Services

One way to support us in our larger mission is to utilize our services.
Contact support[at]prometheusradio.org for details.

Prometheus offers low-cost engineering and educational services to grassroots and community radio applicants and stations, especially LPFM (Low Power FM) stations.

 We can:

• Supporting Stations: What We Look For
• Engineer, Prepare, and File FCC Applications
• Help Optimize your Coverage
• Build your Station
• Virtual Engineer - remote station maintenance
• Consult and Educate
• Automatically Track your FCC Information
• Show your Coverage Area and Demographics

---

Supporting Stations: What We Look For

Prometheus works towards a media system that allows everyone to have a voice on the airwaves. With limited resources, however, we use the following questions to prioritize which station applicants get our closest support -- and discounts.

• A Purpose. Do you have a clear mission that we can get behind?

  We prioritize groups whose mission, vision, and values align with our own. We build participatory radio as a tool for social justice organizing and community expression, and we help grassroots organizations to build communications infrastructure to strengthen their communities and movements.

• Community. Do you have strong local participation and engagement?

  Local roots in your area and past history of working in the community? Relationships with other organizations and communities in your area? Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work across differences Volunteer involvement or a plan to engage volunteers?

• Diversity. Will your station bring new voices to the airwaves?

  Leadership from communities underrepresented in the media and those historically disenfranchised from media ownership and access? A plan to build the leadership of people from these communities in your station’s governance and programming?

Contact support[at]prometheusradio.org

Engineer, Prepare, and File FCC Applications

• FCC applications for new LPFM stations, or to relocate/modify an LPFM:
  • up-front site feasibility check and consult
  • audience comparison Longley-Rice maps with demographics ($extra)
  • Engineer, prepare, and file construction-permit schedule 318 and license-to-cover schedule 319
  • simple and complex second-adjacent waivers and antenna selection/engineering
  • RF Safety showing (when required)
  • non-adjacent channel change interference showing
• File or Modify an LPFM license
• LPFM Zoning exhibits. Formal letters concerning RF Safety, aka NIER, or other matters of electrical or radio-frequency concern, for inclusion in zoning applications or other interactions with zoning boards.
• LPFM Update FCC with new LPFM Board of Directors.
• Transfer LPFM to a new Organization. This can be a complicated multi-step undertaking and we may need extra funds to cover unexpected filings. We also will refer to good lawyers if either of us thinks that is best.
• Renew LPFM License
• We also work with translators and NCE stations.

Virtual Engineer - Remote Station Maintenance

Many LPFM stations don't have the talent or funds to have a regular on-site or consulting engineer. We can monitor many aspects of your station by installing a simple crypto-protected VPN so we can talk to your gear over the network. Once we know your station, you can call us with problems or questions, ideas about upgrades or changes to your coverage. It also means we'll have passwords and access methods for your various equipment, in case you lose them or need help.

Quick changes, like setting up e-mail alarms for an overheating transmitter or something, are included, and anything "big" we can do for our normal hourly rate, which is a lot less than most broadcast engineers charge, and there're no travel expenses!

A monthly or yearly fee covers our routine check-in with your equipment, and optionally we can monitor your emergency-alert system.

Build your Station

Our expert engineering services and low-cost solutions are great for community-based FM stations -- especially low-power FMs. Unlike the "turn-key" solutions offered by some engineering firms, we like to work collaboratively with stations throughout the construction process and to provide technical education for station volunteers in conjunction with our technical service.

Our process starts with design consulting to figure out what you want and need, and what people and resources you already have. That leads to a potential equipment list with prices plus a cost estimate to hire us. From there you can purchase equipment, and have us come put it all together with you.

Engineering

Whether your station has been on the air for years, you’ve just received your construction permit or your application is still being processed by the FCC, we can do the engineering work for site moves, channel changes, and more.

Do you need to move your transmission site but aren’t sure where to begin looking? Do you have the best possible transmission site to reach the maximum number of people in your target audience? Are you receiving unwanted interference? Is a big, bad commercial station breathing down your neck? Is zoning asking you questions? Do you need to respond to an FCC petition, or file one? Maybe you just need to update some information on file like your address?

From addresses and antennas to FCC filing and followup, we can help.

Consult and Educate

We answer questions and provide education on a wide range of issues facing non-commercial radio stations, and when we don't know the answers, we can refer you to someone who does.

Application Tracking

Prometheus Torchlight constantly tracks changes to your FCC data and emails you alerts about important changes. Petition filed against you? You'll know right away. Learn more and subscribe today!

Coverage Demographics and Maps