USM’s community radio station, WMPG, took one step closer to completing its Power Up signal upgrade project when it received a $128,044 grant on Sept. 27, according to a WMPG press release. Once upgraded, the station will increase its potential listeners in the signal range from 35,000 to 185,000.
The grant came from the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and their Public Telecommunications Facilities Program account.
WMPG has raised over $175,000 so far for the $225,000 upgrade. They’ll continue fundraising and plan on completing the project by September 2011, before the Federal Communications Commission’s December 2001 deadline.
“We have to raise another $50,000 to complete the project,” said Jim Rand, station manager, who was working on sending out another grant by this afternoon.
In December of 2008, the FCC awarded WMPG with a construction permit to relocate its 90.9 FM transmitter and antenna to Backstrap Hill in Westbrook from on top of Bailey Hall in Gorham and increase power from 1.11 kW to 4.5kW.
“We’re gonna get a higher tower and more powerful transmitter,” said Rand.
The grant will pay for equipment for the project and also, by qualifying for the grant, WMPG will receive a discount on equipment purchases, which lowers the total cost by $25,000, Rand said.
“One of the hard parts of doing a project like this is your trying to raise a tremendous amount of money, but you still have to raise your operating budget,” said Rand.
WMPG’s twice-a-year pledge drive, Begathon, will be running from Oct. 13 through Oct. 19. Those interested can donate online, by calling the hot line at 207-874-3000 starting on Oct. 13 or stop in at 92 Bedford Street on the Portland Campus.
Really informative, well written article.
They should get money from the student activity fee…oh wait.