Big Moves Toward the Move: WGDR Old Antenna Comes Down & New Location Picked

Thanks to Times Argus photographer Jeb Wallace-Brodeur for capturing the removal of the old WGDR antenna on campus in late August. [Times Argus photo used with permission]. A bigger thank you to the Prescott Tower Services team of Rutland, who took the four antenna bays down so carefully that we likely can use them again for translator stations in the coming years. After 30+ years of being in the elements and pumping out 1K watts of power, that's great news! The Prescott team also installed the new, and current, WGDR antenna at our new tower location in Plainfield back in June.

What's the latest with the move? After two months of vetting dozens of locations, we found six viable, more affordable locations than campus in Montpelier, Berlin, and Barre. In late August the CVCR Board vetted three finalists picked one to secure a lease with in the next few weeks. Once that is signed, we will excitedly share the news with everyone near and far and hold a community gathering to answer questions and share more information.

For now, we can tell you this upgrades our station needs in many ways:

• We will be right in a community's downtown!

• We'll dramatically increase public visibility and accessibility for the station, which presents us with so many future collaboration and partnership opportunities.

• It will be a safe and welcoming place for our programmers broadcast from.

• We will have better utilities support and management to prevent programming outages and interruptions.

• The new space is nearly move in ready already, so our up fit costs to move will mostly be the new studio, staff time, and engineering.

• And, the building is filled with a rich history of the community and has a vibrancy and energy matched by its engaged, community minded management.

This location is not just mission aligned, it is mission moving and that is exactly what we'd hoped for when we started looking back in June for a new home for the station. This is a big moment to have reached in a short amount of time. Thank you to our moving committee, board, and staff for working so hard all summer to pull this off.

How can you help the station during the move?

• We are still welcoming the talents of our supporters to help with key parts of this move. This includes carpentry, IT (networking, firewalls, etc), cleaning, organizing, lifting heavy thing, cheering, etc. If you have skills to lend email Llu@WGDR.org.

• We've started the fundraising toward the move, to pay for a new studio, other up fit costs, staff time, engineering, and more. Individuals and businesses (as sponsors) are invited to donate, thank you!

Very Vermonty Auction a Great Success!

We are delighted to tell you that CVCR’s Very Vermonty Auction was a great success!

Every dollar raised helps pay for the programming all of us love and rely on here on WGDR and WGDH. A big thank you to the 70 businesses, individuals, and organizations who donated goods, services, and experiences.

The bidding frenzy over the items was exciting to watch! We had 57 folks in on the fun of bidding and estimate we will raise about $4K once folks settle up on their winning items. Not everyone was able to walk away a winner with an item, but we hope you had fun and you are all winners in our hearts. 

These results are a great example of the team spirit between our programmers, board, local business community, and our listeners. It’s also a hat tip to our continued creative approach to raising the funds to support this great community radio station. Thank you very much!

A Very Vermonty Online Auction - Coming Soon!

CVCR’s Very Vermonty Auction is coming up soon on August 2nd! You can preview some of the items for bid now at our auction site.  

You will find dozens of unique, fun, and exciting items including: 

• Art from local artists like Mary Azarian and Katharine Montstream.

• Truly unique WGDR experiences including a voice greeting recorded by Rumble Strip's Erica Heilman or a private garden coaching session with Alan LePage.

• Family adventures to the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, VINS in Woodstock, Kingdom Trail Association passes, Mad River Glen passes, and more.

• Dinner out at Julio’s Cantina, Frankie’s, Sambel’s Food Truck, and more.

• Live music, comedy, and other in person experiences including Buena Vista Orchestra at Higher Ground, Samara Joy at the Flynn, Sam Jay at the VT Comedy Club, Grand Kyiv Ballet Presents Swan Lake at the Chandler Center for the Arts, Hill Farmstead Brewery Harvest Festival of Ales and Lager, and more.

These are just some of the items you can bid on when we go live on August 2nd.  

Don't see anything to bid on? Bid on us! Become a monthly sustainer for as little as $5. Set it up at WGDR.org.

Thank you to the many Vermont businesses, organizations, and individuals who donated.

Thank you for participating in our online auction!

Our Next Chapter Starts Now

We have big news: Central Vermont Community Radio will be moving out of Pratt and off the Creative Campus by March 1, 2027.

