WJND-LP
Encyclopedia
WJND-LP is a low-power
non-commercial radio station
in Ocala, Florida
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
-Ocala, Florida
area. Its format is primarily Dance music
, with occasional Spanish language and Christian music programming.
The station is a one-man operation, as its Program Director and DJ, James Dispoto, aka "DJ New York", runs the station from his parents' home in Ocala. FCC regulations limit non-commercial radio certificates to educational or non-profit entities; the operating certificate is actually held by Primeria Inglesia Bautista Hispanic Association, a group in the Ocala area.
The station's location and broadcasting tower were a source of conflict between Marion County
officials and Dispoto's family. The county shut down the station in the fall of 2003, citing zoning laws that prohibited the operation of a radio station in a residential neighborhood and restricted the height of any towers to 50 feet; the tower was approximately 100 feet tall. An engineer working with the Dispotos noted that James Dispoto's mother, Elaine, possesses an amateur radio operator license, and that the Federal Communications Commission
requires communities to reasonably accommodate amateur radio operators. The county's response was that the station failed to secure a permit to construct the tower, and in any case, the tower was higher than required for amateur use.
In November 2004, the Marion County Commission agreed to let the station continue operating from the Dispoto home as long as the transmitter was moved out of the neighborhood. A compromise was reached in which the transmitter would be moved a short distance away, to an existing tower at a landfill owned by the county.
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
non-commercial radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
-Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
area. Its format is primarily Dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, with occasional Spanish language and Christian music programming.
The station is a one-man operation, as its Program Director and DJ, James Dispoto, aka "DJ New York", runs the station from his parents' home in Ocala. FCC regulations limit non-commercial radio certificates to educational or non-profit entities; the operating certificate is actually held by Primeria Inglesia Bautista Hispanic Association, a group in the Ocala area.
The station's location and broadcasting tower were a source of conflict between Marion County
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
officials and Dispoto's family. The county shut down the station in the fall of 2003, citing zoning laws that prohibited the operation of a radio station in a residential neighborhood and restricted the height of any towers to 50 feet; the tower was approximately 100 feet tall. An engineer working with the Dispotos noted that James Dispoto's mother, Elaine, possesses an amateur radio operator license, and that the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
requires communities to reasonably accommodate amateur radio operators. The county's response was that the station failed to secure a permit to construct the tower, and in any case, the tower was higher than required for amateur use.
In November 2004, the Marion County Commission agreed to let the station continue operating from the Dispoto home as long as the transmitter was moved out of the neighborhood. A compromise was reached in which the transmitter would be moved a short distance away, to an existing tower at a landfill owned by the county.