WPSA (New York)

WPSA
Frequency98.3 MHz
Ownership
OwnerPaul Smith's College of Arts and Sciences
History
First air date
January 12, 1973 (1973-01-12)
Last air date
2011 (2011)
Former frequencies
89.1 MHz (1973–1991)
Call sign meaning
Paul Smiths Arts
Technical information
51928
ClassD
ERP10 watts
HAAT−77 meters (−253 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
44°26′6″N 74°15′5″W / 44.43500°N 74.25139°W / 44.43500; -74.25139

WPSA was the student-run radio station at Paul Smith's College in Paul Smiths, New York, United States. The station operated from 1973 to 2011.

History

On February 22, 1972, Paul Smiths applied for a construction permit to build a 10-watt non-commercial educational FM station on 89.1 MHz at the college, which was granted by the Federal Communications Commission on June 27.[1] WPSA signed on for the first time on January 12, 1973;[2] the station initially operated from the basement of Cooler Dorm, a campus dormitory that was a former meat market.[3] By 1980, the station's operations had relocated to the student council room in Rec Hall.[4] The early 1980s saw the station almost be shut down because of prior mismanagement, resulting in new managers and the radio club instituting a more professional station environment.[5] In 1982, the radio station was described as "the most active club on campus", broadcasting 18 hours a day, seven days a week.[6] For 1986, the station moved again to the Buxton Annex; it now only broadcast on weekdays for two hours in the morning and then from 2 p.m. to midnight, plus 14 hours a day on weekends.[7]

The station was approved to move to 98.3 MHz in 1991.[8] WPSA's license was cancelled and its call letters deleted in 1999 for failure to file a late renewal; the college filed a petition for reconsideration from the FCC, which was granted in 2001.[9] The station was later assessed a $7,000 fine, reduced to $250 per its Class D station status, for the failure to file the renewal.[10] WPSA ceased broadcasting at the end of the fall 2011 semester and surrendered the license to the FCC for cancellation that December.[10] Reasons for the cessation of operations included a lack of interest from students[10] and a potential FCC fine for failure to broadcast the minimum number of hours stipulated by its license.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "History Cards for WPSA". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
  2. ↑ "WPSA". St. Regian. 1973. p. 200. Retrieved September 26, 2019. (1972 is a misprint)
  3. ↑ "WPSA On The Air". Alumni News. March 1973. p. 3. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  4. ↑ Lawson, F. Scott (May 26, 1980). "WPSA: Past, Present, and Future". Post Script. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Radio: New Wave Hits P.S.C." Post Script. March 26, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ "WPSA". Post Script. September 17, 1982. p. 4. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ Herzog, Walter (March 1, 1986). "WPSA". Post Script. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  8. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 4, 1991. p. 50. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ Fybush, Scott (December 24, 2001). "North East RadioWatch: December 24, 2001". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 Waits, Jennifer (January 26, 2012). "Paul Smith's College Radio Station WPSA Turns License Back to FCC". RadioSurvivor. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Students Move to Revive PSC Radio, Online". The Apollos. October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2019.