Shortest Lived LPFM

I think this set a record for the shortest-lived LPFM radio station. 95.7 WXDB existed for all of 6 weeks on paper. In reality it probably wasn't even that long. The seeds of it's destruction were sown in it's genesis. Let's rewind back to February of 2014. More here.

The station was founded by Burr Beard. You may know him as the somewhat controversial GM who left 91.1 WTJU-FM after just six months in the drivers seat. [SOURCE] If you know that WTJU is in Charlottesville, VA you may have already figured out that Beard relocated to Chareston, WV to start a community radio station. The "community" part was surprisingly not the whole problem. Burr wanted to start an American a radio station in Charlottesville. In other words, WXDB was his second try. The prior  year he did a stint as SM 88.7 WNCW, and later GM of 90.3 WXLV before it's sale to Four Rivers. His real claim to fame was a 9-year stretch running 88.1 WDIY in Bethlehem, PA. He'd also been a DJ at WYEP, WUNC, WXYZ, and WRQM. More here. He also plays a mean hammered dulcimer.


As "Roots Town Radio" the station began raising funds to build WXDB. Beard organized and trained a staff of volunteers:  Larry Hoskins, Alasha Al-Qudwah, Emmett Pepper  and many others. They raised $1,000 from a crowd funding campaign on the website Indiegogo and managed to score $10,000 in grants from from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, and the Tamarack Artisan Foundation. It was enough to turn on the lights and start broadcasting September 7th of 2014.

The first sign of a problem was when Dawn Warner, Beard’s ex-girlfriend, the President of Roots Town Radio fired him. Yeah. So, about a week after the station debuted, Dawn and Burr were splittsville. The station engineer alerted staff that Burr was out and their Facebook page even bore that update. But then by September 15th Burr was back. This was further complicated by the fact that Dawn Warner’s son, Nemo, was serving on the station's governing board, but also not showing up. But by September 29th it was Dawn leaving the station and Burr staying. If you felt it was volatile you're right. On October 18th Burr quit.

Two days later hat day, Dawn Warner the ex-president of WXDB contacted the FCC and surrendered the station’s construction permit, shutting down the station for good. Most news sources liek to point out that the station volunteers blame her. On 10-23 the FCC recorded "Construction Permit Cancelled and Callsign Deleted 10/20/2014 per permittee's request"

Living Green in the Lehigh Valley

The category of green living  radio programs is among the most rare. There are fewer than a dozen in the whole US. Mother Earth News Launched "Mother Earth News" back in 2009. It airs on 1190 KFXR-AM in Dallas. The "Farm to Family Connection" show runs on 93.1 KKYA up in Yankton, SD. There is also 98.9 KSOF just outside Fresno, CA as the sole affiliate airing "Green is Good" a syndicated program from Clear Channel. We also have a local niche program at 88.1 WDIY "Living Green in the Lehigh Valley" which has been running since 2011. WDIY also broadcasts on two repeaters, W229AO 93.7 Fogelsville and W230AG 93.9 FM Easton. More here.

The 4-minute segment is produced and hosted by Annie Prince and Bruce Wilson. It may be short, but MSA #70 is no podunk burg, and it follows top tier NPR programming. It airs on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM during NPR’s On the Media and Wednesdays at 5:45 PM during NPR’s All Things Considered. The show publicizes green-friendly events in the valley, and has how-to segments focused on local resources. I recently asked Bruce about the genesis of the program.

"We had started the Lehigh Valley Green Builders, www.lvgreenbuilders.org and after we left that board we suggested a show to WDIY about green building.The station manager suggested that we broaden the focus to all things green happening in the Lehigh Valley. A time slot was just about to open up so we jumped on it."

His co-host and wife Annie actually has a background in broadcasting; having started out at 91.7 WMUH at Muhlenberg College. She was also a member of the Lehigh Valley Community Broadcasters Association which founded WDIY back in 1995. If you live outside the metro, you can hear their program here. Personally I'd like  to see a call-in program developed around green building. If Car Talk and You Bet Your Garden can remain popular for decades this could work.

AVP, IPT, ELM, DSV, ROC

A long largely rural drive in bad weather can be pretty unpleasant. But I scan the radio dial coming and going looking for good news as I so often do. There were some winners losers and some surprises as always.  the terrain of upstate New York leaves for erratic reception atop all the hills and at the bottom of every valley. the challenge is catching an ID before it vanishes into the static.

