Source:
http://reclaimthemedia.org/deepmedia/expanding_community_radio_lpfm2409
On Wednesday, Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Lee Terry (R-NB) announced the
introduction of the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 - Congress' latest
attempt to expand Low Power FM community radio across the country. The
Congressmen were joined by activist groups who have been leading a
nationwide grassroots fight for community radio for years, including the
Prometheus Radio Project and the Future of Music Coalition. Other
cosponsors of the bill include longtime LPFM champion Jay Inslee (D-WA),
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and
Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA).
The bill would expand LPFM community radio nationwide, allowing hundreds
of community groups, schools, municipalities and religious organizations
to apply for new noncommercial radio licenses in cities and towns across
the US.
Similar legislation failed to pass Congress last year, despite broad
bipartisan support. Last year's House version of the bill garnered the
support of nearly 100 cosponsors.
The Senate version of last year's bill was cosponsored by another
longtime LPFM champion, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), along with John McCain
(R-AZ), Senators Obama and Clinton, and others. The Senate is expected
to take up the issue of LPFM once again this spring.
From this week's announcement issued by Prometheus and Free Press:
Low Power FM stations are community-based, noncommercial radio stations
that broadcast to neighborhoods and small towns. LPFM licenses make
radio station ownership possible for schools, churches, labor unions,
local governments, emergency providers and other nonprofit groups to
directly communicate with their local community. In 2000, the Federal
Communications Commission began to issue LPFM licenses. However, soon
after, Congress passed an unnecessary piece of legislation that
drastically limited the radio spectrum available to LPFM stations. Since
then, thousands of applications submitted to the FCC have been dismissed
because of these limitations.
"Diverse, informative, thought-provoking, locally oriented programming
has been dramatically restricted across the country by the current
federal laws governing the separation between broadcast frequencies,"
said Congressman Doyle. "Enactment of this legislation would improve the
quality of life in communities across the country by providing new and
different programming -- especially programming addressing local
interests and events -- to these communities."
The Prometheus Radio Project, a group that helps build LPFM stations
across the country, is the leading advocate for community radio.
Campaign Director Cory Fischer-Hoffman notes, “As media outlets are
increasingly consolidated local voices are being forced off the
airwaves; it is time for Congress to remove the unfair restrictions that
stand in the way of community organizations, religious groups, students
and senior citizens from getting their own LPFM stations. In this time
of economic crisis, it is crucial that communities have access to
important information and educational programming featuring local news,
emergency information and community matters. Expanding LPFM is a
concrete action that will provide this important service.”
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