Hot Springs radio seeks to engage community

Located in Hot Springs, a local radio station focuses on the intent of creating community engagement and community awareness. Program Director David Max launched 101.9 FM in December of 2016. “My focus is to broadcast news and information twenty-four-seven,” Max said. “You’ll hear a lot of information and podcasts specific to women’s health and emotional issues, alcoholism, substance abuse issues and anything that will help the community to raise vibrational awareness.”

The station operates on a low power frequency modulation and is fully licensed with the Federal Communications Commission. “The range is about 15 miles around Hot Springs,” Max said. “The signal is significantly affected by topography, but you can get a clear signal anywhere within eyesight.”

While Max tries to play an array of diverse content, what you won’t hear on the station is music. “You have access to all the music you want, it’s readily available,” he said. “I want to focus on something that is not available; news, information and opinions. A lot of what I play is para-political, it has an esoteric political influence.”

Max says the station is at a crossroads as he works on different solutions in order to engage more with the community. He also hopes the station will be utilized as an alternative to social media. “I want the station to be used for networking, outreach, sharing stories and getting to know each other,” he said. “Social media has lost the ability for us to connect and get to know each other.”

Hot Springs Community Radio currently operates out of the Hot Springs recreational center, but Max says the station will soon operate out of the Nyah Grange in order to get more people involved, which in return will bring in more local content. Max says right now, the station plays about 40 to 60 shows a week, running about an hour in length. The podcasts he plays will run anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours.

“We need more local focus on community building,” Max said. “News and information are still really important but the next step is to use the station to connect the community. Hot Springs is an eclectic place and now more than ever, people are separated and isolated.” Max continued, “we need to be tapping into the vein to find those interesting stories and interesting people.”

Max’s Valhalla Farm keeps him busy when he’s not at the station and he is also training to become an emergency medical technician through Whiteline Training and Consulting. “I’ve always had an interest in health and healing and wanting to help people,” he said.

To become involved with Hot Springs Community Radio, email hotspringscommunity

[email protected].