News/FAQ’s

What’s the Status of Our Application?

On September 26, 2008 the FCC awarded Radio Port Townsend a construction permit to build a full-power, non-commercial FM station at 91.9!

Radio Port Townsend then obtained the call letters, KPTZ.

Now, KPTZ is engaged in the actual building process, which includes the design and construction of the tower and antenna. KPTZ is currently waiting to hear if the station has been awarded a grant from the Federal Department of Commerce that would pay for 75% of our construction and equipment costs for the tower and studio. We hope to hear if we have been successful in June or July 2009.

After building the tower and antenna according to the construction permit, and conducting test broadcasts, KPTZ will receive a broadcast license.

When Will KPTZ Go On the Air?

The FCC construction permit is valid for three years, How soon we go on the air depends on many factors beyond our control, but KPTZ hopes to begin construction soon, and conduct its first test broadcast by the fall of 2009. Broadcasting is expected to begin between late 2009 and early 2010.

Why Radio?

It reaches everywhere, it’s low-tech, and it’s free. It’s in the house, in the garden, and even out on the boat. It still works, even if the electricity doesn’t.

How Far Will KPTZ Reach?

The strongest signal will reach as far as Whidbey Island and the south end of Marrowstone Island, including Chimacum. Beyond that the signal will be spotty, although there will be pockets of good reception farther south.

Our signal is limited to avoid conflict with existing radio stations on the Puget Sound and Canada.

Our long-term goal is to extend our signal farther south into Jefferson County  We have identified two alternate sites that would ultimately accomplish greater coverage..

What did the application process entail?

Radio Port Townsend filed its original application on October 17, 2007. Others applied at the same time creating conflicting demands for radio frequencies, Seventh Day Adventist Church for 91.1, and Friday Harbor for 91.9. (The FCC rules require radio stations on the same and nearby frequencies to be a minimum distance apart.) The FCC does not require advance public notice prior to filing applications for radio licenses.

To avoid conflict, Radio Port Townsend filed an amended application in January, 2008 at a different frequency (91.9) using a new tower site and a directional antenna. Our move, in addition to an adjustment by the church, allowed Sequim Community Broadcasting to apply and receive a license at 91.5.

A copy of our application is at Port Townsend Public Library or can be viewed online at http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_sear.htm.

The total cost of our application, including the additional engineering fees to file an amended application, was about $8,000.

Who Would Have Gotten the License If Radio PT Had Not Moved?

In case of conflict the FCC grants the license to the applicant which provides the most coverage. The church proposed more coverage – 60,000 people, compared to our 27,000 people -- so in a contest, the church would have won.

Applicants for radio licenses do not, under current FCC rules, have to represent a broad cross-section of the community. People who are concerned that narrow interest groups can get radio licenses may lobby for rule change at the FCC or support national organizations that do, such as Prometheus Radio Project or Reclaim the Media.

I Heard We Can’t Get Radio Here Because of [Canadian stations, water, they tried before, etc]

Yes, it was challenging to find an open frequency for Radio Port Townsend, given our proximity to so many radio stations in the U.S. and Canada.

However, we had one of the best telecommunication engineers in the country, who crafted an application that overcame all these technical hurdles and conflicts.

How Much Will the Station Cost to Build?

For the purpose of our application to the FCC and raising pledged funds, we used a very modest proposed budget of about $50,000.

However, we our actual costs will be higher. That is mainly for two reasons. One, in order to avoid conflict with the Friday Harbor station, we need to use a more expensive directional antenna. Also, we expect that like any construction project, there will be significant incidental expenses that were not in our initial budget.

We are obtaining bids and other information in order to get closer to our total anticipated costs. We are working hard with the help of experienced consultants to minimize those costs.

For all of these reasons we hesitate to put a dollar figure on total construction costs yet.

Suffice it to say, however, that we will be needing additional donations to pay the additional costs. Our fundraising efforts will continue.

To help with these costs, please donate!

What Will the Station Cost to Run?

For the purpose of the FCC application we submitted a very modest operation budget. However, a more reasonable budget that would permit us to hire at least one staff person – a station manager – and thus ensure we live up to our mission of providing a high quality radio service, we anticipate will be about $80,000 per year.

We expect community support – from individuals, local governments, other organizations, grants, and business underwriting – will be sufficient to pay for KPTZ’.

Where Will the Radio Tower and Antenna Be?

Our construction permit is for a tower location on the west end of Quimper Peninsula. After test broadcasting from that site, however, there is a possibility we can move to the preferable city water tower site closer to town.

Will KPTZ Stream on the Internet?

Yes, we intend to have an internet presence. Streaming does not require an FCC license.