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Dear Friends,

On October 5th, Simply Living and three other local organizations (Bexley Public Radio Foundation, Community Refugee and Immigration Service and Groveport Madison Local School District) were granted a long-awaited construction permit from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to build a Low Power FM (LPFM) radio station. (By definition, a low power station operates at 100 watts, which the FCC considers to cover a five-mile radius. In actuality the signal can cover up to an eleven-mile radius.) This action was the culmination of a series of filings and agreements which included a timeshare agreement whereby we share the signal, 102.1 FM, and programming with the three other permit holders. According to the permit, we have until April 2007 to put this station on the air. Pertinent to this process is the parallel effort of Columbus Community Radio Foundation to build a 170 watt translator station at 98.3 FM in Grandview, a station that by definition cannot originate programming but can pick up another station's programming and broadcast it to a wider audience, due to its higher power.

The opportunity for this station to be of, by and for the community is exciting. Similarly to our current Central Ohio public radio stations WCBE and WOSU, we are obligated to originate a percentage of local programming and cannot air paid advertising but can solicit program underwriters.

At this time we have many questions about the process and what will be required for the LPFM station to go "on air." Some community members have expressed interest in helping, but many people will need to make significant commitments for this station to become a reality. To proceed with this project, we will all be on a steep learning curve to learn the "what and how" of producing and broadcasting quality radio programming.

Are you interested in supporting this project with your time, talent and/or money? Do you have experience with radio of any sort that you could offer to this effort? If so, please contact either Marilyn Welker at the Simply Living office, 447-0296, or email: mwelker@ctcn.net; or Eugene Beer, 893-6293, or email: eug@columbus.rr.com.

Thank you!

Marilyn Welker, Director

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