RIBBON CUTTING FOR WCFA-LP 101.5 FM
CAPE MAY, NJ--Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano and Cape May Mayor Jerry Inderwies joined Center for Community Arts Board Chairperson Shirley “Becki" Wilson, Executive Director Steve Bacher, Radio Station Project Manager Drew Butkocy and many supporters for a festive ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, November 28 for WCFA-LP 101.5 FM, the new radio station of the Center for Community Arts. The station is temporarily located at the Center's office in Cape May until the Franklin Street School Community Cultural Center is ready for occupancy in 2008.
WCFA-LP is seeking donations of jazz CDs from labels and artists, as well as financial support and underwriters. The Center for Community Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. It can be contacted by writing [email protected] or WCFA-LP, 712 Lafayette Street, Cape May, NJ 08204.
All About Jazz was brought to the attention of WCFA by CD reviewer Budd Kopman.
As luck would have it, Wildwood radio veteran Bill Wotring was the volunteer DJ scheduled for the 9 a.m. - noon shift prior to the scheduling of the ceremony. The station has been on the air for a couple of weeks with an eclectic blend of jazz combined with pre-recorded announcements, operated by a growing group of volunteers. With the noon ribbon cutting, the station opened its microphone for live announcements.
Bacher made the surprise announcement that the Center for Community Arts Board of Directors had voted the night before to name the studio for Butkocy. Six years earlier, Butkocy had approached then-CCA Board Member and Co-Founder Susan Zipper about the possibility of applying to the FCC for a new type of license it was making available to nonprofit organizations to create community radio stations.
David Mackenzie, CCA's Radio Committee Chairperson, said that programming on the station will be evolving over time. CCA hopes to attract various community groups and individuals with interests as diverse as our community to create programming for the station. The Radio Committee will have criteria for evaluating proposals for programming. Plans are also in the works for radio clubs in area high and middle schools that will develop programming while providing a creative outlet for youth.
The station is by definition free of commercials, but businesses can make donations in return for underwriting announcements according to FCC rules, the same as for public radio and television stations. The station has already attracted Whale's Tale Jewelry and Gifts of Cape May as its first underwriter.
The station broadcasts from an antenna in Wildwood Crest atop the Wildwood Water Utility water tower, and can be heard in a ten mile radius and beyond. Bacher and Butkocy both emphasized the assistance provided by Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano and Wildwood Water Utility Director Gary Ziegler. The Water Utility is donating the use of the water tower for the station's antenna.
The station is seeking additional volunteers to serve as engineers and announcers. Butkocy provides one-on-one training and no experience is necessary.
Learn more about the Center for Community Arts at their website.
CAPE MAY, NJ--Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano and Cape May Mayor Jerry Inderwies joined Center for Community Arts Board Chairperson Shirley “Becki" Wilson, Executive Director Steve Bacher, Radio Station Project Manager Drew Butkocy and many supporters for a festive ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, November 28 for WCFA-LP 101.5 FM, the new radio station of the Center for Community Arts. The station is temporarily located at the Center's office in Cape May until the Franklin Street School Community Cultural Center is ready for occupancy in 2008.
WCFA-LP is seeking donations of jazz CDs from labels and artists, as well as financial support and underwriters. The Center for Community Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. It can be contacted by writing [email protected] or WCFA-LP, 712 Lafayette Street, Cape May, NJ 08204.
All About Jazz was brought to the attention of WCFA by CD reviewer Budd Kopman.
As luck would have it, Wildwood radio veteran Bill Wotring was the volunteer DJ scheduled for the 9 a.m. - noon shift prior to the scheduling of the ceremony. The station has been on the air for a couple of weeks with an eclectic blend of jazz combined with pre-recorded announcements, operated by a growing group of volunteers. With the noon ribbon cutting, the station opened its microphone for live announcements.
Bacher made the surprise announcement that the Center for Community Arts Board of Directors had voted the night before to name the studio for Butkocy. Six years earlier, Butkocy had approached then-CCA Board Member and Co-Founder Susan Zipper about the possibility of applying to the FCC for a new type of license it was making available to nonprofit organizations to create community radio stations.
David Mackenzie, CCA's Radio Committee Chairperson, said that programming on the station will be evolving over time. CCA hopes to attract various community groups and individuals with interests as diverse as our community to create programming for the station. The Radio Committee will have criteria for evaluating proposals for programming. Plans are also in the works for radio clubs in area high and middle schools that will develop programming while providing a creative outlet for youth.
The station is by definition free of commercials, but businesses can make donations in return for underwriting announcements according to FCC rules, the same as for public radio and television stations. The station has already attracted Whale's Tale Jewelry and Gifts of Cape May as its first underwriter.
The station broadcasts from an antenna in Wildwood Crest atop the Wildwood Water Utility water tower, and can be heard in a ten mile radius and beyond. Bacher and Butkocy both emphasized the assistance provided by Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano and Wildwood Water Utility Director Gary Ziegler. The Water Utility is donating the use of the water tower for the station's antenna.
The station is seeking additional volunteers to serve as engineers and announcers. Butkocy provides one-on-one training and no experience is necessary.
Learn more about the Center for Community Arts at their website.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
