Church Transmitter Finds Support in Washington

Nine members of Congress, including the entire Orange County delegation, have thrown their political muscle behind Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa’s battle to keep a radio transmitter atop Santiago Peak in the Cleveland National Forest.

U.S. Forest Service officials are studying whether commercial broadcasting should be permitted on Santiago Peak, the highest point in Orange County. Their concerns range from the transmitters’ impact on wildlife to potential interference with emergency broadcast signals.

The church’s attorneys counter by pointing out that forestry officials have offered no evidence to back up their suspicions.

Members of Congress who last week sent a two-page letter to Secretary of Agriculture Daniel Glickman, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, contend that the government is “considering policies that appear to have no scientific or technical basis.�

“We want Secretary Glickman to explain why this particular antenna needs to be removed,� Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) said. “In my view, they should attend to the nation’s forests instead of trying to close down broadcasters.�

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) said Forest Service officials were trying to make decisions traditionally made by the Federal Communications Commission.

Other members signing the letter include Republicans Ron Packard, Ken Calvert, Dana Rohrabacher, Gary Miller and David Dreier, and Democrats Loretta Sanchez and Joe Baca.

Forestry Officials Have Concerns

Calvary Chapel got permission this summer from the Forest Service to put a transmitter on Santiago Peak for KWVE-FM (107.9), its San Clemente-based radio station. The action came on the heels of a federal lawsuit filed by Calvary Chapel against the agency.

Forestry officials said they had not seen the letter, but they have a number of concerns, including:

* Whether such broadcasting will interfere with the peak’s weaker two-way radio transmitters used by most of the county’s police, fire and emergency departments;

* Whether strong emissions from the transmitter could have an adverse impact on wildlife;

* Whether the view of the mountain’s peak will be negatively impacted;

* Whether more commercial broadcasters will want a place on the mountain.

The Forest Service is developing new guidelines for use of all transmitters on Santiago Peak. The plan could affect radio and television stations across Southern California, which would lose potential access to prime broadcasting space on the mountain. Forestry officials said the final report is expected early next year.

“You need to have some rationale for the way you’re managing the area,� said Mary Thomas, a wildlife biologist who’s heading an environmental study on the issue for the Forest Service. “The primary reason for the forest being set aside is to manage the resources.�

Both sides agree that a one-day test done earlier this year showed commercial signals did not interfere with emergency broadcasts from Santiago Peak.

“If there’s a real reason why we shouldn’t be there, that’s fine with us,� said Jeffrey Dorman, attorney for Calvary Chapel. “But don’t make it something nebulous.�

Officials at KWVE, a 560-watt Christian music and talk station, say the antenna’s new location on the 5,700-foot peak allows the station to reach more than 5 million potential listeners, while its former site reached only a fraction of the market. KWVE has 300,000 regular daily listeners, station officials said, making it the Arbitron rating system’s top Christian music and talk station in the country for the past five years.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Making Waves

Nine members of Congress are protesting a possible ban on broadcasting by a Christian group from an antenna atop Santiago Peak.