A good quality audio broadcast is the hallmark of F.M transmission. Thus it forms a very vital component of a radio station business plan.

This post will delve into the factors to be kept in mind when choosing a transmitter when starting a radio station.

When choosing a transmitter, the first thing to be considered is the power of the transmitter. The power of the transmitter is measure in Watts. The power decides the radius over which the transmission will take place. A higher power transmitter will be able to relay over a longer distance.

Listed below is an indicative table that gives the transmission radius range for

Different transmitters:

The choice may vary based on your expected geographical coverage area. A 30 Watt transmitter is the minimum recommended for people planning for a commercial radio station. The higher the power, the larger the area covered. Relaying beyond a 17 miles radius is not possible for FM radio stations.

Moreover this is just an indicative range. The radius may slightly differ amongst transmitters of different companies. Ask these details from various vendors.

To decide about a transmitter component of your radio station business plan, first find out the radius over which you want to broadcast and then approach different vendors for quotes and terms.

I generally recommend people to be buying indigenous equipments. This is because, you can rest assured of a prompt after sales service and also be saving considerably on transportation and installation cost. Many countries levy excise duty on importing these equipments thus making the export option even more non-lucrative.

Moreover, I also recommend buying the entire solution from one vendor as that would mean that you are buying solution rather than equipments. You can then concentrate on other vital aspects and leave all the technical aspect for the vendor to look after.

To begin with, you can ask for quotes from some of the broadcast equipment producers in your country.

Make a radio station business plan with step-by-step guide to set up a radio station