For many years, community radio has been a mainstay in West-Central Florida, with WREH (Reach FM) being one of the most prominent stations. Broadcasting on 90.5 MHz with a 100,000 watt signal, WREH was licensed in Cypress Quarters, Okeechobee County. Unfortunately, its reach was limited to a maximum radius of 10 miles from its tower in the Rainbow Heights neighborhood of Tampa Heights. For those interested in applying for a radio station, including LPFM stations, it is important to bear in mind that there is often competition for these types of stations.
There is no guarantee that submitting an acceptable application will result in the granting of a building permit. Fortunately, there are other ways to access community radio in West-Central Florida. We are a work in progress and one of the most comprehensive archives on the web on the history of Florida broadcasting. This extensive repository of text, images, and audio is available for free and provides an invaluable resource for studying the great history of Florida radio.
In addition to this archive, there are also radio ministries that are spreading the good news of Jesus Christ on Central Florida radio and on the Internet around the world. WURK is one such ministry that is starting a program to teach children in the area the skills needed to work on the radio, from engineering to reporting. In exchange for donations, WURK will provide these educational opportunities.
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