Radio Free Nashville Begins Broadcasting

by Anna Thompson, 03 Apr 2005

Volunteers from around the world join with community members to lift the WRFN radio tower.

Ginny Welsch announces that WRFN is on the air.

Eric, Matt, and Garry work to get the sound output running. Photographs by Pablo Virgo.

Pasquo, TN: Nashville has a new voice called Radio Free Nashville and today is it's birthday. In a fitting tribute to spring, the rosebuds and dogwoods began their bloom, and with the sun shining bright, over one hundred low power radio activists hoisted a new 85 foot radio tower up to begin broadcasting community radio in a celebration reminiscent of May Day. On a hill in Pasquo, Tennessee, which is just outside of Nashville city limits the end of a seven year struggle to bring community radio to Nashville was over and a new phase was beginning with the arrival of low power fm radio enthusiasts from around the country for a Prometheus Radio Project "Barnraising."

A "barnraising" is a convergence of radio enthusiasts, community members, activists and technicians gathering at the site of a licensed lpfm station to add labor, technical skills and information sharing over a weekend of socializing and working, culminating in powering up the radio station and beginning broadcasting.

Radio Free Nashville is located in Pasquo, Tennessee which is off McCrory Lane just past the historic beginning of the Natchez Trace which was originally a migratory path for Buffalo and later became an overland trade route.

The station is located on one of the highest hills in the area on land generously donated by a private individual for a tower and studio. About twenty minutes from downtown Nashville, programmers will be able to drive to the studio and produce weekly programming that can be heard within a broadcast range of about 5-7 miles and will stream on the internet.

Anyone can produce programming for Radio Free Nashville, but preference will be given to programs that do not traditionally have a voice in the corporate media.

Radio Free Nashville began eight years ago with Beau Hunter as a manifesto concerning the corporate media and the need for community media in Nashville. A group formed shortly afterwards that met for several years exploring the options for community radio in Nashville.

Then, for a brief window of time the FCC opened up a window for low powered FM radio stations and Beau Hunter applied. Shortly afterward he was granted a license and Radio Free Nashville was on its way.

For the next three years the board met, and with the leadership of radio producer Ginny Welsch, Radio Free Nashville took the steps necessary to create a station, including contesting a nearly year long legal suit from a broadcaster in Lebanon, Tennessee nearly 60 miles away that claimed that WRFN, an lpFM with a broadcast range of 5-7 miles, would interfere with its signal. The suit was eventually dismissed and plans for construction began in earnest.

This weekend, about 30 supporters from the Prometheus Radio Project caravanned to Pasquo from Philadelphia, PA to offer labor and technical assistance. Additionally about 20-30 local programmers and many supporters attended the weekend of workshops and skillshares which addressed programming, production skills, news gathering, independent media, fundraising and community building.

Radio Free Nashville will now be braodcasting 24 hours a day at 98.9 on the FM dial and is accessible within a 5-7 mile range of Pasquo, which is near the intersection of Hiway 100 and the Natchez Trace, just past the Loveless Cafe. It will also be streamed on the station website. To learn more about being a programmer or supporting the station, please visit the Radio Free Nashville website.