Download - Lexington Community Radio Press Release (12/12/14)

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AS COMMUNITY RADIO PROJECT ADVANCESLexington Community Radio:• ReceivessecondFCClow-powerFMpermit• InstallsantennaatBCTCLeestownCampus• SignsagreementwithFayetteCountySchoolstolocateinSTEAMAcademy• WelcomesgeneralmanagerHapHoulihan• NamesAdvisoryBoardLeadersFrankXWalker,DianetValencia• ConductscommunitymeetingatLexingtonPublicLibraryVillageBranch

LexingtonCommunityRadio(LCR),whichhasalreadyreceivedonepermitfromtheFederalCommunica-tionsCommissiontoconstructalow-powerFMradiostationinLexington,recentlyreceivedapprovalforconstructionofasecondstation.LCRwasgranteditsfirstconstructionpermit,forWLXL95.7FM,inApril.Thesecondstation,WLXU93.9FM,wasapprovedforconstructiononOctober21.WLXLisscheduledtobeginbroadcasting inthethirdquarterof2015,andWLXUisexpectedtobeginbroadcastinginearly2016(see Broadcast Range Map, below).

Lexington Community RadioP.O.Box526Lexington,KY40588-0526Contact: [email protected]

for immediate release December12,2014

LexingtonCommunityRadiohasbeenwork-ing since 2011 to bring low-power FM radiotoLexington.FoundedbylocalbusinessownerandformerLexington-FayetteCountycouncilmemberDebraHensley,LexingtonCommuni-tyRadio’sgoalistoprovidepublicsafetyinfor-mation,localnews,entertainment,andeduca-tionalprogrammingfor—andby—thepeopleofcentralLexington.HensleyisthepresidentofLCR’sboardofdirectorsandanactivemem-berofitssteeringcommittee.“Thisisabigop-portunityforLexington,”Hensleysaid.“We’regoing to provide a new kind of platform forlocal voices, andgetgreat thingsdone in theprocess.”In2013,BluegrassCommunityandTechnicalCollege(BCTC)agreedtoallowWLXL’strans-mitterantennatobelocatedonthetransmittertoweratBCTC’sLeestownRoadcampus,andinstallationbegantoday(December12).“Thisis our first physical manifestation,” Hensleysaid thismorningat the installation site. “Al-thoughtheantennaisahundredfeetintheair,thisisourgroundbreaking.”

William Willhoite of Antennas Unlimited hoists LCR’s transmitter antenna to fellow employee Stephen Barrett, atop the tower. photo: Mick Jeffries

TheBlueGrassCommunityFoundationhelpedpayforthenewantenna,andotherstudioandtransmitterequipment,witha$20,000grantfromtheJohnS.&JamesL.KnightFoundationFund.

WLXU’stransmitterwillbelocatedatoptheClassroomBuildingatthenewBCTCNewtownCampusin2015.LCRisalsoworkingwithBCTCtodevelopeducationalopportunitiesfortheirstudentsatthestations.“BCTChasbeengreatfromdayone,”saidHensley.“We’llcontinuetofindnew‘win-win’waystocollaboratewiththem.”BothstationswilloperatefromadualstudioatLexingtonSTEAMAcademy,locatedintheformerJohnsonElementarybuildingat123EastSixthStreet.STEAM(ScienceTechnologyEngineeringArtsMathematics)Academyisamagnethighschoolwherestudentsreceiveanindividualized,problem-basedlearningexperi-encesupportedbyintenseuseoftechnologyasalearningtool.LCRsecuredanagreementwithFayetteCountySchoolstoworkwithSTEAMPrincipalTinaStevensonandherstafftocreateaprofessionalbroadcaststudiothatalsoservesasaninstructionallaboratoryandcommu-nityhub.Studentswillbeabletolearntechnol-ogy,multimedia,andbroadcastskillsfromcol-legeprofessors,broadcastingprofessionals,andstudentsfromUK,BCTC,TransylvaniaUniver-sity,andotherinstitutionsastheyhelpbuildandoperatethestations.LCR’s office is temporarily based at the Plan-tory,thenonprofitofficespaceattheWestSixthBrewery complex, until construction at theSTEAMAcademystudioiscomplete.LexingtonnativeHapHoulihanhasbeenselect-ed to serve as LCR’s general manager, effectiveDecember1.Houlihan,48, is theco-founderofLocalFirstLexington, andmanaged theMorrisBookShop fromitsestablishment in2008untilApril 2014. He was an assistantmusic directoranddiscjockeyatUK’sWRFL-FMforeightyears.

Frank X Walker, Lexington Community Radio Community & Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair, shares ideas with attend-ees at LCR’s second public engagement meeting in November. photo: Patrick Mitchell

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MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AS COMMUNITY RADIO PROJECT ADVANCES

approximate broadcast ranges of LCR’s two stations

Designated as a new broadcasting class by the FCC in 2000, low-power FM (LPFM) stations broadcast at 100 watts or less. The Local Community Radio Act of 2010 directed the FCC to issue LPFM permits to local non-profit groups across the United States, with the goal of increasing diversity and inde-pendence in media ownership. After the act passed, Julius Genachowski, FCC’s chairman at the time, said, “Low power FM stations are small, but they make a giant contribution to local community programming.” Over 1400 LPFM permits have been issued nationwide.

