T

here will soon come a day when Christi Reed won't have to switch stations when she hits the Hooksett toll booths.

A 26-year-old attorney who lives in Nashua and works in Concord, Reed loves to listen to classical music on her daily commute, but loses the signal for Boston's 102.5 FM at the tolls.

Although Concord's new classical station doesn't reach that far yet, Reed's hopeful it will someday soon, and for now is just looking forward to playing it in her office at Sulloway & Hollis.

"It's just so soothing," said Reed.

Concord's classical station, WCNH-FM (94.7), hit the airwaves yesterday to applause from its supporters and classical music lovers. The station's broadcast marks the first time in three years that the music will have a full-time home on the radio dial.

The station's first official broadcast began with the sounds of an orchestra warming up, following by Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Station manager Harry Kozlowski did the honors at a reception for supporters at the Capitol Grille.

While guests munched on nachos, cheese and crackers and asparagus spears, Kozlowski gave a brief speech and read aloud a message of congratulations from U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg.

When he gave the signal, an assistant listening via cell phone in the station's Little Pond Road studio started the music to a collective round of applause.

Like Yeager, a lot of classical music lovers believe the station will do more than just play the music they love. They see in it a chance to get the word out about local happenings in the arts.

In addition to running announcements about upcoming performances, Kozlowski said, he'd like to use the station to showcase local talent by broadcasting concerts and doing features on teenagers in the arts.

But all of that will take money, which Kozlowski is still working on.

Although he originally wanted at least $25,000 to get the station started, Kozlowski settled for $17,500. The money came mainly from individuals, with a few donations from business and arts groups.

Kozlowski - the former program director at WJYY-FM and WNHI-FM in Concord - said he's still fundraising and needs to raise $50,000 to keep the station going through its first year.

"It'll be easier now that we're on the air," he said.

"You know, before, I'd show up at a business and say, 'I'm with the classical music station.' And they'd say, 'What classical music station?'"

Concord hasn't had such a station since 2001, when New Hampshire Public Radio stopped playing jazz and classical music along with its talk programs. Local music lovers bemoaned the loss and sent countless letters to the editors of local newspapers about it.

Luckily for Kozlowski, New Hampshire Public Radio never got rid of its collection of classical music: He's using those albums, along with the ones donated by supporters.

The station will be low-key for now. Most of the broadcasting will be automated, and Kozlowski is the only paid staff.

Also, the station has only 18 watts of power, giving it a broadcast range of five miles. Kozlowski would like to get WCNH-FM's power up to at least 100 watts in the future.

Marty Capodice said he's not even sure if he'll be able to pick up the signal at his Hopkinton home. But he's tickled anyway that the station's on the air.

"I just started my master's degree and classical music really helps me focus," Capodice said. "There's just such a niche for this. It feels like the gap has officially been plugged."

(Amanda Parry can be reached at 224-5301, ext. 307, or by e-mail at aparry@cmonitor.com.)