KZSM is now broadcasting on 104.1 FM as well as on KZSM.org. The signal you hear there carries the echoes of many voices and many years of plans and dreams, all shaped by the desire to serve the community.
Last week’s column traced the roots of community radio in San Marcos. This week, we’ll follow the birth and gestation of KZSM 104.1, which began in the same space we now occupy at 216 North Guadalupe.
Dave Newman operated Media Design Multimedia there for many years. From 2009 to 2011, he and Rob Roark offered SMTXTV, public access video streaming. But few people had devices with sufficient bandwidth for video streaming, and SMTXTV never took off.
When Low-Power FM licenses became more readily available to non-profit organizations, Newman and Roark began the extensive process of creating a radio station. In 2015, Newman applied for the initial construction permit and was assigned 104.1 as the frequency.
They chose the call letters KZSM, and began building the station, climbing on the roof to set the antenna. Interest in the new station began to build as they announced organizational meetings in this newspaper and gathered an enthusiastic group of supporters and potential program hosts.
By late 2016, a test loop was running, and the station was on track to broadcast.
However, the founders had initially partnered with the local nonprofit San Marcos Voice, a grassroots community organization.
When members of the Voice became concerned about the potential legal liabilities of operating a radio station, Newman, Roark, and others created a new organization, the San Marcos Texas Community Radio Association (SMTXCRA).
But the broadcast license could not be transferred to them because the new board had not been in place for the three years required by the FCC, and the license was returned in 2016.
KZSM was planned as a live-streaming internet station as well as a broadcast station, so KZSM.org came together quickly and began streaming on January 2, 2017.
In keeping with our original conception, KZSM has always operated as a broadcast station and has continually sought opportunities to return to the FM dial.
Last year, our search ended as the city agreed to transfer their FM license to us, as described last week.
Whether they have moved on or are still with us, we are grateful to the many people who worked with us through the years to create KZSM 104.1, true community radio.
