COMMENTARY: KQKE LPFM radio construction permit deadline nears

Community Media Access Partnership (CMAP) is a nonprofit community media center serving Gilroy, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista. According to its mission statement: “We empower community members and organizations to thrive in a digital world by providing access to media tools, training, and television distribution on local cable channels. We are committed to promoting civic engagement, creative self­-expression, and life and career skills for youth and adults.”

Well, sometimes.

The ongoing saga whether to support KQKE Low Power FM radio may be nearing an end; the deadline for CMAP to extend the FCC deadline for the construction permit to build a 100-watt  radio station on Park Hill in Hollister, purportedly capable of broadcasting communit- based content in a 10-mile radius, approaches rapidly come Aug. 21. If CMAP allows the deadline to pass without filing for the construction permit extension to build the station, KQKE LPFM will not come to fruition. CMAP has justified this death knell to LPFM radio based on a community survey commissioned to Facebook users, the results of which CMAP Executive Director Becca King Reed convinced the CMAP Board of Directors would not support its mission statement or fiduciary responsibilities.

“BUT DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL… ” The City of San Juan Bautista, the Community Foundation for San Benito County and the City of Hollister – according to sources – have expressed financial and administrative support to encourage CMAP to extend the FCC building construction permit to allow KQKE LPFM radio supporters more time to raise funds, purchase the transmitter equipment and antenna with which to meet the FCC requirements to broadcast community based radio content to Hollister, San Juan Bautista and San Benito County community members.

But CMAP has to act quickly to extend the FCC construction permit. 

Hollister/San Benito County currently do not have a way to communicate with its citizens in the event of storms, fires, earthquakes or acts of war or terrorism. KQKE proponents envision that a LPFM radio station will provide a low cost means of mass communication – in Spanish and English – to help community members seek shelter, safe haven, emergency medicine, food and water during a natural or man made catastrophe. Secondary benefits of a LPFM radio station include sharing the diversity of our community through news, information, weather reports, music, poetry, special event promotion, civil dialogue and debate of matters important to public policy. 

Finally, LPFM radio has the potential to welcome tourists to Hollister/San Benito County and provide guidance to points of interest and special event venues which can boost the local economy. KQKE/LPFM radio supporters are simply asking for the opportunity to continue to develop a studio in order to produce and broadcast community based content – in Spanish and English – that will benefit community members.

KQKE LPFM supporters are committed to raising the necessary initial and ongoing funds to operate the station and have successfully garnered the attention and support of the Community Foundation for San Benito County to assist in obtaining future grants and tax deductible donations to sustain this important mass communication tool for our community. 

The clock ticks quietly away toward the FCC LPFM building permit deadline on Aug. 21. CMAP staff and board of directors now have the opportunity to become community heroes or play the foil to a nail-biting story of bureaucrats vs. community radio advocates. 

Stay tuned to this unfolding drama.