dandelionfiles

There's a total mess going on at my college radio station, WMUH-Allentown, http://www.muhlenberg.edu/wmuh/WMUH.ram if you want to check out the noise. This is a copy of the email that has gone out to all the alum from the station:

Some of you may recall that approximately one year ago, WLVT-TV Channel 39 failed in its attempt to appropriate the local NPR affiliate in the Lehigh Valley, radio station WDIY. Undeterred, Channel 39 has now turned its attention to WMUH.

Details are sketchy at this time, as the proposal has not been made public; indeed, both Channel 39 and Muhlenberg have only confirmed in the last 2 days that the proposal was made, although it was submitted shortly after the students left for summer break. I have ascertained from a reliable source outside the college that the proposal involves Channel 39 supplying Muhlenberg the equipment for high-definition digital FM broadcasting, which includes two HD channels, in exchange for control of the 91.7 frequency. According to this source, any activity on the main HD channel will all be controlled by WLVT. WMUH will get the leftovers so to speak. Rather than dismantling the current set-up, WLVT will marginalize it. My feeling is they will want to brand the main signal with their identity so I view it as a hijacking of the signal. Pat Simon at WLVT confirmed the proposal and stated there was "no deal" yet. She also stated there is room for "two" public radio stations in the Lehigh Valley.

This admission from Pat Simon certainly indicates that the plan would at the very least try to turn WMUH into a "public radio station". The benefit to Channel 39 is obvious; gaining access to the broadcast frequency to increase their revenue stream without having to invest in a license or build and staff a station of their own. What Muhlenberg stands to gain is dubious at best, as almost no one owns HD compatible radios as yet.

But the bigger issue is about media consolidation and ever-diminishing independent voices. As one of the first licensed college radio stations in the world, WMUH has been an asset to both Muhlenberg and the Lehigh Valley community for over 50 years. In my view, the college must recognize that the license itself is priceless, a hands-on learning opportunity for its students in perpetuity, not to mention one of the only voices for the different cultures in the diverse Lehigh Valley. The license to broadcast was granted by the FCC to Muhlenberg College for its students, not to an existing broadcast outlet anxious to consolidate its base. Any proposal that takes 91.7 away from the students is a bad deal for the College and the community at large.