The Local Community Radio Act has cleared the House of Representatives- and passed out of the Committee in the Senate. We still need you to help us to push this bill towards passage.

Call your Senator and ask them to support S592- the Local Community Radio Act.

1) Call your Senator’s office and ask to speak to the staff person who covers telecom issues. (If you do not know who your Senator is, go to Govtrack.us, Free Press’s website.)

2) Tell the telecom staffer, either over the phone or on their voice mail:

“I am a constituent (say where you are calling from and if you represent an organization or community group) and I am calling to urge him/her to support S592, which expands the Low Power FM radio service, creating opportunities for local community media outlets in our district. The Local Community Radio Act is advancing rapidly and will shortly be hotlined through the Senate. Can I count on the Senator’s support?”

3) Following the call, send an email to expandlpfm@prometheusradio.org to tell us how your call went.

Columbia, South Carolina, February 23, 2010 — Tuesday’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) workshop on broadcast ownership was transformed when South Carolinian supporters of low power radio flooded the public comment sessions calling for an expansion of the low power FM (LPFM) service.

“Any discussion of broadcasting and media ownership in South Carolina should include the need to expand and strengthen low power radio,” said Stephen Varholy, general manager of Columbia, South Carolina’s low power WXRY-LP.

Low power radio stations are run by churches, schools, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Mike Willis of Lake Murray, South Carolina was among several supporters who used the public hearing to ask South Carolina’s legislators to expand the low power service with the Local Community Radio Act.

“We want to urge the US Senators from South Carolina to support this legislation. We have not yet had Senator Jim DeMint’s support, and we are calling on him to help us pass this important bill this spring,” said Willis, who hopes to start a low power station for his community.

The Local Community Radio Act (HR1147 and S592) passed the House in December 2009 and now depends on Senate action. When passed, the bill will make hundreds of new low power licenses available across the country.

“Our goal is to put a radio station on the air that is truly responsive to the needs of the community, with everything from Carolina indigenous music to high school athletics to lake weather conditions and boating safety,” said Willis, who has drawn the support of local sheriffs, Chambers of Commerce, and homeowners’ associations surrounding Lake Murray.

FCC Commissioner (and South Carolina native) Mignon Clyburn opened the hearing, which was part of the FCC’s quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules. Representative Joe Wilson (SC-2) issued a statement welcoming the FCC to his district and supporting their efforts to expand the LPFM service.

“Coastal communities like those found in South Carolina are especially good candidates for LPFM stations,” said Representative Wilson, who is a cosponsor of the bill. “Indeed, such stations have had a proven record of assisting local communities in times of environmental disaster.”

This lifesaving capacity is why the Georgetown, South Carolina Fire Department started WGEO-LP, which provides hurricane evacuation news and other emergency preparedness information.  At 100 watts or less, low power stations can run from small generators during storms, and they are inexpensive to operate, allowing new entrants into the radio market.

“The stations cater to local community needs without causing any interference with commercial, full-power radio stations,” said Representative Wilson.

Jabari Moketsi testified at the workshop about his hopes to start a low power radio station on behalf of the African-American Gullah community in Beaufort County.

“Here in the Lowcountry we have a very unique culture, but we usually find the Gullah culture in the back pages of the newspaper or as a footnote to someone else’s story. We feel that having an LPFM station would bridge the total community.”

Chuck Smith works with country music station WLRE-LP in Elloree, South Carolina, which has the only Southern gospel show in the area.

“WLRE is fashioned as the last of the small town radio stations. We love doing the ball games for the majors and the minors and the kids. That’s been lost in radio. We also play our traditional to modern country blend which is being lost from Nashville right on down.”

WLRE is also the only station with detailed race coverage of the Elloree Trials, an annual horse racing event that brings thousands of visitors to the small town. Low power stations support local economies by bringing a truly local focus on community events, culture, and business.

All five FCC Commissioners have voiced their support of the bipartisan Local Community Radio Act, which also has the endorsement of groups as diverse as the National Association of Evangelicals, the AFL-CIO, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the NAACP.

