LAKE COUNTY — Political pundits, newshounds, music buffs and talk-show hosts were buzzing around a sunny suite on the second-floor of an historic downtown Lakeport building Friday where the new Lake County Community Radio (LCCR) makes its home. The team was organizing last-minute details in preparation to go on the air today.
An unofficial two-week broadcast period for KPFZ 88.1 precedes its official launch on April 27 as a full-power FM station reaching Lake County and beyond.
The station is the fruit of 12 years of labor involving “hundreds and hundreds” of area citizens, said founder and General Manager Andy Weiss. The station previously was broadcast on a low-power frequency that reached limited areas of the community between 2001 and 2005.
“Three years ago we decided we wanted to be full-power and reach throughout the county. We weren”t even getting to Clearlake, much less beyond ? it was very limited,” said LCCR Board President Susan Krones, the host of the music show Celtic Collage that goes on-the-air Sunday from 12-2 p.m.
“We”re a full community station. We got the construction permit, got a federal grant to get up-to-date equipment and from there have been trying to pull it all together. It”s been a long road ? this is a dream come true,” Krones said.
“Progressive Point,” a community-issues show, launches the station during its test period today. The hour-long show starts at 9 a.m. when hosts Mark Knaup and Michelle Borzoni welcome the first guests during the hour, Sen. Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) and Assembly candidate Wes Chesbro, Knaup said.
Overall, the station”s content will be half music and half public affairs, covering the community and culture of Lake County. Shows are slated for youth to learn the ropes of broadcasting as hosts of both music and public affairs topics, as well as a program catering to the interests of senior citizens.
“We want people to feel as if they”re eavesdropping on the community ? on everything that”s going on,” Weiss said.
Eventually, a news director will lead the 40-plus “programmers” or show hosts and broadcast-board operators.
“Our ultimate goal is to bring local news to the county, which takes a lot of resources. We have a lot of people who will be stringers [reporters who will update the station on breaking news]. We need someone to be the news director to make this station a very significant news outlet,” Weiss said.
Knaup said volunteers could help in any capacity and learn valuable skills including how to operate a broadcast-board and how to convert news events into broadcast script. “This is going to be the heartbeat of the community. We”re going to be very provocative,” Knaup said.
Krones said she learned broadcasting by watching a mentor do her own show. “I did a half-hour segment and she was there to help. I did that about three or four times. When you first fly solo, you”re nervous, but you do it more and more and then its ?yeah, I know how to do this,”” Krones said.
The mandatory training period includes learning Federal Communication Commission rules. And there will be a special training program for youth. “It will be really great for high school students to gain experience and confidence, because a lot of colleges have radio stations,” Krones said.
Following “Progressive Point,” at 10 a.m. husband-and-wife team Steve Elias and Catherine Elias-Jermany will host “Both Sides Now, One Side at a Time,” a resurrection of their “Both Sides Now” show from the previous, low-power station. The topic today will be genetically modified crops.
Both Saturday shows will take calls near the end of the hour. The phone number will be broadcast several times during the show. Anyone interested in becoming involved with LCCR can call 263-3640, or stop by the station located above Ashley”s restaurant at 149 North Main Street, Suites 220-240.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
