91.1 FM, Bear Radio?
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

It's been less than two months since Bear Radio hit the internet airwaves, and it's already aiming at transmitting on the FM dial.

The Brownsboro Independent School District's radio station began airing on October 13, and has since been a student-run station created both to keep parents and the community informed about school happenings, and to teach students how to operate the delicate equipment involved.

Now the operation will expand to car and home radios in the district.

Perry Eaton, parent involvement coordinator at BISD, said the news arrived to him via email November 29. Eaton had filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission in October for a construction permit to build a tower for Bear Radio's broadcasting.

Eaton said the email suggested taking a moment to praise God, and upon reading the news that is just what Eaton did.

"This is a major step, and we are elated to have this opportunity, " Eaton said. "Ours was one of the rare applications that achieve singleton status."

Basically, singleton status for a radio means the station is non-commercial. The plan is to have Bear Radio on 91.1 FM, the number Eaton solicited.

"If an internet station was as far as this got, it would be great," Eaton said about Bear Radio. "This is huge."

Kevin McCarthy, a color commentator for Bear Radio's sports commentary and BISD's executive director of operations, said the station's permission to hit the FM airwaves will mean a great opportunity and a better way to communicate for the community and the school.

"FM is hitting the best of both worlds for us," McCarthy said. "We'll get information quicker and to more people."

Eaton said the station's next step is to wait for the construction permit to arrive. The FCC database has been updated with Bear Radio's permission, but nothing can be done until the construction permit is in hand, Eaton also said.

"We must also figure out if finances are feasible," Eaton said. "If so, we contact a con- struction company that installs the equipment, then we're on the air."

The finances may not be a big obstacle to the station as Eaton said he does not plan on building a tower from scratch, but rather putting the equipment on a tower. In addition, the studio currently used for Bear Radio will be used when the station is upgraded, further cutting the cost.

"It'd cost $40-50,000 to build a tower, but we're not going to do that," Eaton said.

Eaton also said as soon as the process starts he estimates 91.1 FM could be delivering school news, along with classic rock and roll music, within 2008.

McCarthy said the station won't be limited to just school news, and will bring listeners - the tax payers - news from the Chandler and Brownsboro communities as well.

Of course, the operation will still be student-run, Eaton said.

"The students are learning software skills they can take to the marketplace," Eaton said. "This is real experience, and it brings a lot of satisfaction to me."

There will be new programs to go with the new expansion, but Eaton said he is only now beginning to dream of Bear Radio's future.

"There's no telling what we may come up with," Eaton said.