Rockford Eagles Donates to Rockford’s New Radio Station
The Rockford Eagles Aerie 1292 recently donated $1000 to the brand new Radio Station WRKD in Rockford, OH. Pictured at left are (l to r) Bryan Stetler – WRKD Underwriting Manager, Harold Shaffer, Jim Crocker – WRKD General Manager, and Blair Shaffer. In the past year, the Eagles membership has given back to the community through donations to Community Health Professionals, Mercer County Cancer Association, Parkway Back Pack Project and the Parkway Booster Club. These donations have helped fund many projects in countless ways.The radio station has been in the planning stages for about a year with the Village of Rockford providing space (and permissions) in the village hall. Jim Crocker and Bryan Stetler have been busy on building the offices and setting up the equipment. A transmitter on a short tower there is sending the signal out for a test so far, as they are not on the air officially at Channel 101.3 on the FM Dial (for the Federal Communications Commission – FCC). However, they are streaming 24/7 at www.1013rkd.com which is free and works great! They have a mix of music on the stream that you are sure to enjoy with over 900 hits available. Tune-In Radio has an app for your phone, too.
For listeners in Rockford, you can either stream it on your computer or use your radio at 101.3 on the FM dial. The range is only about 5 miles, but once the FCC approves Crocker’s and Stetler’s license, they will be able to place their antenna on Rob Belna’s tower south of town.
100 feet is what the antennas will be at and then WRKD will be rated at 93.3444 kw and the station should be heard 10-15 miles, according to Jim. This will greatly increase their range depending on the atmosphere. They will be able to reach Rockford, Ohio City, Mendon and maybe the south side of Van Wert.
Jim Crocker has been in radio for 30 years. An Emergency Medical Technician by trade, radio is his love and hobby. He has worked for area stations including 92Z00 in Lima, Hits 105.5 in Sidney and K-94 in Celina as a radio show host. Jim is the manager and engineer for the station. Bryan Stetler, Rockford’s Police Sergeant, is a 1994 Parkway graduate and was a disc jockey for weddings and other venues for many years. As the Underwriting Manager for this non-profit venture, Bryan is accepting donations to get the radio station up and running for the community. If you are interested in donating, contact him at stet3502RPD@yahoo.com or 419-236-6669.
Click here for the streaming radio station at www.1013rkd.com
By Sheila Baltzell 7-24-2014
Article shared with permission. Visit http://parkwayindependent.com/
