WQRZ-LP on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
WQRZ-LP (103.5 FM) is non-commercial low-power FM community radio station licensed to Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, United States. The station is currently owned by the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association.
On August 27, 2005 Brice Phillips moved WQRZ-LP to the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in advance of
WQRZ Community Radio
* QRZ QRZ Community radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2001 2001 establishments in Mississippi {{Mississippi-radio-station-stub
History
On August 14, 2001 Brice Phillips (KB5MPW), President of the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association, was granted a construction permit to build the first solar poweredLPFM
Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low transmitter power output to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly " ...
Broadcast Station, which combined Broadcasting with Amateur radio
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...
. WQRZ-LP signed on the air January 29, 2003.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 27, 2005 Brice Phillips moved WQRZ-LP to the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in advance of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. WQRZ-LP was one of the 4 out of 41 Broadcast Stations that survived Katrina, the only station at Ground Zero. After Katrina the Federal Communications Commission allowed WQRZ to increase their power from 100 watts to 4000 watts under special temporary authority, another first in history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) distributed 3,500 FM radios so survivors could tune into WQRZ-LP to listen to information directly from the EOC.
WQRZ-LP was the first Broadcast Radio First Responder which earned American Radio Relay League Member Brice Philips the Small Business Administration's ''Phoenix Award'', for "Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Volunteer".
In 2007, WQRZ-LP became the host to the first progressive radio show to air regularly on a terrestrial station in Mississippi, which was “Unreported News Radio Show”, hosted by Herbert "Sarge" Phelps
Herbert "Sarge" Phelps is a New Orleans born pioneer of progressive talk-radio in the south. Phelps graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. in Sports Administration and Coaching in 1983. After Hurricane Katrina hit the ...
.
The future
WQRZ-LP operated out of the Hancock County EOC from August 27, 2005 until November 30, 2007. The future is unclear for WQRZ as they have not received any public assistance from FEMA. WQRZ-LP remains the only local 24-hour Emergency Alert System station in Hancock County.See also
* List of community radio stations in the United StatesReferences
External links
WQRZ Community Radio
* QRZ QRZ Community radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2001 2001 establishments in Mississippi {{Mississippi-radio-station-stub