LITTLETON — North Country Community Radio soon will be broadcasting live from its offices in the Tannery Marketplace in downtown Littleton.

The station will be staffed with local volunteer disc jockeys and will air a commercial-free variety of music and programming, including local events and entertainment calendars, lost and found, and live musical performances from the studio.

“I think there is a need for it — we're going to pretty much do it all,” NCCR executive director Nate Alberts said. “We're going to try basically to do as much good as we can with what we've got, that's the goal.”

Alberts grew up in Lisbon and moved to Colorado after high school. There, he got involved with KBUT, a community radio station in Crested Butte.

After five years in Colorado, he moved back to New Hampshire to start a similar station in the North Country.

“Everybody thinks it's a good idea and sees the vision of it and has been super supportive,” Alberts said. “I feel really hopeful that it's going to do well.”

He's working with Prometheus Radio Project of Philadelphia on the technical aspects and filed for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status as North Country Educational Radio in February, 2012.

The station will be supported by grants, donations, underwriters and pledge drives. They plan to apply for their low-power FM license this spring, when the FCC allows applications.

The group is seeking donations of music tapes (cassette and eight-track), albums and CDs to help build the station's library and to also serve as a museum of sorts.

A kickoff fundraiser is planned for Oct. 27 at the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem. The new station will also begin broadcasting over the Internet on Oct. 27 from noon to 8 p.m. daily.

“This is to show people what we're going to be doing on the FM dial and to practice and get experience,” Alberts said. “In 2013, we hope to be on the FM dial.”

For more information about NCCR, go to www.northcountrycommunityradio.org

kgarofalo@newstote.com