Woe betide the high school radio station that has a broadcast frequency coveted by Christian broadcasters. The Boston Herald reports:
Maynard High School’s radio frequency, 91.7 FM, is being seized by a network of Christian broadcasting stations that the Federal Communications Commission has ruled is a better use of the public airwaves.
“People are furious,” said faculty adviser Joe Magno.
Maynard High’s WAVM, which has been broadcasting from the school for 35 years, found itself in this David vs. Goliath battle when it applied to increase its transmitter signal from 10 to 250 watts.
According to Magno, that “opens the floodgates for any other station to challenge the station’s license and take its frequency.”
Using a point scale that considers such factors as audience size, the FCC ruled the Christian broadcasting network the better applicant. WAVM is given 30 days to appeal, and has done so.
If the FCC refuses to overturn its decision, WAVM will fall silent.
You’d think providing an educational experience for high school kids would be considered valuable, but I suppose given the FCC we’ve got, that would be asking too much.