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City wants to start two radio stations: How about Cops on the 3s?

The city of Boston has submitted applications to the FCC for two low-power FM radio stations, one broadcasting municipal information from high atop that round senior-citizens building in Egleston Square, the other a more educational station at East Boston High School.

The FCC's Low Power FM program is aimed at encouraging non-commercial educational broadcasting. Stations that get licenses will be limited to 100 watts - a far cry from the typical commercial station, where power is typically measured in the tens of thousands of watts.

In its application for the municipal station, the city's Office of Cable and E-Gov says it wants to build on the cable shows it already produces - "Call the Cops," for example - and offer "a predictable and dependable daily schedule of news and public announcements - including public safety and public health
- that listeners can rely upon."

The station, proposed for 102.9 FM, would also broadcast official information during emergencies and severe weather.

The City of Boston Office of Cable and E-Gov will utilize a combination of web team and cable team staff, community access staff, collegiate interns, and high school students from our school system to compile, write & read these emergency and public information notices. We will also develop a remotely accessible system similar to our Cable Emergency Alert System (EAS) to facilitate key city officials accessing the system to convey emergency information for rebroadcast.

At East Boston High, the East Boston High School Communication and Media Arts Pathway would give students, staff and parents a way to delve into radio:

It is likely that the programming schedule would be filled with school-­-related content in the early morning (7-­-8:30), which would include announcements, commercials for school-­- related events, and general information. The late morning (8:30-­-10:30) would feature shows about local and school-­-related events, such as discussion about the varsity sports teams or possible themes for the homecoming dance. Lunchtime (10:30-­-12:30) would give way to independent music, which would be fed into both cafeterias. After lunch (12:30-­- 1:50) program scheduling would depend on school-­-based needs. For example, our local college-­-readiness partners could use a weekly block to answer questions about the college application or financial aid process. Alumni Fridays might be a way in which graduates could be brought back to share their experiences of college and beyond. After school would be a fantastic time for a Radio club in which students could create their own unique programming based on individual interests, ranging from fashion advice to the treachery of Lady Macbeth. The sky is truly the limit.

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Comments

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Is a wonderful thing where you listen to music that other people picked out for you so you don't have to be looking at your iPod while driving down 93 trying to decide what to listen to next.

(No offense intended, it is a dying medium unfortunately! :)

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That would be great radio.

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I keep seeing reports that Marty Walsh is inheriting a $50 million deficit and we are thinking of starting a radio station?

C'mon folks!

Although it's actually a sign that there is no $50 million deficit other than the one the city concocts every year to cry poormouth to Beacon Hill - who then promptly ignores them because they've cried wolf so many times nobody listens - they know there are far bigger true needs in places like Springfield, New Bedford and Lowell. Sometimes I wonder if they think the pols on Beacon Hill are all blind or can't read.

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The proposed station in East Boston at E. Boston High is for the frequency 94.9, not 102.9. By the way, there are other mutually-exclusive applicants for these frequencies,. so it's not certain that the City of Boston or Boston Public Schools will get them.

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Honestly, it would explain a lot.

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But it's obvious they can't do math, Will.

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Did the city leaders find a pot of gold stashed while the Irish descendants were kept away from the mayoral throne?

Is the multimillion dollar project to sink money into the boring BPL Johnson building still on the books? Has the city found the money to finish rehab projects of libraries which were to be closed a few years ago due to insufficient funds? How much will the city waste exploring how to bankrupt the city via as an Olympics host city? Where will the city find the money to employ the construction companies that need work before the bankrupting Olympics provides them a new trough? Will the city be obligated to contribute to the instantly obsolete Convention Center extension?

In 2009 the property rate was 10.63 per 1,000. Now it is 13.14. That is the highest since 2000. This year's rate increased by a minor 10 cents per thousand. So for a $250,000 assessment that in only another $25. But comparing 2009 to 2013 each property owner is paying $602 a year more.

Yet now there is talk of setting up radio stations which will assuredly be as well listened to as city cable stations are watched? Well, watched only if you have cable (which I don't since it costs too much and provides too little.)

Has Boston's local government been living in some municipal version of Alice's Wonderland?

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