WGAG-FM was a high school radio station at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida. The station operated on 89.3 MHz between 1977 and 1981.
| Frequency | 89.3 MHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | FM 89 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Defunct (was Variety) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Oak Ridge High School |
| History | |
First air date | November 3, 1977 |
Last air date | 1981 |
Call sign meaning | "Green and Gold"[1] |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 49924 |
| Class | D |
| ERP | 10 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 28°28′15″N 81°23′15″W / 28.47083°N 81.38750°W |
History
editOn September 29, 1975, Oak Ridge applied for a construction permit for a new 10-watt noncommercial radio station to serve Orlando. The application, backed by faculty adviser and station manager Jack Howard, was approved in October 1976. WGAG-FM "FM 89", also known as "Green and Gold Radio" for the school's colors, began regular programming on November 3, 1977.[2] Its regular programming included rock, beautiful music and easy listening programs, along with military-sponsored programs and political commentaries by the school's student body president[2] as well as local and school news.[3] Initially broadcasting from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,[2] its broadcast day was extended to 9 p.m. by 1979.[3]
WGAG-FM operated with an array of equipment donated by seven local radio and television stations, as well as donated records and lumber for construction.[2] Its transmitter had been manufactured in 1947,[1] and the age of the donated equipment presented issues at times for staff. The station, operated by the school's radio club, ran on a shoestring budget: $200 a year, brought in by selling doughnuts and clearing lawns.[1]
Oak Ridge's radio station, however, quickly found an insurmountable obstacle: a major change in Federal Communications Commission regulations relating to Class D 10-watt radio stations. In 1978, the FCC announced it would cease licensing new Class D stations and encouraged as many as possible to upgrade to "full-service" Class A operation, with an effective radiated power of at least 100 watts. The power increase was a financial impossibility for Oak Ridge High School, resulting in the closure of WGAG-FM in 1981 and the school instead pursuing the idea of creating a television production studio to be operated by students.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Roberts, Lisa (December 5, 1979). "Oak Ridge dials 89 for learning". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 7, 2019. (Continued)
- ^ a b c d Buckley, Bettina (March 22, 1978). "Oak Ridge radio station has 15-mile broadcast radius". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Richards, Dan (November 21, 1979). "Oak Ridge High School". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ Roen, Sara (May 10, 1981). "TV studio may tune up in fall at Oak Ridge". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 7, 2019.