88.1 WDIY was playing classical, doing nothing interesting on the northbound trip, but on the southbound side I caught a show called "Good Clean Fun" which was excellent. I heard a tune by a band called Broken Records that really grabbed me. WDIY-FM is also available on 93.7 W229AO Fogelsville and 93.9 W230AG Easton which help the little 100 watt station stretch it's legs a bit.

Moving north I ended up being a Muzak van which was ironic and somewhat comical.  I continue to be amazed at that corporations continued existence. 91.7 WMUH was rolling out the indie rock as I passed by with some band called the Headless Horseman who was excellent and turns out to be local to the region. The DJ did both a frontsell and a backsell so they're either a fan or they're in the band. WXLV was spinning Jeff Becks's Broken Guitar Blues, a sold proggy tune in the middle of a really good set of other rock I didn't even recognize. The show was probably Pet Sounds though I didn't catch the name.  90.3 WXLV, WMUH, WLVR and WDIY were all gone by the Lehigh tunnel or at least gone on the other side. When I saw daylight I discovered that 99.5 WUSR had dropped their regular programming for automated Christmas music, one of my personal pet peeves.  Within a mile of the bridge I heard a signal on 91.9 clearly but briefly... the only station I can attribute that to would be WNTI. If you live in that neighborhood -kudos, enjoy the splatter.

As I turned West I'll admit that I scanned right over 88.9 WQSU twice because they were spinning random pop of the 1980s like some crap Jack station. I hope that's not indicative of their normal playlist.In Bloomsburg I stopped in town and drove right past the WHLM studios.

In town I tried out 91.1 WBUQ which was playing commercial active rock on both trips confirming my worst fears. The is literally nothing new between Bloomsburg and Williamsport so I worked my way through a CD by Q65 I brought. In Williamsport   88.1 WPTC was playing uninteresting pop.The DJ on 91.7 WRLCwas yapping but at least it was their own local sport talk. Just outside Williamsport I stopped at Allenwood Americana Antiques and bought a stack of acetates on a chance. It was freezing cold, but it was a quality joint worth stopping at.

By now I was far enough out into the woods that I could hear both New York and Philadelphia area AM stations. 1060 KYW-AM informed me that I had bad weather behind me, and 680 WINR-AM informed me that it was bad ahead of me too. On 89.5 "The Giant" WNTE-FM I caught part of the Super Jocko Taco Show, the name kind of says it all. Further north I heard mostly NPR on the non-com band WSQA, WETD, even WRUR. As I approaches Rochester the first original voices I heard were WGSU and WBER of course. On the southbound trip I caught one last good program. Out in the boonies late at night I listened to Rick Jackson's Country Hall of Fame on 105.1 WILQ. Admittedly not my normal listening, especially since it's a satellite fed dialglobal show. But this was the Turkey and Leftovers episode, an all country comedy show.  It reminded me of Dr. Demento in a world that still really needs one.

The Long Road Home

I drove south From Albany yesterday. I bought bags of Jada Red and Ginger Gold Apples, and a bag of Apple Cider Doughnuts and started south on Route 90. It was warm out, but there were big clouds on the horizon and the breeze was cool. I ate warm apples and hung my arm out the window until the sun went down.
http://www.jerzyboyz.com/gingergold.htm
http://www.nyapplecountry.com/redrome.htm

I listened mostly to 90.3 WAMC in the Albany area switching to a couple affiliates as if got weaker. As I got nearer to 287 South, I could hear a fantastic rock program on WVKR 91.3 Poughkeepsie, and I heard the LOST & FOUND OLDIES SHOW with Sam Tallerico. It was outstanding. Tons of Rockabilly and pre-Beatles garage rock/pop. Fantastic. Then Jazz junction on 88.1 WDIY in Allentown, A classic hardcore program on 90.3 WXLV out of Lehigh Carbon Community College.
http://www.wamc.org/
http://www.wvkr.org/
http://www.wdiyfm.org/
http://www.wxlvfm.com/

WFMU was clear through some of this time but that particular program wasn't grabbing me.

Across most of New Jersey I listened to 89.7 WDVR. They play a mix of Americana, Folk, Triple-A and old Country. They never come off slick or trite; always straddling that middle ground of genuine provincial hominess, never parodying themselves. ...And that Jimmie Rodgers-style country yodel station ID is ABSOLUTELY KILLER . Long live the Country Store.
www.wdvrfm.com