By Faith Lynn
Assistant Photography Editor
After nearly 18 months of filing paperwork and nail-biting deadlines, Pepperdine’s radio station is still not quite ready to broadcast.
Organizers of KWVS 101.5 FM have asked that a request for a broadcasting permit be filed with the Federal Communications Commission so that they can finally get on the airwaves. Director of Broadcasting Susan Salas said she hopes the station will be fully online by March 7.
Pepperdine used to have a thriving radio station, KMBU, but it was taken off the air three years ago due to inappropriate content.
It took the Communication Division several years to get a new station back in the works, but even then it faced several problems. Professors said they are glad to have the station restored.
“Officially we’re up and we’re broadcasting a test signal,” she said.
The station has only been broadcasting the test signal since Tuesday night under the Program Test Authority as provisioned by the FCC.
The tower for the station was built a few months ago after a long process. The FCC issued a low-power FM license to the station, which gave it permission to construct a tower.
Pepperdine then had to go through the Malibu City Council for a construction permit and the request was held up for months while the council was busy with more pressing issues.
City Council deliberations took so long that the original FCC license nearly expired. Once the council finally issued a permit, however, the station was able to easily construct the tower and had permission to broadcast a test signal.
Despite his previous experience with the City Council, Director of Broadcast Operations Wade Brown said he is still confident the FCC will quickly approve the final license, and expects to have it by Salas’ proposed date of March 7.
“I don’t foresee any real problems with that, but … we’re certainly not completed with the project,” Brown said.
Brown said he is glad all the station’s equipment is functioning properly and that everything is in order. He cautioned against getting too excited, however.
“We’re on, but not officially on,” he said.
Although Brown is confident that the FCC will issue the license, he can never be too sure of something before it actually happens.
Salas, however, is highly optimistic. She said she was excited about having a “big on-air reception” event when the station hopefully starts after Spring Break.
Once the station officially starts broadcasting, Salas said she is particularly excited about the programming schedule, which is still in the works.
Salas also hinted that a “great” new deejay will be on the air. Salas will not release the deejay’s name yet because an agreement has not yet been reached, but she said she feels confident the listeners will be very pleased with both the deejay and the overall programming.
Salas said those at the station will also be participating in a mentor-fellowship program with Don Ohlmeyer, a longtime fixture in the television industry who has conducted a lectureship series at Pepperdine.
Ohlmeyer has worked in the industry since 1970, and in that time has been president of NBC West Coast and has produced several television shows, including “Monday Night Football,” and has written, directed and appeared in shows on television.
February 13, 2003