April 24, 1998

Federal Communications Commission
Room 222
1919 M Street5 N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20554

To the Honorable Commission:

Beech Tree Broadcasting Co.. licensee of WLMI (FM), Kane, PA, submits this coment, and wishes to be put on record as opposing proposals to create a class of low-powered "community" radio stations.

WLMI (FM) is licensed to a community of 4600 people.  This station is free-standing, and not part of any media consolidation.  We take very seriously our committment to serve the community in a wide variety of ways.  These range from the reading of school lunch menus, community events and lost pet announcements, all during morning drive time, to regularly scheduled, locally produced public affairs broadcasts, which are aired during weekday morning/midday/early evening dayparts.  We work hard each year on community fund-raising activities, which include buying a new fire truck, installing lights at the high school athletic field, and sending a local family to the Atlanta Olympics to see their daughter run in one of the events.  This May, we will broadcast a radiothon to help the Kane Family Center raise operating funds following the expiration of a grant.

Kane does not need a low-powered "community" station operating out of someone's basement; it has a 24-hour professional station, that provides jobs for four full-time and four part-time employees.

We have no objection to low-powered stations operated on a limited number of specified dates in conjunction with special events, but feel that one license per owner would be sufficient.
 

Very truly yours,
 

Charles W. Crouse
President/General Manager/News Director