Posts Tagged ‘Family Life Network’

Can $400K get you an FM station in Erie?

Rick Snavely is willing to try.

The NorthEast Radio Watch reports today what the FCC released Friday (HT to P&T faithful commenter Jim Griffey) that the non-profit that Snavely runs, Family Life Ministries, Inc. is purchasing WNAE-FM/Clarendon, PA from Iorio Broadcasting for $400,000 in a sale that is contingent upon FLM successfully achieving a community of license transfer from Clarendon to Wattsburg, PA to broadcast the commercial Class A at 102.7 FM.

This would be FLM’s first full-power signal in the Erie market, where they currently operate translators in Erie and Corry, and will be constructing a new NCE station in Cambridge Springs. The Clarendon purchase is part of an overall strategy to blanket Northwest PA with the Family Life Network’s “middle-of-the-road” Christian format of music and teaching. The map below from the ministry’s website illustrates the concept.

Family Life Network

Family Life Network

As Scott Fybush reports, the petition to move for WNAE-FM has yet to be filed. As Jim Griffey indicated in his comment, this development can only mean more competition for local Christian AC WCTL/106.3.

We’ll keep you updated as more news develops.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101373351&formid=314&fac_num=164188

Cambridge Springs to get new Family Life Network FM

New Family Life Network station in Cambridge Springs, PA

New Family Life Network station in Cambridge Springs, PA

After a complicated and far-flung settlement agreement that stretched across nearly 100 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, the big winner of the October 2007 Non-Commercial/Educational filing window for our area appears to be Family Life Ministries of Bath NY.

The Christian broadcasting and arts ministry, which owns stations and translators across the “twin-tiers” of NY & PA from Erie to Binghamton, has applied for a 8,000 watt B1 on 89.9 FM, WERG/Gannon’s old frequency. In addition, as part of the settlement, FLN will get a new directional B1 in Silver Creek, NY on the Chautauqua/Erie County NY border to more effectively cover the Buffalo south towns.

Also clear from the settlement is that Erie will get a new NCE FM at 89.5. However we don’t know who will be victorious once the FCC works out the elaborate point system for the still mutually-exclusive stations.

The big local losers in this settlement, who would have shut out on points anyway, include LECOM, the Seventh Day Adventist church, Greg Schlueter’s Vision IDX Catholic programming, and Inspiration Time/WCTL. I’ll try to get reaction from the winners and losers of this highly competitive quest of spectrum in later posts.

You can read my original coverage of this filing window and download who the original filers were within 50 Km of Erie on my Radio Free JoJo blog.

Fundraising week on Erie radio

Up and down the radio dial this week, you’ll hear a request for donations on at least three stations. It’s not a April Fool’s joke that our non-profit broadcasters coincidentally are holding their radiothons this week.

WQLN began its Listener’s Choice radiothon on Monday. They will keep going with pleas for support between regular programs until they hit their goal of $55,000 or Friday evening, whichever comes first. Things are a little precarious for our public media outlet, as Gov. Rendell has proposed dropping state support for all public TV and radio stations. You can get involved by calling 1-800-727-8854.
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WCTL holds its own in trying times for religious radio

Quick question: which format is available on more radio frequencies originating in Erie County than any other? If you guessed religious or Christian radio, you would be correct. Here’s the rundown of frequencies:

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