Thiel’s new FM: Yes, really!

Happy Thanksgiving! Except to our handful of Canadian readers. To them we say, “Welcome to Thursday.”

PBRTV is thankful to hear from Bill Beil, vice president for auxiliary enterprises and chief technology officer at Thiel College in Greenville.

We asked Beil why the college decided to re-apply for a non-commercial educational (NCE) FM radio license less than a year after signing WTGP-FM off the air.

He writes:

The answer has to do primarily with FCC rules, and with the challenges of a student-run radio station at a small college. We relinquished the license because the station had not broadcast for a period of a year, and the license automatically lapsed by FCC rules.

The application for a new license occurred because the faculty expressed an interest in renewing the broadcast outlet. The College’s Communications Department expects to make use of the reborn station as a teaching laboratory for broadcast communications classes. Students involved in broadcasting at the College have indicated that they would appreciate the ability to reach the Greenville community over the airwaves.

We received strong support, encouragement, and guidance from alumni who were members of the radio station staff in years past as we prepared our application for the license. The fortunate circumstance of a window for NCE applications has made this project possible. We are hopeful that the FCC will grant our application, and that we will have the opportunity to return to the airwaves with non-commercial broadcast service for the students and the community.

Any alumni or friends of Thiel College interested in helping get the new FM station on the air are welcome to contact Beil (after Thanksgiving) at (724) 589-2300 or bbeil@thiel.edu.