The Flagship of Aggie Athletics
Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai stopped by Bryan Broadcasting before going to Texas A&M to lead a forum on Internet regulation and the FCC’s role in net neutrality. It was the first hearing held outside of Washington, DC during the FCC’s deliberations that featured panelists with a diverse range of views on how the agency should proceed. Scott DeLucia visited with Pai on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs just before the forum. You can listen to the interview here.
We know you love listening to Maverick 102.7, but now it’s almost time to reset your preset to the all-new Maverick 101!
Bryan Broadcasting is currently in the building stages of a new 400 foot tower to allow Maverick to extend coverage farther North and South of Bryan/College Station.
“Randal Tower Services began stacking the twenty 20 foot sections of steel on Wednesday, and we expect to be doing equipment testing for the next two to three weeks,” General Manager Ben Downs said.
Downs explains that Maverick 102.7 is a metro station, and that the new tower will produce a full power, “Class A,” radio station.
“Our original plan for our Maverick country music format was to build a much taller tower and operate it with a more powerful transmitter to get farther distances than it currently does. Our best estimate to do the full power station was about a year and we were ready to go with music as well as Drake and Mel. So we purchased the metro signal station at 102.7 to get things rolling as soon as possible and the response has been great. We think everyone is going to be very happy with the new coverage area; especially toward the north of Brazos County, Robertson, and Madison Counties,” Downs said.
So what about the 102.7 frequency? Downs adds that you will see a brand new radio station debuting there in the next few months.
Bryan Broadcasting celebrated the season of giving with the annual Christmas Angels program. For over twenty years, our station has participated to bring Christmas to the children of families less fortunate.
We collaborated with the Department of Health and Human Services for months to get the list of 477 children from the Brazos Valley that wouldn’t have anything under their Christmas Tree without help from radio listeners.
“Bryan Broadcasting was responsible for covering Christmas trees at two Blue Baker locations, and thanks to our radio stations help, each and every name was picked off of the two trees,” said Ashlea Gutierrez, Assistant Coordinator of Christmas Angels.
Numerous volunteers showed their support by coming to the studio to help organize the multitude of gifts that arrived daily. Countless staff members also stayed to the late hours of the night to help label, wrap, and document each gift to ensure that every child had a fair amount of presents to unwrap.
One empty office in the Crystal Park Plaza was stocked full of boxes, bags, wrapping paper, tools, and helping hands, while another empty office was completely filled with bicycles for these angels.
The gifts were given out across the span of one weekend. The staff gave their weekend to help load numerous bicycles and basketball goals into the cars that would carry the gifts to a deserving child.
“While we get the privilege of helping out with this, it’s really the listeners event,” said Candy 95’s Frito, “Without people adopting angels and shopping for them or businesses donating money for us to shop for them nothing happens. It’s another example of the incredible generosity of people in Aggieland.”
Bryan Broadcasting would like to give a big shout out to some of our wonderful sponsors!
Bryan-College Station Home Builders Association
Hallmark Cleaners
Hendrix Twins
And Many Others!!
In February, General Manager Ben Downs will travel to Toronto, Ontario to address an international group of broadcasters about AM radio. Downs is nationally recognized as a subject matter expert on AM radio and its position in the marketplace.
“Over the past six years, I’ve worked closely with the FCC in Washington to identify the problems and solutions facing AM operators,” Downs said. “The noise level of our modern digital life has made the AM frequencies hostile territory for broadcasting. Every iPhone, CFL bulb, and phone charger emits noise and interference right in the middle of the AM broadcast frequencies.”
The conference is attended by broadcasters and regulators from Canada, Mexico and the US. Downs will appear on the program with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai.
