BENTONVILLE -- A nonprofit is asking for support to get a community radio station up and broadcasting.
The station, KOBV 103.3, will broadcast community events and an eclectic mix of music that's not on commercial radio, said organizer Garrett Brewer.
Brewer's ears perked up in 2013 when National Public Radio said the Federal Communications Commission was accepting low-power FM license applications. He saw it as a chance to have a community radio station to Bentonville.
Brewer said he enjoyed listening to community radio while living in larger cities like Austin, Texas, and Athens, Ga. A station in Bentonville would fill a void in a city that seeks to obtain bigger-city amenities, he said.
Brewer formed the nonprofit Bentonville Information. Creating a nonprofit was a requirement to apply for the license.
The FCC accepted low-power FM license applications from Oct. 15-29, 2013, according to a 2013 news release on its website. The last time an application window was open was in 2001.
The low-power FM service was established in 2000 to create opportunities for new voices on the radio to serve communities and underrepresented groups, according to the FCC website.
It took about a year and a half before the FCC notified Brewer in April that he received a license.
"I was blown away. I couldn't believe it," he said, explaining that obtaining the license was the hardest part. "We essentially won the lottery."
Bentonville Information is now working to raise $15,000 to set up the station and become operational. The organization has raised about $3,500, he said, and has launched a Go Fund Me crowdfunding page.
It has to raise the money and build the tower before October 2016 or the license will be revoked, Brewer said.
The station will broadcast out of Meteor Guitar Gallery at 128 W. Central Ave. The gallery started hosting events, including live music, in the back of its building about two months ago, said owner Les Key.
He said he would like to broadcast some concerts on the radio, but so far it's been too expensive.
"Garrett came along, and I thought it would be a perfect fit," Key said of housing KOBV.
Broadcasting live events is part of the station's long-term vision, Brewer said. Initial programming will include two-hour blocks of music. It will be a mix of rock, electronic and hip-hop.
Programming will also include announcements of the week's activities in Bentonville.
The broadcasting radius will go partway into Bella Vista, partway into Rogers and past Rainbow Curve in Bentonville, Brewer said.
Mike Abb, a Bentonville native and local DJ involved with the project, said it will be an outlet to promote great music that commercial radio is lacking.
"We also think that in a town that's soaked in nostalgia and with [all] that's going on in the revamp of the town square, if we really turned back the clock to 50 years ago, the radio would be a major player for the community, why can't it still be?" Abb said.
Metro on 07/28/2015