WQRZ-LP (103.5 FM) is non-commercial low-power FM community radio station licensed to Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, United States. The station is currently owned by the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association.

History

On August 14, 2001

Brice Phillips Brice Phillips is an amateur radio operator (KB5MPW) in Hancock County, Mississippi. He operates WQRZ-LP, a low-powered FM station. He gained national media attention for his efforts during the Hurricane Katrina disaster, both in warning peopl ...

(KB5MPW), President of the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association, was granted a construction permit to build the first solar powered

LPFM Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low transmitter power output to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly " ...

Broadcast Station, which combined Broadcasting with

Amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

. WQRZ-LP signed on the air January 29, 2003.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 27, 2005

moved WQRZ-LP to the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in advance of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. WQRZ-LP was one of the 4 out of 41 Broadcast Stations that survived Katrina, the only station at Ground Zero. After Katrina the Federal Communications Commission allowed WQRZ to increase their power from 100 watts to 4000 watts under special temporary authority, another first in history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) distributed 3,500 FM radios so survivors could tune into WQRZ-LP to listen to information directly from the EOC. WQRZ-LP was the first Broadcast Radio First Responder which earned American Radio Relay League Member Brice Philips the Small Business Administration's ''Phoenix Award'', for "Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Volunteer". In 2007, WQRZ-LP became the host to the first progressive radio show to air regularly on a terrestrial station in Mississippi, which was “Unreported News Radio Show”, hosted by Herbert "Sarge" Phelps.

The future

WQRZ-LP operated out of the Hancock County EOC from August 27, 2005 until November 30, 2007. The future is unclear for WQRZ as they have not received any public assistance from FEMA. WQRZ-LP remains the only local 24-hour Emergency Alert System station in Hancock County.

References

External links

WQRZ Community Radio
* QRZ QRZ Community radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2001 2001 establishments in Mississippi {{Mississippi-radio-station-stub

History

Hurricane Katrina

The future

See also

References

External links