If you're in the lower Hudson River valley, you know that even locally, WDFH can be hard to pick up on 90.3 FM.  This is a leftover from an unfortunate but involuntary 1997 relocation of our antenna that resulted in terrible coverage, not to put too fine a point on it.

 

WDFH's new tower site

To fix this problem once and for all, we've been working since 2001 on a project to improve and expand our FM broadcast signal.  This will bring reliable, strong service to about 400,000 people in the region and a significant additional population in secondary and fringe areas — and will thus be a quantum leap in our ability to serve the lower Hudson River community.  Technical details below ▼

 

In January 2006, the FCC granted us permission for a significant expansion.  But the project ran into a major roadblock in the spring of 2006, and by April 2007 it had become apparent that we were not going to be able to implement the expansion using the current tower site, as we had planned.

So we had to start the project all over.  In June 2007, we secured a new tower site; in July we secured a zoning variance for our antenna; and in August we filed a new FCC application. 

Finally, on Friday, December 21, 2007, the FCC approved the project.  This enables construction to go forward, and we are working to complete the project this spring (2008).

 

We need your help!

Your support is more important now than ever before.  WDFH is community radio — dedicated to serving the needs of the community, powered by community volunteers, entirely nonprofit and noncommercial.

Please make a tax-deductible contribution using our secure PayPal link (major credit cards accepted) on our pledge page.

If you're considering a major donation (more than $100), please send a check directly to us at:

WDFH
21 Brookside Lane
Dobbs Ferry, NY  10522

Thank you for your support!

 

Technical details:

The effective radiated power of our signal will be 53 watts at 145 meters above average terrain.  This is roughly equivalent to 1,200 watts at 30 meters, the reference height designated by the FCC for Class A (full service) FM stations.  While this is relatively modest compared with the mega-stations in New York City, the population density in the lower Hudson valley is fairly high, and we estimate that our city-grade (60 dBu) signal will reach about 400,000 people — respectable for any station!