WRPI has received permission from the FCC to start construction for their F.M. transmission system. The construction will start with the setting up of a 30 foot antenna over the Fifteenth Street Lounge.
The construction program headed by Ralph Asher, station manager, is expected to be completed by either the end of this term or the beginning of next term. When the F.M. equipment is fully installed, WRPI will broadcast on 91.5 megacycles through channel 218, which is an educational F.M. channel.
The testing program will then probably begin around this early fall. At that time equipment testing will take place between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. This will be followed by F.M. program testing for a week broadcasted for the purpose of securing information from the Federal Communications Commission. An approval from the F.C.C. will determine if WRPI receives their F.M. license.
30 Mile Radius
The F.M. transmitter will have a range of 30 miles in radius, keeping RPI in daily contact with the cities of Troy, Albany, and Schenectady. The system, which will be a non-commercial unit, can be received by approximately 80,000 F.M. sets. It will have an effect of increase service with regular daily news coverage, more reports of RPI activities such as sports and music.
WROW, an Albany radio station, donated the transmitter, which has a value of from six to eight thousand dollars. It was given with other associated equipment by T. S. Murphy, General Manager of WROW, and can now be found in the 15th Street Lounge.
New A.M. Transmitter
A new A.M. transmitter is also being designed now in conjunction with the F.M. system. The new transmitter will be installed in the Freshman Dormitories in the next few weeks. It will continue to be a commercialized network.
This new phase in WRPI broadcasting was begun under the direction of John Murray, who is still working on the project. Dick Ames, President of WRPI, states a hopeful future for this new transmitting system.