September 12, 2004. After a four-day barn-raising, Tim Stone and collaborators stood in tears, cheering as the airwaves caught the 106.1 FM frequency for the first time and WSCA-LP, Portsmouth Community Radio, was born.
Led by Stone, the project had taken years. Fundraising. Navigating FCC barriers. Volunteer collaboration from far and wide. Today, tucked in a segment of the old Button Factory in Portsmouth’s West End, WSCA is a colorful, eclectic space that is home to dozens of programs. Tune in throughout the week and you’ll hear jazz, blues, indie, oldies, metal, audio theatre, music from around the world, public affairs and current events emanating from Control Room A. The Podcast Lab is in Control Room B, and in the center sits the charming Button Factory Stage venue, which showcases live local and national artists and a monthly open mic night.
The “LP” in the call letters stands for “low-power,” which gives smaller-radius, community-based stations a special place between the commercial and national public radio frequencies in the ether. And yet, the work of maintaining such a station is a behemoth undertaking. WSCA has witnessed both the thrill of progress and the austerity of just trying to keep the heat on, with waves of committed leadership from across professional disciplines, and downfalls that have left folks in dismay. Yet the station has stood strong.
Just over a decade after its first on-air date, the WSCA community was faced with a colossal task of moving the radio tower to reduce interference and increase broadcast reach. Rick Pickford, then-President and Board Chair, whose expertise lay in electrical engineering and creative development, took it on. “I was willing to go to battle with whomever,” says Pickford. Negotiating the obstacles of funding, treacherous weather and hiring a crane, Pickford worked with other volunteers to relocate the antenna to where it stands now. When the tower was struck by lightning in 2018 and WSCA was knocked off the air, it was rescued again by the efforts of its relentless leadership and community supporters.
That “battle” to protect the station has been forged by many, but the dynamic evolution of WSCA’s programming and audience has been a cause worth fighting for. Mark Pruett, Program Director and host of Black Night Meditations, has been around since the beginning. “I don't like the term community radio,” he says. “It sounds like we only reach Portsmouth. We stream online, so the community is the planet. We have regular listeners from Europe, to South America, to Asia.”
While Pruett spins every imaginable genre of metal from 8 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, John “Supersport” Scavo, DJ and Audio Engineer, ushers in Saturday mornings with his 4-hour show “Scratchy 45s and Beyond,” one of the most popular in the line-up. For Scavo, the years of know-how and volunteer hours he has devoted to keeping the station alive are foremost in his mind: “I always knew that if the station was lost we would never get it back,” he says. Mark Lefebvre, Production Director and engineer by trade, says of WSCA, “It’s a safe place to take chances.” Host of Scurvy Dog Radio and the podcast, “It Takes a Village: Addiction Prevention and Recovery on the Seacoast,” Lefebvre explains, “I had never worked the right side of my brain ‘til I came here.” He calls the station his “happy place.”
In the COVID years and since, WSCA has received an infusion of new energy. Nicole Seaward, who stepped down as President in late 2024, originally trained to be a DJ but found herself leading the next phase of the station’s growth. The job required her to learn the intricacies of bookkeeping, regulations and state reporting, but she also had to address city officials and launch a campaign to move the station when its location was at risk. With a hands-on, sophisticated approach to diversity and empowering great ideas, her love for WSCA has inspired others to do some of their best work. Paul Gilson, teaching professor in finance at UNH, offered his expertise to Seaward a couple of years ago and now serves as WSCA’s Treasurer, host of the show “The Button Factory Soundcheck,” and grant writer. “You’ll find me working here in the middle of the night,” he says. “I have learned so much at WSCA that I can take to the classroom–I now give stickers to my students, like bands do.”
WSCA is looking ahead toward continued growth: more dedicated volunteers, programming, and community events. Seaward’s successor, Courtney Daniel, DJ and long-time WSCA volunteer, now serves as President and Board Chair. Motivated by her love for music and the station’s potential to be a community beacon, she has her eye on bolstering the Board with community members who bring a range of skill sets and visions. Her message: “It’s a vibe. You can’t describe it. You have to be there. It’s not an option to walk away.”
Tune in to WSCA on the dial at 106.1, via the WSCA app, or online at wscafm.org.
Volunteer at WSCA and be part of something rare and vibrant—a space where creativity thrives, individuality is celebrated, and community is built. Your time fuels music, performance, and education, keeping indie arts alive in the Seacoast. Shape the future of WSCA, share your passion, and help others find their place in this one-of-a-kind creative hub.
“I don't like the term community radio. It sounds like we only reach Portsmouth. We stream online, so the community is the planet. We have regular listeners from Europe, to South America, to Asia.”