Broadcast Range Map About Low-Power FM



“Everything I’ve learned and expe-riencedsincehighschool isgoing tobeput togooduse in thenextyear,”Houlihan saidofhis appointment tothe job by LCR’s board of directors.“This project is very exciting tome,andabigpartofmyjobwillbetoin-fectotherswiththesenseofadventureIfeelforit.“As to how people can become in-volved,Houlihansaid,“We’regoingtoholdanumberofforumsinearly2015toengagethepeopleinourbroadcastrange.” Volunteers will receive train-ing in radio,multimedia andmobileappproduction.Fundraisersandoth-ersocialeventsarealsobeingplannedto introduce the project to the com-munity.LCR iscurrently forming itsCommu-nity & Youth Advisory Board, to beco-chairedbytwoleadingfiguresinthecommunity.DianetValencia,OutreachProgramCoordinatorfortheKentuckyLaborCabinet,willco-chairtheboardwith Frank X Walker, Kentucky poetlaureate and director of University ofKentucky’sAfrican-AmericanandAfri-canaStudiesDepartments(see full bios, below).Delia Gibbs, a Lexington nativeand alumna of the Fayette CountySchools’Spanishimmersionprogramand theUniversity of Kentucky, willserve as the project coordinator forLCR.Gibbs,24,hasexperienceasanAmericorpsVISTAattheUnitedWayoftheBluegrass.ShehasbeenworkingforLCRsinceAugust.GibbshasledthewayplanningandexecutingoutreachtoLexington’sLatinocommunity.WorkingwithUKIntegratedStrategicCommunicationseniors(andBryanStationSpanishImmersiongrads)WilderTread-wayandAlexisCox,GibbsplannedtherecentcommunitymeetingattheLexingtonPublicLibrary’sVillagebranch.Membersofthehealthservicescommunity,theLatinoyouthcommunity,andUKstudentgroupstalkedaboutwhat theywanted ina radio station,andbrainstormed topics includingentertainmentandmusic,health and job safety, and immigration information.Advisoryboard chairsWalker andValenciaweretheretomeetwiththeattendeesandgatherideas.StudentsTreadwayandCoxhelpedplan,promoteandconducttheeventaspartoftheirservicelearningassignmentforDr.RuthBrown’s500-level“HispanicKentucky”classinUK’sSpanishdepartment.

Pictured left to right are LCR general manager Hap Houlihan, project coordinator Delia Gibbs, and board president Debra Hensley. photo: Mick Jeffries



InadditiontothegrantfromtheBlueGrassCommunityFoundation’sKnightFund,boardmembersandothersupportershavedonatedthousandsofadditionaldollarstohelppurchasethefirstantenna,studio,andtransmissionequipment,butmorefundingisnecessarytomeetthefirston-airdeadlineofOctober1,2015.“LexingtonCommunityRadioisapartnershipwiththeentirecommunity,”Houlihansaid.“Themorepeo-pleinvolved—aslisteners,donors,orstationvolunteers—thebetteroffwe’llallbe.”TovolunteerwithLex-ingtonCommunityRadio,[email protected].

Houlihan is a Lexington nativeand co-founder of Local FirstLexington. A Miami Universitygraduate, Houlihan has workedin various capacities across themedia industry, with former em-ployers and clients such as theUniversityPressofKentucky,AceWeekly, Kentucky for Kentucky,and Jim Gray for Mayor. Untilrecently, Houlihan was employedas manager of the Morris BookShop since its “re-establishment”in 2008.Hehas extensive experi-enceasacommercialandcreativewriterandeditor,andvolunteeredfor eight years atWRFL as a DJand assistant music director. Heliveswithhiswife,Lori,andsons,MurphyandSimon,inLexington.

In2013,WalkerwasnamedKentucky’spoet laureate, the youngest person,andthefirstAfricanAmericantore-ceive thishonor.He isavisualartist,poet,author,educator,andmotivator.Walker is a foundingmember of theAffrilachianPoets, editor ofEclipsing a Nappy New Millennium,andauthorofAffrilachia andBuffalo Dance: the Journey of York.Walker was directorof the Kentucky Governor’s SchoolfortheArtsfrom1998to2004,Heisa graduate of the University of Ken-tucky and Spalding University, andhe received an honorary DoctorateofHumanitiesfromtheUniversityofKentuckyandanhonoraryDoctorofLetters fromTransylvaniaUniversity.In2010,WalkerjoinedtheUniversityof Kentucky Department of English,and in 2011 he was named directorofboththeAfricanAmericanStudies&Research and theAfricana StudiesProgramsatUK.WalkerwasborninDanville,Kentucky.

Valencia is an educator, communityorganizer,smallbusinessowner,ath-lete,andproudmotherofone.Ana-tive of Mexico, she was involved invarious leadership roles in Schaum-burg, Illinois beforemoving to Lex-ington,Kentucky.ShewasappointedbyMayorTeresaIsaactoserveonthemayor’staskforceforHispanicWork-forceDevelopment,andservedontheSocialServicesTransitionCommitteeunderMayorJimGray.In2012,Gov-ernorSteveBeshearappointedValen-ciatoserveontheGovernor’sMinor-ityEmployment,BusinessAffairsandEconomicDevelopmentCouncil.SheisanHonoraryAmbassadorofLaborand a proud Kentucky Colonel. Shepresently serves as the Latino Out-reach Program Coordinator for theKentucky Labor Cabinet. She has abachelor’sdegreeinEarlyChildhoodEducation and is pursuing anotherdegreeattheUniversityofKentucky.

Community&YouthAdvisoryBoardCo-Chair

Dianet ValenciaGeneralManager

Hap Houlihan

Community&YouthAdvisoryBoardCo-Chair

Frank X Walker

New Additions at Lexington Community Radio