Skip to main contentIf you listen closely, you can hear XRAY.FM coming.
As WW reported in this week's Murmurs, the radio nonprofit has begun broadcasting online and will officially launch March 15 at 91.1 FM.
The station provides a second act for several big names: morning talk hosts Carl Wolfson and Thom Hartmann, as well as station organizer Jefferson Smith. The station's promised combination of progressive talk and indie rock raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter last month.
But will you be able to hear it on the dial?
Smith tells WW the station's Rocky Butte transmitter's strength is less than 10 watts, meaning it won't reach beyond the West Hills or punch through thick walls.
"At launch there will definitely be people in Portland who will be able to access the station by Internet only," Smith says. "And we won't know exactly who and where until the transmitter is turned on."
But XRAY.FM organizers have a pretty good idea. Smith provided this map, which shows where the broadcast signal will and won't reach.
The color coding shows what devices the signal will reach, starting with the least sensitive radios. (If it works on the weaker device, it will work on stronger ones.)
Pink: Clock radio with no antenna
Orange: Radio at your house
Green: Car stereo/tuner at house with antenna
Blue: Better quality car stereo with higher sensitivity/selectivity
Smith says that the Kickstarter fundraising allowed the station to move its transmitter from inner Southeast Portland to Rocky Butte—allowing a wider signal that hits most of East Portland.
"We are looking actively at another transmitter/license that would boost the signal," Smith writes. "That might happen soon. As the crew has tried to make clear from the start, it will still be a pretty humble signal. (Still cool, though.)"
WWeek 2015