Despite this broad support, communities like those who spoke out in Columbia, South Carolina on Feb 23 depend on Senate action to gain local access to the airwaves.

Contact:
Diane Foglizzo
Campaign Coordinator
Prometheus Radio Project
(202) 297-9195
diane@prometheusradio.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

by George Garza

On Wednesday, December 16, 2009 the Local Community Radio Act passed through the House of Representatives with a voice vote.

The action surrounding Low Power FM radio and it’s course through our legislative system is something I’ve been observing since meeting members of the Prometheus Radio Project this past June at the 2009 Allied Media Conference held in Detroit. Upon realizing the implications of this hugely important bill, I felt compelled to sign-up for regular emails from the movers pushing LPFM into the spotlight. Since then, however, I have not done much other than make a couple phone calls to my representative’s offices and leave a message with their clerks. Nonetheless, the wave of awareness about and support for the act has only grown. The social networking tools and DIY media outlets we have access to are facilitating the organic spread of a powerful, conscious, global community, and in the U.S. it’s causing positive changes.

We’ve recently been witness to people power in the most direct way, seeing corporate execs and shoddy TV anchors step-down as a result of public pressure. We’ve also seen sponsorships withdraw support from blatantly biased news programming. These occurrences lead me to another realization; possibly the most empowering one for our time. If you get past the surface, maybe the system is not rotten. It merely appears to be tarnished. Speak in solidarity and the movement proves to be a battle worth the effort.

Though I have only participated as a voice in the ear of our politicians, that voice is still a part of the collective; a collective that grows each day due to people who are increasingly aware that they have the ability to steer change. Once again I can plainly see an affirmation that all of this music, media, and activism hooplah really matters, and I am excited to know that I am involved.

I fully support the expansion of Low-Power FM radio across this country because I believe that LPFM serves an interest to me as a community member and a musician alike. I feel it is important to have a diverse cross section of views, opinions, information, and of course music streaming through our airwaves.

Recent trends indicate that as much as 50% of music on the radio is over 10 years old. What’s worse, in my home of San Antonio, I’m saddened to hear radio staff confirm that less than 1% of the music played is local. Without digging much, you’ll also find that local news isn’t much of a priority on the commercial spectrum either. Luckily, in some special instances, communities fortunate enough to already have LPFM broadcasts in times of emergency persevered because they were connected with real people transmitting lifesaving information with electricity from a car battery.

There is an unhealthy trend in the commercial radio stations that create breaks in the chain between citizens and our airwaves. LPFM serves to abolish these disadvantages and dangers. I’m not saying LPFM will destroy Top 40 and syndicated personalities, but I have a feeling that if the Local Community Radio Act passes, big league broadcasters will begin to come off of their high horses and get real with their audience.

I say “IF” because the struggle is not over yet for the Promethus Radio Project and those involved in organizing this movement. The bill (S592) now awaits a Senate vote.

Now the task at hand is to compel you to take an interest in these matters and ACT!

It’s simple. All you do is call your state officials in the Senate urging them to put S592, the Local Community Radio Act on the Senate agenda. Likely you’ll be greeted by a kind desk clerk or secretary from the senator’s office who may offer to take a message. I have done it myself and it takes less than two minutes. Still, I’d suggest requesting to leave the senator a voicemail as well. I also want to urge you to do so this week. I can’t stress enough that this must be done immediately because if a vote on the bill doesn’t take place this session, the arduous process of moving it from words to reality must begin again from the start.

Your support is of course appreciated by myself and everyone else pushing for public victory over corporate interests. It will also be appreciated by future generations glad that we ever started being considerate of them in the first place.

Now get out there and start a band! We’re gonna need more music to fill up the air spaces between community news and views. Viva LPFM!

PS I’m sure my friends in Philadelphia with PRP would be happy if I asked you to forward this message to at least 10 friends who care about people-powered media.

PSS For my own sake, I’ll go ahead and suggest that you also send it to every musician you can.

