Sheep Radio

Nearly seven years ago the FCC made available a number of low-power FM radio broadcast licenses. My church applied for one to be broadcast from the church in Chico, CA. The process took over three years. Finally, in about January, 2004, we were awarded a permit to build a radio station.

Once awarded the permit, we were given 18 months to build it. According to FCC regulation, if a license recipient does not build in that length of time, the offer is withdrawn and the recipient is not allowed to continue on to actual licensing. Now, never being a church to rush into anything, our elders waited until March, 2005, and then sent me to a conference to see if we wanted to hurry up and build the station or just let it go.

I took three techie-type people with me. After hearing from others who had already built and those who were somewhere in the process, we all decided that we not only should have a radio station, but that building it in four months was something that we could accomplish. So, we went back to the elders and gave them our report. They approved building the station, and assigned me the task of coming up with the call letters for the station.

Now, choosing call letters for a radio station is quite an ordeal. You have to go onto the FCC website and submit a request for the call letters you want (i.e. KQIP). The FCC will respond (almost immediately) and let you know whether or not those call letters are available. It would be much simpler if the FCC would publish a list of the call letters that are already taken, but they don't. That may be because there are 17,576 possibilities (26x26x26). Every radio station starts with either a K or a W, depending upon which side of the Missippi you are on, and then has three other letters following.

I quickly realized that all the really good call signs were already taken, and began the process of elimination; i.e. KAAA, KAAB, KAAC, etc. We finally settled on KQIP; 1) because it was available; and 2) because it fits our mission statement based on Ephesians 4:12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Now, our top of the hour is "You are listening to KQIP-LP 107.1 FM."

I must admit, though I like KQIP just fine, it was not my first choice. My first choice, which didn't make it past the council of elders, was KBAA; 1) because it was available; and 2) because I had already developed a top of the hour announcement that would go like this, "You are listening to 107.1 KBAA. That's right, Baaaaaaa radio, where the sheep love to eat! Where the teaching is really good, and the music is not baaaaaaad, either!" I still don't get why the elders didn't go for it.

At any rate, the deadline for getting the radio station built was July 15, 2005, at 3:00 AM. We completed construction and began to broadcast on July 4, 2005, at 5:00 PM. And, KQIP has been a real blessing to the church and to the community.

For a great scripture, go to http://www.makefunofyourday.blogspot.com/