Source:
http://prometheusradio.org/release-march2012
FCC Decision Opens Radio Airwaves for Communities Nationwide
New rules create opportunities for hundreds of new community radio stations
March 19, 2012
Washington, DC-- In a victory for communities nationwide, today the
Federal Communications Commission announced that the agency will open
the airwaves for community radio. To make room for a new wave of local
stations, the FCC will clear a backlog of over six thousand pending
applications for FM translators, which are repeater stations that
rebroadcast distant radio stations. The decision will allow for the
first new urban community radio stations in decades. (see the decision
at
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0319/DOC-313080A1.pdf)
"Today the FCC has opened the door for communities to use their own
local airwaves, and that will be transformative," said Brandy Doyle,
Policy Director for the Prometheus Radio Project. "We commend the
Commission staff for the care and diligence they have shown. We also
wish to thank Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner McDowell, and
particularly Commissioner Clyburn and her hardworking staff for their
efforts on behalf of communities."
The announcement concludes the first hurdle in implementing the Local
Community Radio Act, passed by Congress in 2010 after a decade-long
grassroots campaign. The FCC is on track to accept applications for new
Low Power FM (LPFM) stations nationwide as early as Fall 2012. Community
groups are gearing up to apply for the licenses, which will be available
only to locally-based non-profit organizations.
“For our migrant communities here in Arizona, community radio would give
a voice to people who rarely get to speak for ourselves in the media,”
said Carlos Garcia, Lead Organizer with Puente Arizona. "Anti-immigrant
voices dominate the airwaves. Community radio can help us tell our own
stories, share news and information, and get organized."
Broadcast radio remains one of the most accessible means of
communication in the US, with 90% of Americans listening at least once a
week.
"Radio is a great tool for reaching working people - it's free to
listen, easy to produce, and people can often tune in on the job or
while doing housework," said Milena Velis, Media Organizer and Educator
with Philadelphia-based Media Mobilizing Project. “In Pennsylvania,
we're facing big challenges, from education cuts to rural poverty to
environmentally destructive shale drilling. We see community radio as a
way to bring people together and create solutions from the ground up."
Low power community stations are non-commercial and cost as little as
$10,000 to launch, putting these stations within reach of many
communities who have limited access to other media outlets.
Hundreds of pending translator applications will be dismissed in
Philadelphia, Phoenix, and dozens of other cities, in compliance with
the rules released today. The FCC plan will preserve channels by
dismissing translator applications that would preclude future community
radio stations in certain markets where the FCC has determined that
space for community radio will be scarce.
“We are pleased that the FCC has taken such a careful approach to
preserving channels for community radio,” said Doyle. “And we’re
particularly glad that the FCC has taken our recommendation to ensure
that the frequencies set aside are in populated areas, where they are
needed. This will make a big difference in San Antonio, Sacramento, and
12 other mid-sized markets, where stations too far from the city would
have reached only tumbleweeds or farmland."
The FCC had stopped processing the pending applications in response to a
2005 petition filed by Prometheus and Media Access Project. The new
processing plan includes several changes proposed by Prometheus to
improve the outlook for community radio.
Also today, the FCC released a set of proposed rules for new community
radio stations, asking for public comment on the proposals. That release
begins the final rulemaking procedure which must be completed before the
agency can accept applications for new stations.
The Prometheus Radio Project has been the leading advocate for low power
community radio since 1998. Prometheus led a decade-long grassroots
campaign to pass the bipartisan Local Community Radio Act, succeeding in
2010. Over its history, Prometheus has supported hundreds of communities
in licensing, building, and operating their own radio stations.
# # #
|