No mention of what ASCAP, BMI, et al. licenses might be for stations this size, that wish to play music? I'm curious if we're talking $250 or $10,000 per year.

The low start-up costs might be insignificant, depending on those licensing fees.

I'd also like to hear about the practical tests of the LPFM broadcast range. I keep seeing the term "3 miles", but is that number valid for the Seattle area? That signal is going to be pretty weak, so music broadcasting might not be so appealing.
FM radio reception in the Puget Sound region has always been spotty, even with high power signals. Will anyone more than 1 mile away from these new stations be able to get a strong enough signal to keep them tuned in?
Relay stations are nice, but if they are also low power, how effective will they be?

Hey Doug - LPFM stations are actually given a discounted rate for licensing costs, so we're looking at a much lower cost than for other stations. Here's a guide from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters:
http://www.nfcb.org/projects/lpfm/Broadc…

I think this is from 2007, so the rates are definitely higher, but you're overall looking at 4-digits, total, which is definitely doable for any organization that's serious about this.

@3 - Thank you. This is good news regardless, but that gives me hope for the possibility an LPFM station could fill the void that college radio has left with its increasing shift toward MOR.

Jeez, I miss AM 1090. If one of these stations became a progressive political station, I would listen. Granted, they wouldn't be able to afford the national stars like Stephanie Miller, but I bet there's some local talent here ready to reach an audience.

I love this idea. community radio started here in Seattle and I'm excited to see it come back. speaking of which, it would be cool to see a feature on KRAB or Lorenzo Milam at some point.

Yeah, KRAB became KSER which I just left after 15 yrs volunteering as a dj because they don't care about music or community anymore. I hope one of these LPFM stations starts in Everett so I can play real music again!

Some folks would take issue with Ms. Roach's assessment of KEXP: "They have global reach, because of the strength of their programming."

The station's reach was most heavily impacted by a massive infusion of cash and facility upgrades from Paul Allen, coupled with an aggressively expansionist management team; the music itself was not nearly as large a contributing factor.

The point is not to bash KEXP (or Ms. Roach), but to suggest that the real opportunity with these LPFM licenses lies not in making "eight little KEXP's" (author Anna Minard's words), but rather, to create broadcasting entities that are first and foremost concerned with best serving their own immediate community, while developing a local, audience-driven funding base.

I hope the LAST thing this gives us is "eight little KEXPs".

I certainly do not need little kexp's unless they can get back to what they used to be. It has been entirely downhill since they started whoring themselves for NYC.

If you are interested in KRAB, there is a website in construction documenting whgat it was that made it special: www.krab.fm

If you are interested in KRAB, there is a website in construction documenting what it was that made it special: www.krab.fm

I'd really like the return of something that used to be called "Progressive Radio" from back in the 1970s. That's when D.J.'s were allowed to talk...for five or ten minutes if they wanted to, about music or issues. And they could play any cut on the album or a whole side. It was a complete ethos in which you could spend an auditory life.

KEXP is the dullest station on the planet. Daytime radio is John Richards' Cavalcade of Dull Indy Rock Guitar Music. Night time radio is hillbilly music 3 days out of the week. Even state owned radio stations like RTP Portugal has more interesting music than KEXP.