[cma-l] Expanding community radio - LPFM bill reintroduced in US Congress

[Salvatore Scifo]

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.”