WQRZ-LP

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (June 2007)

WQRZ-LP (103.5 FM) is a radio station in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Contents

[edit] Breakthroughs in LPFM

On August 14, 2001 Brice Phillips (KB5MPW), President of the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association, was granted a construction permit to build the first Solar Powered LPFM Broadcast Station, which combined Broadcasting with Amateur radio. WQRZ-LP signed on the air January 29, 2003.

[edit] Katrina

On August 27, 2005 Brice Phillips moved WQRZ-LP to the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center in advance of Hurricane Katrina. WQRZ was one of the 4 out of 41 Broadcast Stations that survived Hurricane Katrina, the only station at Ground Zero. After Katrina the FCC allowed WQRZ to increase their power from 100 watts to 4000 watts under special temporary authority, another first in history. FEMA Distributed 3,500 F.M. radios so survivors could tune into WQRZ-LP 103.5 FM and listen to information directly from the Hancock County EOC. Listeners that tuned in found out where they could seek shelter, acquire food and water, and obtain medical assistance. WQRZ-LP was the first Broadcast Radio First Responder which earned ARRL Member Brice Philips The Small Business Administration's Small Business Administration Phoenix Award, for "Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Volunteer".

[edit] The future

WQRZ-LP operated out of the Hancock County EOC from August 27, 2005 until November 30, 2007 The future is unclear for WQRZ as they have not received any public assistance from FEMA. WQRZ remains the only Local 24 hour Emergency Alert System Station in Hancock County.

[edit] External links

 This article about a radio station in Mississippi is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.