Ever since the early 1970's WAVM-FM has been broadcasting from Maynard High School in Maynard, Massachusetts. About half the kids in the 350 student school are involved -- putting out an early-morning community news hour, and carrying music, sports, weather and other programming every weekday from 2 to 9 p.m. On weekends, the station carries local church services. The high school's sports teams' events are covered live by WAVM student reporters.

And ever since October 6, 2005, the WAVM students, local fans, and just about everyone in the town of Maynard has been waiting to find out if the station will survive -- or if the FCC will stand by its boneheaded decision to award WAVM's frequency to a California-based religious broadcaster, Living Proof, Inc.

"At this stage, the apeals process ended last week, so we're just waiting to see how they react to our petitions -- so, all we can ask for from anyone who wants to help us is their prayers," Joseph Magno, the station's faculty advisor told me this morning. It was Magno who spearheaded the creation of WAVM all those years ago -- he came out of retirement to run the program again a few years back, just one of the facts I learned from a history of the station included on WAVM's website.

"This is a very comprehensive program," said Magno. Maynard High offers students a radio and television programming and production course for one semester, and then students who want to continue have the option of a second semester. Dozens of Maynard grads have gone on to careers in radio and tv. "It's an integral part of the school and the community, that's why this FCC thing didn't go down so well around here."

WAVM received a letter from the FCC saying the frequency had been awarded to Living Proof because WAVM's application to increase its power signal from 10 to 250 watts amounted to a "major change" that opened the door to having its frequency challenged. Living Proof applied for the frequency and won.

Magno said hundreds of petitions have been sent on WAVM's behalf, with the Massachusetts Congressional delegation weighing in along with a lot of local legislators.
Given the blueness of the Bay State, I asked him if the station had garnered any Republican support. "Well, I don't think we heard from the governor, but there has been some from state legislators," said Magno.