This wasn't our decision or our plan, but we're ready to meet the moment.

On June 13, just one week after our new antenna went on the air, the Creative Campus notified us that our lease will not be renewed.

While this is disappointing, it isn't entirely unexpected. Since Goddard College closed, we knew our long-term future on campus was uncertain. That's why relocating the WGDR antenna was so critical. Had the antenna still been on campus today, this lease decision could have forced WGDR off the air permanently. Instead, our broadcast future is secure.

After 53 years in the same location, this move is both a challenge and an opportunity. WGDR was built as a college radio station, and its campus home made sense when our focus was primarily Goddard College and Plainfield. Today, we serve a much broader community. Moving to a more visible and accessible location will strengthen partnerships, expand our reach, and help build the long-term support the station needs to thrive.

This is also an emotional moment. We're leaving a place filled with decades of memories—for the hundreds of programmers, staff, and volunteers who have been part of this station, and for the tens of thousands of listeners who found news, music, conversation, and community here. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, and our community will help amplify what comes next.

As a station, we proudly carry forward Goddard's legacy of social justice, civic engagement, and democratic ideals. Under community ownership, we're building a new legacy rooted in resilience, local connection, and long-term sustainability. We stand on the work of everyone who brought the station to this moment, and with your help, we're ready for what's next.

There's a lot to do: gather community input, identify a new home, design and build a new studio, right-size our space, and raise the funds to make it all happen—while keeping the station on the air every step of the way.

Like with the ownership transition, busted transmitters, floods, new antennas, and every other challenge we’ve met in the last 5 years, we need our community once again. Whether you can contribute your time, skills, connections, or financial support, you can help us build the station’s next home. We'll share more details and opportunities to get involved as plans take shape. For now, we wanted you to hear the news from us first.

Thank you for being part of CVCR’s story. The next chapter starts now.

Building Out Our Broadcast: Upcoming Translator Station Window

We create programming that meets listeners where they are. Broadcast radio remains essential—for discovering the station, receiving emergency information, and for many, simply because it's how they prefer to listen. At the same time, online streaming and on-demand listening make our programming available whenever and wherever people want it.

Listening habits are changing, but what connects our audience is the value they find in our programming. However people choose to listen, we're committed to providing the best possible experience.

That's why we'll be applying during the FCC's new noncommercial translator filing window this August. FM translators are low-power stations that rebroadcast WGDR's signal into communities we can't reliably reach today. In a mountainous state like Vermont, they can make a tremendous difference—extending service into areas we have never reached, and finally, addressing the spotty reception in Barre, Montpelier, and other areas where terrain limits our primary signal, all without interfering with other stations.

This August is only the application phase. If we're awarded one or more translator licenses, we'll have up to three years to determine which sites we can afford to build and put on the air.

There is a lot of strategy that goes into applying for these stations and where. We are working on this over the summer. Stay tuned for more.

Translator Basics

• This is the first noncommercial FM translator filing window ever and the first translator filing window of any kind in 25 years.

• An FM translator is a low-power station (up to 250 watts) that rebroadcasts the signal of an existing station.

• Each translator has its own call sign and frequency (for example, WBAR, Barre, 90.1 FM).

• The filing window is limited to noncommercial stations, but competition is expected to be strong from other eligible organizations.

• Available frequencies are limited to the noncommercial educational FM band (88.1–91.9 MHz).

• Applicants must identify an available frequency and a viable antenna location and may apply for up to 10 translators.

• Translator antennas can often be installed on existing structures such as rooftops, silos, and utility infrastructure—they don't always require a traditional broadcast tower. We are actively seeking partners willing to host a translator station antenna. Please reach out to Llu@WGDR.org if this is you or you know someone!

• Building a translator typically costs about $10,000, with annual operating costs of approximately $1,000–$2,000, depending on site rental and utility costs. Finding funding for each of these stations relies heavily on getting the support from the communities we are trying to add. We are eager to find partners in extended areas to help us make this happen.

Lost Broadcast? Try This!

The new WGDR antenna is up and we have a slightly new broadcast coverage map.

We always knew the coverage map would change. After our initial antenna study, we hoped for a significantly larger coverage area. However, through the FCC application process and the technical limits required to prevent interference with other stations, the final coverage ended up looking much like our previous map.

