It was a sweet Valentine’s Day for Pawling Public Radio. February 14th was the day the Board of Directors was notified by the FCC (Federal Communications Commision)that a construction permit has been awarded in preparation for full licensing of the station. At that time, PPR’s frequency will change to 103.7 FM, and they will apply for official call letters.
This means that hopefully by the fall, Pawling residents and some surrounding areas will be able to listen to the station on the radio, not just by streaming through PPR’s website, making it easier for everyone to obtain community information and announcements like those from the Emergency Broadcasting System (like power outages and school closings).
The many years of hard work, fundraising, grant writing, and more are finally paying off for the PPR Board and volunteers. Although the FCC gives PPR 18 months to complete construction and obtain FCC sanctioned equipment, the Board of Directors feel that all FCC requirements can be satisfied within nine months of the February CP issuance.
In anticipation of this licensing approval, PPR has been actively developing new programming. Members and volunteers have participated in PPR’s growth with leadership in the areas of education, marketing, fundraising, engineering, programming, and production. It’s not too late to get involved. If you have an idea for a radio program, now is the time to contact the station. E-mail PPR at info@pawlingpublicradio.org , call the station at 845-493-0355, or fill out the form available on this web site.
While current board members and volunteers did much recently to make this happen for the Pawling community, past board members – those who planted the seed for a radio station in Pawling back in 2007 – should also be congratulated for making the idea of a community radio station a reality. Those for whom thanks are due are Pete Muroski, recent past board chair, Fred Feindel, founding member and original board chair, and Nancy Tanner, founding member.
Current PPR Board members include: Chair Mike Shustak; Vice Chair Amy Emke; Secretaries Carol-Lee Kantor and Lisa D’Ottavio; as well as Celeste Bevilacqua, Mike Grannis, Lisa Salisbury, and Susan Stone. PPR Advisory Board Members include; Dr. Patrice Passidomo, Attorney Brian Berlandi, Sharon Danosky, Gene Garnes, and Michael Mahoney.
Check PPR’s websites for updates on the progress of licensing completion and program development.
