Local Nonprofit Launches Low Power FM Station in Helena
Last Chance Public Radio Association announced plans to launch an over the air low power FM station based at Helena College, aiming to serve a roughly three mile radius around campus. The move matters because it will create a true community station footprint, expand local programming and student opportunities, and strengthen access to locally produced information for Lewis and Clark County residents.
On November 24, 2025 Last Chance Public Radio Association unveiled plans to establish an over the air low power FM station housed at Helena College. The long standing local nonprofit, which has helped rebroadcast Montana Public Radio and supply equipment to other stations in the Helena Valley for years, has already begun online streaming and purchased some studio equipment while continuing to fundraise and assemble a small FM transmitter.
The proposed transmitter is expected to cover roughly a three mile radius, a footprint the group describes as a true community station range. LCPRA must still secure an FCC license and raise additional funds to fully outfit the FM signal before putting the station on the air. The association hopes to begin broadcasting after the new year, pending regulatory approval and completion of fundraising goals.
Programming goals emphasize complementing existing public radio services rather than competing with them. Planned content includes music, educational programming, student produced shows and opportunities for Helena College students and community members to create and share local content. Leaders say the station is intended to offer a platform for neighborhood voices and local perspectives that are often underrepresented on larger regional outlets.
For Lewis and Clark County residents the project has several practical implications. A localized FM signal can increase access to neighborhood news, cultural programming and community events for listeners without reliable internet access. Community produced programming and student training can also broaden participation in media production and provide pathways into journalism and broadcast skills for local young people. From a public health and safety perspective, a neighborhood focused station can serve as an additional channel for public information during local emergencies and for outreach about health services and county initiatives.
The initiative appears in Montana Free Press Helena This Week with local calendar items and notices related to the county and city. As LCPRA moves through the FCC licensing process and continues fundraising, organizers are assembling equipment and building partnerships that aim to make the station a sustainable community resource for Helena and surrounding neighborhoods.
