Due to the state of the economy, over the last year it's been hard to raise funding for non-profits, both for general operating costs and special projects. Recognizing these difficulties, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the federal PTFP program has given WCBE an extension on our matching grant deadlines, increasing our window to raise the necessary funding from listeners by June 30, 2010.

Our transmitter and antenna have called Columbus' landmark skyscraper, LeVeque Tower, “home” for 20+ years.  Two decades ago, this equipment was high-end and dependable. But now our transmitter and antenna can no longer operate at full capacity due to age and an output of radiation that requires us to power down whenever the Tower requires rooftop maintenance.

Recently, WCBE accepted a transmitter grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which will pay roughly half the cost of a digital transmitter add-on.  It’s a mini-transmitter that’s attached to our current unit which allows us to broadcast in HD and functions as a low-power back-up to our main signal!

We’ve also accepted a grant from the Department of Commerce to replace our old antenna, so we won’t have to power-down our signal every time LeVeque Tower needs a little TLC.

Here’s where you come in: Both the transmitter and antenna funds are matching grants.  They only pay for a portion of the equipment and installation costs. That means WCBE must raise the remaining funds from our listening community. Since kicking off our fund raising campaign a few months ago, we’ve raised a total $25,304.50 from listeners. (Thank you!) The remainder we have left to raise to match the funds needed is $34,695.50.

Please consider making a special, one-time gift to our transmitter fund now.  With the matches from these grants, your money is doubled…and you’ll make sure the sound of silence doesn’t fill your ears when you tune to WCBE!

• The new transmitter itself (generates our digital and analog signal) = $27,000
• Exporter (encodes the outgoing signal) = $7,000
• Importer (processes and encodes audio signal from studios to transmitter) = $7,500
• UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) = $1,000
• Coaxial load (part of the transmitter/cabling system) = $4,000
• Optimod (an audio/signal processor; it equalizes and otherwise massages the sound) = $12,500
• Audio/Modulation Monitor (helps monitor signal quality) = $5,500
• Studio to Transmitter Link (equipment that transports studio audio to transmitter site) = $6,000
• LAN Bridge (basically a bunch of heavy-duty Ethernet cards) = $1,800
• Switcher/Combiner (puts the multiple analog/digital signals together compatibly) = $33,000
• Matrix Controller (not something Neo plugs into; it helps the unit above) = $5,000
• Flanged Elbows (hardware for the installation) = $700
• Step Reducers (analogous to a flange adapter) = $500
• More Flanged Elbows (larger size than above) = $1,550
• N Step Reducer (for different sizes than above) = $400
• Multi-Channel Audio Processor (helps the Optimod unit with audio quality) = $3,500
• Sundry Cables to Connect All of the Above = $500
• Antenna (well, you know what this is!) = $28,000
• Mounting Hardware for Antenna = $2,500
• Antenna Anti-Rotation Kit = $1,100
• Shipping for Everything Above = $3,500

We also have associated labor costs for the various installation crews.  We're still receiving more detailed estimates on this, but the rough quotes totaled around $20,000.  We'll update with a more accurate amount as soon as possible.  From $1 to help with a flange to $33,000 for the switcher/combiner, thanks for whatever you give!