Following the recommendations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the House of Representatives voted to remove technical restrictions Congress placed on low power radio in 2000 at the request of commercial broadcasters. These restrictions have kept low power radio out of the top 50 radio markets, which reach over 160 million Americans.

Because of new requirements for LPFM stations in the 2009 bill, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) dropped its longstanding opposition to the Local Community Radio Act. These changes require LPFM stations to resolve interference to other stations, if it were to occur.

“The NAB and NPR have removed their objections and do not oppose this bill. The time has come to make the airwaves available to the people they serve. The time has come to give low power to the people,” said lead cosponsor Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA).

After the bill passes the Senate, the FCC can finally move forward with the low power radio service, licensing 100-watt stations to community groups nationwide. Due to the Congressional restrictions, the FCC was forced to dismiss most of the thousands of applications filed in 2000 by non-profits, churches, schools, and local governments.

During the House debate of the bill, lead cosponsor Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) read a letter from Wes Hall, founder of an Omaha non-profit seeking a low power station. Hall wrote, “You cannot build a community without a cohesive voice and this will give a voice to the voiceless. Low power FM is the beacon that lights up the future for us.”

Low power radio first hit the national spotlight during the Hurricane Katrina crisis when emergency workers were able to run low power stations using small generators or car batteries. Gary Galloway, an emergency responder in Mississippi, used low power radio to broadcast alerts when storms ravaged his community.

“My team has been deployed to tornado outbreaks, hurricanes, plane crashes, pipeline explosions, and other disasters that exceed the capability of local government,” said Galloway, who visited lawmakers to tell his story. “My experiences have taught me that low power FM is a crucial tool for Emergency Management to communicate with citizens when lives and property are in jeopardy.”

Wednesday’s House vote marks the closest the Local Community Radio Act has been to becoming law since it was first introduced in 2005.

“The offices of Representatives Doyle, Terry, Waxman, and Boucher have demonstrated incredible leadership in fighting for community access to the nation’s public airwaves,” said Diane Foglizzo, Campaign Coordinator for the Prometheus Radio Project. “We’re excited to have Senators Cantwell and McCain leading the way in the Senate to finally turn this bill into law.”

The Prometheus Radio Project [www. Prometheusradio.org] is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that advocates for greater citizen access to the airwaves through the licensing of low power radio stations. Read more: www.expandlpfm.org.

Since the Local Community Radio Act has passed all of its committees, the House and Senate can pass it at any moment, if we can just get it on the agenda for next week.

Take The Leap Now! Here’s How:

Call your Representative’s office and ask to speak to the staff person who covers telecom issues. After that, do the same when you call your Senators.

To find out your elected official’s name, contact info, the name of their telecom staffer, and whether they support the bill, go to http://www.freepress.net/lpfm or call Prometheus at 215-727-9620. Either by phone or on voicemail, tell the Congressional staffer something like:

“I am a constituent of [Politician X] and I am calling to urge him/her to support the Local Community Radio Act, HR1147 and S592, which expands the Low Power FM radio service, creating new opportunities for local media in our community. Can I count on [Politician X] to help get this bill passed?”

Even if your Representative or Senator supports the bill, your call will remind them to make sure that our bill gets decided this week. Afterwards, let us know how your call went by posting on our facebook event and you’ll be entered to win a free bag of Prometheus goodies, including a book, a t-shirt, stickers, and more! Thanks to everyone for helping to bring low power to the people!

Community Radio on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation

Low Power FM and College Radio

What LPFM Can Do for Music, and What Musicians Are Doing for LPFM

New Non-Commercial Full Power Station in the Hudson Valley

LPFM Can Be a Town’s “Saving Grace” During a Disaster

Thanks for all your help putting the airwaves back in the hands of the public!

The Prometheus Radio Team

Click on the PSA Titles below to listen & download:

1. “Local Choices” PSA [runs 45 sec]
2. “Public Airwaves” PSA [runs 48 sec]
3. “Diversity” PSA [runs 36 sec]

Or visit Audioport.org (if you have a login) to listen & download: http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=program-info&program_id=29608