Black Smith Multi-Media, Inc../Alternative Broadcasting Station/WABS

Black Smith Multi-Media, Inc., help at risk individuals and families become a part of the economic mainstream, and thereby, provide the business community with motivated entry-level workers.This project is designed for youths at high risk who live in AL. WABS Educational Broadcasting is a Montgomery, Alabama based not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) public radio station that will provide educational progra

mming services to the Montgomery metropolitan area of Alabama using the latest most technologically advanced digital broadcasting equipment. The station will be affiliated to National Public Radio (NPR) and will provide its listeners with educational programs, national and local news bulletins, daily talk shows, music, sports, and weather and community information. The initiative is an interagency effort focused on the creation of self-sustaining, long-term development in distressed rural and urban areas throughout the nation. Empowerment zones are eligible for private activity tax exempt bonding authority for qualifying enterprises and facilities. Bond issues are subject to State private activity bond caps and special limits on issue size. WABS Educational Broadcasting will work with the State of Alabama to raise a total of $5.5m under this initiative to fund the purchase of the land at Fairview Avenue and to finance the cost of developing the facility. On completion of the project the company will lease 50,000 sq. of its space to WBBS TV, a 24 hour local television broadcasting station for a total of $180,000 annually. WABS Educational Broadcasting is eligible for grants from The Department of Commerce under the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) to finance up to 75% of the cost of its equipment, the balance of the Equipment cost $160,492 will be funded through a matching gift from Amsouth Bancorporation Foundation. WABS Educational Broadcasting will also receive a grant for a total of $200,000 from the Department of Education for development costs. WABS Educational Broadcasting’s main sources of revenue will be funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for Arts and Humanities, underwriting, memberships, funding from educational establishments and individual contributions. The Company’s Mission
Our goal is to provide the community with radio programming that challenges, enriches, informs, educates and entertains while reflecting cultural and intellectual diversity. The company’s location within the Empowerment Zone reinforces its commitment to improving the economic outlook of the local community and enriching the lives of its listeners.