There are some important differences. Certain areas now experience terrain-related signal blockage that didn't before, while other areas have gained coverage. Some listeners are also noticing that the edges of our coverage area are less defined than they were previously.

Even so, this is a remarkable achievement. To comply with FCC regulations, we had to reduce our transmitter power from 980 watts to just 50 watts. By moving our antenna 1,000 feet higher to a much safer location, we were able to maintain nearly the same overall coverage despite that dramatic reduction in power.

Most importantly, we are now ready for what comes next. The station's broadcast future is protected because the antenna is not stuck on campus with an uncertain lease future anymore.

What can you do if your reception has changed?

If you've lost or experienced weaker reception at home, here are a few things to try:

• Check your radio. Reception quality varies widely between radios. Clock radios, models without external antennas, or radios that only receive the strongest stations (such as Vermont Public or The Point) often have less-sensitive receivers. Analog tuning can also make it harder to dial in our exact frequency. A digitally tuned radio that locks onto 91.1 FM may improve reception.

• Upgrade your antenna. In many cases, adding a better antenna to your current radio can make a noticeable difference. See examples for types of home radio antennas further down on this post.

• Consider a better FM radio. We've had good results with the Prunus J-288(around $25), which performs well with weaker signals thanks to its built-in telescoping ("whip") antenna.

• Listen online. If you have internet service, an internet/FM radio (typically around $100) is an excellent option. They're easy to set up, and many models—including those from Grace Digital, Ocean Digital, and Sangean—as well as streaming apps like WiiM and VLC, already include WGDR or allow you to add our custom streaming URL. If you don't see WGDR listed, you can usually add it manually using this streaming link: https://wgdr.broadcasttool.stream/wgdr_128

• If you live more north of Plainfield, try WGDH at 91.7 FM. In April, thanks to the new transmitter, we we able to slightly improve reach of that signal.

It's also worth remembering that reception changes with the seasons. Dense summer foliage can block FM signals in some areas, just as it did with our previous antenna, so reception may improve after the leaves fall. Seasonal atmospheric conditions can also affect FM propagation, meaning some listeners may notice better reception as summer transitions into fall.

If upgrading your listening equipment isn't an option, there may still be good news. This August the FCC is opening a translator station window for non-commerical radio, for the first time ever, and if we succeed in being award some, it could restore broadcast service to some areas that have lost reception. Stay tuned for updates as that project moves forward.

Types of home FM radio antennas

[Adapted from AI/google to help simplify the options for non-tech folks] The best antenna for your home FM radio depends on your local signal strength. The most common types are T-shaped dipole antennas for general indoor use, amplified antennas to boost weak signals, and Yagi/directional antennas for long-range, outdoor, or attic installations.

1. Indoor Dipole Antennas

• How it works: These inexpensive, T-shaped wires (usually 300-ohm twin-lead) are the standard baseline for most home stereo receivers.

• Best for: Casual listening in areas with moderate-to-strong local stations.

• Placement: Tape the arms of the "T" high up on a wall or stretch them out behind a window for the best results.

2. Amplified Indoor Antennas

• How it works: These are active devices that plug into a wall outlet and boost the captured FM signal before it reaches your radio tuner.

• Best for: Listeners in urban areas surrounded by heavy interference, or listeners in locations somewhat far from transmitters who need an extra push to clear static.

• Placement: Keep them close to a window and adjust the internal or telescoping rods to eliminate background noise.

3. Directional / Yagi Antennas

• How it works: Unlike omnidirectional antennas that pull signals from all directions, Yagi antennas focus heavily on a specific beam to pull in stations from far away (high gain).

• Best for: Enthusiasts trying to catch distant, weak FM stations.

• Placement: These are best suited for mounting on an outdoor roof or inside an attic, connected to your receiver via a standard 75-ohm coaxial cable.

4. Folded Dipole or "Turnstile" Antennas

• How it works: An indoor or attic-mounted crossed-dipole wire design (or metal loop ring) that pulls signals evenly from 360 degrees.

• Best for: Situations where the radio stations you want to listen to are broadcast from entirely different directions or cities.

This is our working new broadcast map, as mapped by listeners. The yellow areas are where signal is a little less clear, red is fuzzy (most of those were not reached with the old antenna either). If you are in a yellow zone, you will likely have success by trying some of the tips above or switching to WGDH!