TERRE HAUTE —
A dozen agencies, including Indiana State University and Indiana University, are vying for a new noncommercial education radio license to broadcast on a 50,000-watt frequency at 107.5 FM.
That frequency used to broadcast a rock ’n’ roll station, formerly WZZQ-FM, until the former owner of the radio license, Michael S. Rice, was convicted in August 1994 of 12 sex-related charges involving five children. He was incarcerated from September 1994 to December 1999.
Rice had three licensed radio frequencies in Terre Haute and two in Missouri. The Federal Communications Commission revoked Rice’s licenses in 2001, which included shutting down 107.5 FM
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld that action in 2003.
The FCC converted the radio frequency from commercial broadcast to noncommercial education use in 2004. The FCC originally opened the frequency up for allotment in December, then rescheduled that, opening up a filing time for applicants this year from Feb. 19 until Feb. 26.
Dave Taylor, media relations director at Indiana State, said the university’s board of trustees has applied for the radio license “for use as a National Public Radio-type of broadcast facility.”
The same goes for Indiana University, which could expand the listening area and signal strength of WFIU, said station manager Christina Kuzmych.
Most of the applicants are religious organizations, largely in Indiana and Illinois, with the exceptions of Hispanic Family Christian Network Inc. of Dallas; Grace Public Radio of Missouri City, Texas; and Community Broadcasting Inc. of Overland Park, Kan.
Paul Ford, president of Word Power Inc., based in Dennison, Ill., said the company currently broadcasts Christian programs “with WPFR-FM 93.9 in Clinton but with a much lower-power station, and we wanted to increase our service to the area and that is why we filed” for the radio license, he said.
Word Power Inc. operates WKZI-AM 800 and WLHW-FM 91.5 in Casey, Ill.; WPFR-FM 93.9 in Clinton; and WPFR-AM 1480 in Terre Haute, broadcasting from a 500-foot-tall tower in West Terre Haute.
The Light House Mission Ministries Inc., at 1450 Wabash Ave. in Terre Haute, has also applied for the radio license. “We are going to use it to promote the Gospel, but that is all I can say. My attorney said not to comment further,” said Tim Fagg, chief executive officer of the mission.
Others seeking the license are Illinois Bible Institute Inc. of Carlinville, Ill., which simulcasts its programming in Terre Haute under WBGL; Indiana Educational Broadcast Corp., of Marshall, Ind.; Terre Haute Bible Baptist Church Inc.; Prairie Air Inc. of Champaign, Ill.; and Terre Haute Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The FCC awards radio licenses under a point system procedure. The system awards points with preference to an established local organization; whether the proposal for a station will be part of a statewide network operated by an entity with multiple educational institutions throughout the state; that applicants have no other local media interests, such as a full-power radio or television station; and points are awarded to an applicant with the largest coverage area, according to the FCC.
No date has yet been scheduled for when the FCC will award the radio license, an FCC official said Wednesday.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com
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