
David McMillan, president of TRANET, a local educational non-profit, announced that the FCC has granted a construction permit for the establishment of an FM radio station broadcasting from downtown Rangeley and transmitting from a tower on Saddleback Mountain Ski Area. This permit is a critical first step in the creation of a local radio station, as the permit mandates the range and strength of the signal and licenses the station to broadcast.
“This permit phase was a difficult process,” McMillan said. “Our proximity to the Canadian border meant we not only had to conform to national restrictions, but also had to get agreements and signal allowances from the Canadian counterparts to the FCC.”
In fact the application had to be amended twice to avoid interferences, and the FCC is requiring the radio group to utilize a more sophisticated and more costly directional antenna for broadcasting.
This vision of a community radio station began in 2001, when a group of Rangeley citizens filed a request for permits and licensing for a radio station. Rangeley, surrounded by mountains and miles away from a significant population base, has always been a difficult reach for most mid-range radio stations, so the idea of a small radio station within the confines of the mountain ranges seemed to be a good answer. The FCC denied this request and the idea lay dormant until early 2007, when another opportunity at filing began.
The process has taken almost two years, but McMillan credits much of the eventual success to the determination of the group, as well as invaluable advice and expertise from Ron Hoar, a summer resident of Rangeley.
“Ron is a direct descendant of his great, great, great grandfather Luther Hoar, the first white settler to the region,” McMillan said. “His father’s cousin, Sherman Hoar, built, owned and operated the original Pavilion/Lakeside Theater between 1923 and 1945. Coincidentally the broadcast studio will be built and housed within the new Lakeside Theater.”
Ron also had established a local FM radio station at his winter community in Florida and therefore had direct experience and knowledge of FCC processes and regulations.
McMillan is excited about the prospects of the new radio station which will transmit at 90.5 on the FM dial under the call sign WRGY.
“We believe radio will become a valuable asset to our region, and now, with permits in hand, we can begin the process of fund-raising and business sponsorships. We hope the community will share our vision and enthusiasm and support efforts to build and operate the station.”
McMillan and the TRANET group note that individuals or businesses may wish to sponsor a particular music, news or weather program or underwrite a particular activity, such as high school basketball; long a favorite in the region. Also many summer and winter events can be promoted and covered in real time, on the air.
“We anticipate the radio station will strike a positive chord with area citizens based on its timely reporting capabilities, potential for colorful local programming, and its role promoting the Rangeley Region for visitors and tourists,” he said.
