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Sunnyside radio to hit airwaves [The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff](Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 31--One benefactor donated the radio station equipment. Another donated the transmitter to broadcast the signal. The local Odd Fellows and Rebekahs donated the space. With a little elbow grease and about $1,500, volunteers are working to set up a new radio station that will broadcast information to residents of the Sunnyside neighborhood. "We're happy to say we now have all the components to start a radio station in Sunnyside," said Coral Evans, director of the Sunnyside and Southside Neighborhood Associations. Currently called the "Sol de Sunnyside," the station is planned to get off the ground on Sept. 14, Evans said. Garrick Brooks, who has been working on getting the station set up, said the station will initially stream 24 hours a day, seven days a week over the Internet until the Federal Communication Commission has reviewed and approved the station's license to operate. Chase Carpini, who donated the low-wattage transmitter, said the station could operate on a single watt with about a half-mile reach without a license until one is granted. And when the license is granted, the wattage can be bumped up to 50 watts with a reach of 5 to 6 miles, which would cover just about the entire city. But because the station will be located at the high point of Sunnyside in the Odd Fellows building, the signal will be the strongest in Sunnyside, Carpini added. Joe Ray, head of the Sunnyside Weed & Seed program, said the Odd Fellow space will be donated as long as the station needs the space, or until the station grows out of the space. There will be no cost and SNA will pay the utility bills, Ray added. Brooks said the station will spend about $100 to $150 a month to purchase the rights to play music to broadcast. A small fee is attached to whatever Web site address is chosen for the radio station. The FCC also charges fees for the license, but those fees are much less for a low-wattage station, Carpini said. Station planners expect the station to be located at 107.1 on the FM dial. Evans said the station will have all styles of music that will reflect the diversity of Sunnyside. Broadcasts will be in English, Spanish and Navajo. Programming will also include talk shows and items that focus on youth issues. Jean Griego, chair of SNA, said the station will also offer emergency information to residents. She added that a radio station is a good fit for Sunnyside because a majority of the residents will be looking for information and other news about the neighborhood from the radio instead of the Internet. Evans said the station will attempt to support itself with sponsors and advertisers in the future, and part-time sales and marketing representative Neil Gallegos will be tasked with bringing sponsors on board. Businesses and other sponsors will be sought in Sunnyside initially, but citywide eventually, Evans added. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs are a fraternity of people who give aid to people in need and have lodges all over the world. The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association nonprofit has the mission of "Improving lives by mobilizing residents to create lasting changes in neighborhood conditions." The federal Weed & Seed program attempts to weed out crime in a neighborhood and seed programs that will benefit the neighborhood. The station is still seeking part-time on-air talent as well as sponsors and donors, Evans said. To make tax-deductible donations of equipment, money or time, contact the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association at 213-5900, or [email protected]. To see more of The Arizona Daily Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azdailysun.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |