BELFAST — A group of die-hard DJs and fans of community radio are trying to lay the groundwork in getting Belfast’s first community radio station established by the new year.

Jennifer Hill and Karen Nelson are two Waldo County DJs, who have affiliations with WERU in Blue Hill. Along with a group of about 18 others, Hill said the idea has been in the works for awhile, but now the timing is right.

“The City of Belfast can only get an FCC license every 15 years for a low-watt station and recently they applied for it and got it and now want to turn it over to our group to make it happen,” said Hill.

The group envisions that the low-power station will have a broadcasting area of 5-10 miles and will be operational by January 2017. A small 20-foot by 20-foot room in the basement of Waterfall Arts will be the site of the broadcasting studio.

Nelson’s background wasn’t originally in radio, but when she lived in North Carolina in 2001, she always had an interest in music. 

“I always wondered how do people got those jobs [to be a DJ] and one day, my favorite radio host said they were looking for trainees," she said. "I think my hand was on the phone before he stopped talking.”

After moving to Maine to 2010, Nelson took a radio spot at WERU called Maine Sunday Best, which she still currently hosts.

“To start something from the ground up here in Belfast from the ground up is intriguing," she said. "And now I can answer the question: ‘How do people get these kind of jobs?’”

“A lot of the people involved with this project are involved with WERU,” added Hill, who not only worked as an office manager for WERU but also hosted a show on the side.

“I think the best part of radio is the access,” she said. “You don’t need a computer or high-speed -nternet. All you need is a transistor radio you can buy at a yard sale for a buck.”

Modeled on sort of the same community feel as WRFR in Rockland, the Belfast Community Radio station slated to be on 100.9 FM will offer a diverse amount of live and recorded talk radio and music curated to individual tastes of their volunteer DJs. Programming ideas and principles are coming together right now as committees meet. “Belfast is such a cool community," said Hill. "There are all kinds of people here, old, young, people born here, people from away. And here’s a chance to coalesce the community in a way that we can hear each other. People always say ‘no one’s listens anymore.’ Well with radio, it’s all about listening.”

To make it happen, the group’s fundraising goal is to raise $20,000 by December 1 in order to purchase sound equipment. They plan on three major live fundraising events in addition to a Go Fund Me page and in-person donations being taken at Belfast City Hall.

The first event will happen Friday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. with a potluck supper and music jam at 17 Court Street in Belfast. The public is invited to bring a meal or beverage to share to this free event, which will be held at the former Court Street church.

Fundraising Committee leader and DJ Erik Klausmeyer will be spinning with other musicians to raise funds for the new station.

The group has various subcommittees working to follow through with their efforts and meets at the former Court Street Chuch on Monday nights. To learn more about the future station visit: www.belfastcommunityradio.org