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How to Set Up a Low Range FM Community Radio Station

More than 300 low power FM (LPFM) radio stations have gone on the air in the last five years, making it an increasingly popular form of broadcast media in small towns across the United States, according to National Public Radio. One reason so many local stations are broadcasting is because they're relatively easy and inexpensive to set up. For as little as $7,000 in equipment and a license from the Federal Communications Commission, you can begin broadcasting within your local community.

Instructions

    • 1

      Visit the Federal Communications Commission website (see Resources), type in "LPFM," and follow instructions to apply for a license.

    • 2

      Rent or buy a quiet area with enough room for a CD player and a microphone. A small room, part of a room or even a closet can work as a studio.

    • 3

      Set up your antenna at the highest place possible spot. LPFM radio signals transmit in a straight line for up to three miles, as long as nothing blocks them. Fortunately, antennas are small and lightweight, so a pole, a tower, a mast or even a hill can be a good location.

    • 4

      Buy or ask people to donate studio equipment. The minimum equipment is a microphone, CD player, cassette player, sound board and Emergency Alert System Decoder, which is required by the FCC, according to Prometheus Radio, an LPFM advocacy organization.

    • 5

      Obtain a transmitter, an antenna and a compressor, the basic equipment you'll need to change FM waves to sound waves and send them to a radio. A compressor keeps the sound consistent so the volume doesn't bounce from very low to very high.

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