For the first time in more than 15 years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has awarded a new Low Power FM (LPFM) radio station license to someone in Savannah, this time to the Unitarian Universalist Church for a new station called Savannah Soundings.
The 100-watt licenses have a transmission radius of approximately four miles. Based on the rented location of the transmission antenna, broadcasts will reach from downtown and most of metropolitan Savannah almost to Thunderbolt.
Getting started
Members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah say they realized last year that the radio stations found playing in Savannah were anything but local.
“We realized the need for community radio that can provide a voice and visibility for our outstanding local organizations, events and projects,” said Vicki Weeks, president of Weeks Consulting.
Tom Kenkel of Kenkel Design, a key member of the team along with Weeks, believes Savannah needs a station where local voices are heard.
“We need a station where local thought leaders and talents get more airtime than they do on the commercial stations,” he said. “This started as a hope that is now well on the way to becoming a reality.”
Savannah Soundings’ first steps involved “the hosting phase” when members worked on the application and funds to start the project. At the end of that phase, those involved threw a thank-you Party and began mailing and emailing the survey for programming.
The next phase is the “build phase” and will depend on the capital raised over the next few months with the initial kick-off event and capital campaign Crowdrise funding.
“Our kick off and developing capital campaign for the studio and the tower funds began with the set up of our Crowdrise page the other day,” Weeks said. “Now we are going to need the infrastructure team on designing the physical space. Literally, the community will build the radio station and create a need for jobs.”
The Savannah Soundings group – Weeks, Kenkel, the Rev. Dave Messner, Sarah Todd and others – raised initial start-up funds to pay for engineering studies and exhibits through a Crowdrise campaign.
The capital campaign will expand to include major donors and membership components, as well as nonprofit community partner and business underwriting opportunities.
“Crowdfunding is a great tool,” Weeks said. “We plan to incorporate it into the events we are planning over the coming year. Our Crowdrise page is online now and supporters are encouraged to join the team, but this project is also going to need membership and underwriting support to sustain it.”
Obtaining the license
To start the process, Savannah Soundings had to get the transmission permit, building permit and permits for the frequency and letters. Applications had to be filled out detailing the proposed location of the transmission and studio, the engineering to support their idea and how large an area they want their footprint to cover.
With the Low Power FM Station license granted, the studio applied for their frequency. After several attempts, the frequency 107.5 was approved.
With the frequency approved, the next step was getting the call letters approved. The original suggestion of WSSR for “W Savannah Soundings Radio” was denied as already in use. Savannah Soundings picked WRUU as their second choice.
“The church as the official license holder, decided the letters could stand for W Radio Unitarian Universal,” Weeks said.
Next up: programming and building
The next step in setting up the station for broadcasting is the “build phase.” To raise money for this phase and bring the community together, Savannah Soundings members are throwing small house parties called “Cocktails for Community Radio.”
Each party boosts financial support and brings ideas to the table on programming the community would like to hear. Secular and non-secular programs, music and talk, live and pre-recorded content will all find a home on the station.
A programming advisory committee with members from the church and the larger community will recommend programs that align with Savannah Soundings’ values and guidelines.
“We are going to be producing local programs by local people and local organizations. This is an incredible opportunity for Savannah’s nonprofit groups to share the work they are doing in the community with the community.” Weeks said.
“Savannah-area musicians, educators, budding journalists and other talent will have an unprecedented chance to be broadcast to almost 200,000 listeners.”
Suggested programs so far include bedtime stories Monday through Thursday night, physiological issues and personal health, community dialogue on different views and finding a middle ground, Hispanic and Korean community outreach, teen journalism segments, specific types of music and radio theater.
A survey on suggested programming is being circulated but will be cut off toward the end of December when decisions will need to be made in order to complete the programming application.
Messner said WRUU will be different than other stations operated by religious organizations.
“We hope that our community radio station will make space for voices that aren’t usually heard, either on the commercial airwaves or in the public square, and not just amplify our own,” Messner said. “We would like the station to bring people into conversation across differences to make for a stronger, more creative and more caring Savannah.”
The Unitarian Universalist Church has agreed to allow Savannah Soundings to use the garden level of 307 E. Harris Street for the station’s studio.
As for when will the station will go live?
“Savannah Soundings plans to begin broadcasting next September,” Weeks said.