Community radio coming to Keeseville

KEESEVILLE | If the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden were alive today, he would be beaming aside the Ausable River. Although numerous scientists for decades before him had much to do with the invention of the first radio using electromagnetic waves, what used to be called wireless telegraphy, including Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi and Nikola Tesla, it was Fessenden who on Dec. 23, 1900, successfully transmitted the first brief intelligible voice message. He did it on Cobb Island in the Potomac River in Maryland, between two stations located one mile apart. But now, 124 years later, in what could be the first time, Fessenden's wireless communication radio gizmo will be arriving in Keeseville and transmitting in perhaps a year. Better late than never, so the adage goes. Last fall when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) notified folks it would allow for the creation of a new local radio signal and transmitter, officials at the Ausable Valley Grange in Keeseville jumped at the chance. On June 5, the FCC notified the grange it may operate a low-power 100.5 MHz FM radio station with the call sign WAVG-LP. It plans to broadcast from the Keeseville Civic Center pending approval from town officials. John Sokol, who will be heavily involved in the station and is the treasurer of the grange and whose wife, Sue Loomans, has been president since last August, says its signal will have a 7-mile radius over flat surfaces. In addition to Keeseville, this non-commercial non-profit station will reach parts of Ausable and Chesterfield and air continuously seven days weekly. It will also stream online, so the diaspora of former Keeseville residents will have access. Fortunately, Sokol is no inexpert when it comes to professional broadcast radio. Indeed, it's the opposite. He's a well-experienced expert. Speaking with his broadcaster's euphonious voice, Sokol says he started in radio in his native Albany, then accepted positions in Atlanta, GA; Richmond, VA, and Milwaukee, WI. His shows included news, talk radio and music. And since he also coached on-air talent, this could be beneficial as WAVG-LP intends to offer high school and college students and others the opportunity to gain experience and instruction about working in broadcast radio. All staff will be volunteers. And since Keeseville has not had a hometown paper or media outlet that concentrates exclusively on news, happenings and residents within the hamlet for decades, Sokol says he hopes the station will help alleviate the void and become a source of local news. This depends on how many volunteers and what they desire to do. They could either just read local news produced by other media outlets or work as reporters and gather the information themselves. He also envisions the station possibly broadcasting town meetings; interviewing local elected officials; call in questions and answers; providing a forum for candidates; informing residents what is happening in the community; giving a voice to local nonprofits and airing concerts performed in Keeseville. The station also intends to provide emergency alerts, local information, history, lore and conversation. But initially, the station will focus on airing popular rock n' roll and country music from the 1970s and 1980s, with live disc jockeys on air during morning and evening drive times, afternoons and early evenings Monday through Friday and perhaps Saturday mornings, he says. Being an FM radio station rather than AM will help in this regard, as FM offers better sound quality for music over shorter distances. Once station officials discover the musical genres listeners prefer, they will adjust their music programming to accommodate. They are not going to replicate the playlists of commercial radio stations, but rather something akin to the eclectic programming choices of college radio stations. Sokol says the non-profit Ausable Valley Grange needs funds via donations, sponsors and grants to launch WAVG-LP. It requires $10,000 initially for equipment and $5,000 annually for operating expenses. The FCC prohibits it from airing advertisements, but will allow it to identify sponsors on air. To volunteer to help build or run the station or obtain additional information, write to WAVGRradio@Gmail.com . To also obtain more information or donate to this important future local resource, visit AusableValleyGrange.Org and click on donate. "There is tremendous potential in this station," says Sokol. It will add to living here and residents being a part of this community. So now, finally Keeseville enters the radio age and will have its own hometown media outlet. Thanks to the folks at the Ausable Valley Grange, it's a big victory for the tiny hamlet. The ghost of inventor Reginald Fessenden is smiling.

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