Category: Announcements || By

Tube City Community Media Inc. has announced that it will not seek a low-power FM radio station license in McKeesport.

Instead, the non-profit organization that operates the Tube City Online website will look for ways to work with McKeesport-licensed WEDO (810 AM) radio on bringing community public-affairs coverage to the region.

The Federal Communications Commission is currently accepting applications for low-power FM radio stations. These stations must be operated by non-profit community groups and may not carry commercial announcements such as advertising.

The decision follows a board meeting in August at which six of Tube City's eight board members expressed ambivalence about creating a new non-profit, non-commercial radio station.

Following the meeting, an article in Daily News asked community groups or residents if they were interested in low-power FM radio, also known as LPFM. Only one person contacted Tube City; they were not from the McKeesport area.

Tube City Executive Director Jason Togyer also contacted a national LPFM advocacy group, the Philadelphia-based Prometheus Radio Project, to see if they knew of anyone in the east or south hills of Pittsburgh who was also applying for a license, and might be interested in a partnership. Prometheus was unable to find any such organization.

"That, combined with the recent donation of WMNY 1360 (which is now off the air), made our board question whether it was a good idea to start a new radio station when existing radio stations seem to be having a hard time," Togyer said in a statement issued to the Daily News. "Jeremy Bosse, the GM of WEDO, and I had a long talk and we decided to explore ways that we could partner with WEDO to provide content to them.

"We are going to start with community calendar and public service announcements, and then hopefully add 'McKeesport history minutes' in partnership with the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center.

"This has the benefit of helping the community while helping an existing independent radio station. No money is changing hands and we are not replacing any of their sponsored content.

"If it works, then after the first of the year, Jeremy and I will look at other ways that we and WEDO can work together to provide community radio to the McKeesport area."