WFMU's Satellite Project

`WFMU is now beamed into the stratosphere 24 hours a day, bouncing through the cosmos and off the satellite known as GStar 4. This means that our programming is potentially available nationwide...`

... But we're using our satellite presence primarily to make our programming available to more people within 100 miles of New York City. One non-commercial station is already simulcasting WFMU 24 hours a day, bringing our programming to Northwest New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the central Hudson Valley of New York. The station, WXHD, simulcasts WFMU at a frequency of 90.1 fm. We've had reception reports in New Paltz, Poughkeepsie and Liberty, New York as well as much of Western Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. In coming years, we'll be trying to find other stations and cable systems to pick up all or part of our broadcast week. Each receiver and downlink costs $4,000, but can be leased for $85 a month. If you know of a cable system or a radio station in your area that might be willing to simulcast WFMU or to rent time to WFMU, please e-mail me at ken@wfmu.org about it. Many cable systems offer what is known as a "Cable FM" service, in which they can deliver FM stations to your home in addition to the basic TV channels. You may be able to convince your local cable company into carrying WFMU's signal. Several cable companies already do this. Now that we're on satellite, it is possible to pick up WFMU anywhere in the continental United States. Not that it's easy or cheap, but it is possible. Here's what you need:

$85 a month or $4,000 to buy a KU band downlink and receiver.
The where-with-all to install the above.
Enough land or rooftop to install a 6 foot-wide satellite dish that can be pointed to the southern sky at about a 45 degree angle, without encountering obstructions like trees, buildings or giant Paul Bunyon statues.
After you've jumped these hurdles, you can go to Satellite GSTAR-4, Transponder 4 located at 105 degrees W.L. The Downlink Frequency is 11904.800 Mhz. The Satellite is up NOW! If you experience weird, inexplicable receiving problems, please call the station at (201) 521-1416

If you would like more information about WFMU's satellite project, e-mail me at ken@wfmu.org

- Ken Freedman, Station Manager