Residents in the city of Magnolia and its surrounding areas will soon be able to tune into a new radio station, which will be broadcast from within the community.

After three years of planning behind the scenes, Thomas Conley and his wife Cheryl are set to launch KYBY-LP 103.5 FM Backyard Radio Oct. 15, 2014 with segments featuring music, local news, high school sports, education, entertainment and Sunday church services. The duo founded the nonprofit radio station in 2008 with an AM show to alert The Woodlands community about emergencies and natural disasters.

Conley, a Montgomery County resident, said he has since shifted his focus away from broadcasting in The Woodlands due, in part, to a lack of demand. Conley said he set his sights on Magnolia about three years ago after he discovered a void in radio coverage.

“Magnolia and the surrounding communities really struggle with getting information about events occurring in the area,” Conley said. “When there are events like the fires of two years ago, there were people using Facebook providing info to community that was not necessarily accurate.”

Conley said he feels it is important the new radio station bring a real-time stream of information to residents. The station’s tower is under construction on Kelly Road in Magnolia, he said.

The Conleys, a six-person board and about five volunteers will run the station, which will be funded by various underwriters and subscribers in the area. In addition to its primary functions, the station will serve as a learning tool by allowing Magnolia ISD high school students to contribute their own programs.

“[Backyard Radio] really is a community station far different than the stations we snap our fingers and listen to,” Conley said. “It gives the community a new voice.”

In fall 2013, the Federal Communications Commission opened an application process to encourage residents to begin new community FM stations across the country. Backyard Radio submitted an application and received a permit to create the station in late January 2014.

The station’s motto “fat free, sugar free, commercial free” demonstrates its commitment to providing quality coverage for the community, Conley said. Backyard Radio has the potential to reach up to 800,000 listeners in the Magnolia greater area.

For more information on Backyard Radio, visit www.backyardradio.org.

Source: Community Impact News