City Debuts Radio Station
WSNP-LP 105.9 FM broadcasting municipal meetings, music
By Brandi Makuski
The City of Stevens Point this month debuted its low-power (100 Watt) FM radio station.
The 10-foot-tall radio antenna for 105.9 WSNP was erected atop a 100-foot-tall lamp post at Goerke Field, and from there the signal can reach well beyond city limits. John Quirk, the Community TV coordinator, said he has been working on getting approval for the new radio station for “many years”, but noted the biggest hold up came from the Federal Communications Commission, which only grants the licenses during certain periods of time.
“There was a lot of red tape and a lot of waiting,” Quirk said.
The non-commercial radio station was licensed by the FCC primarily to broadcast public safety information, but will also air audio recordings of city and county meetings, a variety of music and more.
While the city waits for the final FCC Broadcast License, 105.9 WSNP has been on the air 24 hours a day since July 31, playing a mix of municipal meetings and blocks of various music.
The station is also equipped with an emergency alert system and will broadcast weather-related and other emergency information.
Quirk said the station has the ability to broadcast live, and could add to its programming in the future.