“Big things” are happening at the Huntley Community Radio headquarters, and officials are looking forward to the final steps of development before the station officially hits the Internet radio waves.
Program development is still a strong theme for the station, and HCR officer Dorothy Litwin said she has at least 24 different program ideas lined up so far.
Allen Pollack speaks before HCR volunteers during a meeting held in the station’s Deicke Park office space on July 14. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
“We’re gearing up to record some of these shows, and we hope to have about eight or nine done by late September,” Litwin said, adding that the station is currently testing out some programs, including a bluegrass music-type program.
Litwin mentioned other program considerations include a “table talk” with Centegra Health System, where listeners will be able to call into a panel of doctors to discuss medical issues or ask various questions; and “Everyone Has a Story,” an idea spawned by Huntley trustee Pam Fender – who will interview local residents and tell their stories.
“We have a full list, and it’s quite expansive, but we’re also always looking for new ideas. I encourage anyone who has an idea to contact me and we can work on developing it,” Litwin said.
HCR is even collaborating with Huntley High School and will provide two programs, including one with the student body. The second has not been developed yet, but Litwin believes it may revolve around the school’s sports and fine arts.
While the station moved into its Deicke Park building space on June 1, it’s still working on purchasing the necessary equipment to bring it up to radio station standards.
“We’re hoping to order the equipment within the week, or at least toward the end of this month, so that everyone who’s involved will be able to start training on it as soon as possible,” Litwin said.
On the topic of volunteers, which Litwin estimated to be at about 37 so far, the station held its first of many basic skills workshops, designated to any and all interested in joining the station’s ranks. Its first broadcasting workshop, which will teach those who first attended the basic skills course exactly how to work for a radio station, is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 29.
“We’ll probably have these monthly,” Litwin said. “We’re always looking for new people to join, and we figured this was the best way.”
Fundraising is still a big issue, as the station is looking to hire someone on a commission basis to sell sponsorships. Since the station will be under the “community” umbrella, it’s not allowed to sell advertising.
Additionally, Litwin said she has placed small cans around town asking people to donate what they can, and is planning to establish a “Friends of the Radio” group to help establish grant opportunities. HCR received a major grant from Centegra Health for its programming.
The radio station will not make the full transition to FM radio until “sometime in 2013,” or until the Federal Communications Commission finishes its procedures for allowing community radio stations to apply for broadcast licenses.
Until then, it will continue as an Internet-only station. HCR recently received approval from Tune-In Radio for access on mobile devices. According to an e-mail from HCR executive director Allen Pollack, though, the radio station will not be available until the audio stream is running successfully and the station’s display looks good on the application’s display screen.
For those looking for additional information about the radio station, or are looking for a way to get involved, HCR will have a booth set up at the Huntley Fall Fest. Litwin encouraged any and all to stop by to see what the station will have to offer.
