WBFY-LP is a low-power, community radio station in

Belfast, Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 6,938. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay (Maine), Belfast Bay and Penobsc ...

, United States. It broadcasts at 100.9 FM from a studio in the basement of a former elementary school, Waterfall Arts, on High Street. The range of the

signal A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology. In ...

is 10–20 miles, depending on the weather and geographic conditions.

History

The license is held by the City of

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, but the

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

itself was created and run by a group of volunteers, called Belfast Community Radio. The station was constructed in early December 2016, by the technical committee—Pete Dalton, Erik Klausmeyer, Vic Tredwell, Zafra Whitcomb—and many other helpers. The basement room was soundproofed with donated acoustic tiles. Equipment was selected, purchased, and installed. The antenna was strapped to the chimney of the building using a metal-banding machine from the transfer station. A dedicated internet connection was established. After a brief period of testing, the station launched on December 17, 2016, with a marathon show of live music and interviews from noon until 8 pm.{{Cite web, url=https://bangordailynews.com/bdn-Maine/community/wbfy-fm-radio-station-to-go-live-with-on-air-party/, title=WBFY FM radio station to go live with on-air party, website=Bangor Daily News, language=en-US, access-date=2020-03-19 A dozen local music groups appeared in the show, as well as city counselors and other supporters of the station. After that, the 'robot DJ' -- a

computer program A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to Execution (computing), execute. It is one component of software, which also includes software documentation, documentation and other intangibl ...

—took over. It broadcasts music 24/7, except when human DJs are training, or the station is transmitting prerecorded shows by community members. The station's second major event was held on New Year's Eve. Concerts put on by the 20th Annual New Years By The Bay were recorded, and hand carried to the station. These were broadcast with a one-hour delay, along with good wishes call-ins. Both of the marathon shows were produced by Vic Tredwell, with help from many

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

Future

The programming committee, led by Karen Nelson and Judi Erickson, is recruiting and training programmers. Regular music and public service shows started in January. The governance committee, led by Zafra Whitcomb and Lane Sturtevant, is working toward bylaws and incorporation. When these legal structures are in place, the City of Belfast will transfer the license to Belfast Community Radio.

References

belfastcommunityradio.org
- the station's web site
WBFY to Start Broadcasting
- article by Ethan Andrews from the Republican Journal, Belfast's newspaper
Community Radio Launch
- video by Ned Lightner from "Somewhere In Waldo County", a show on Belfast's public access cable channel
Hyper-Local Radio
- article about the station on th
Island Institute
website
WBFY FM radio station to go live with on-air party

More Information

BFY-LP BFY-LP Radio stations established in 2016 2016 establishments in Maine Belfast, Maine Community radio stations in the United States