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News :: Arts : Civil & Human Rights : Elections & Legislation : Media : Political-Economy : Urban Development |
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Senate Commerce Committee Reaffirms Low Power Radio Service |
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by Prometheus Radio Project
(No verified email address) |
28 Jun 2006
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Senator McCain (R-AZ), a sponsor of the bill, stated that after 2 years
and 2.2 million dollars of taxpayer money were spent, the study reaffirmed
the FCC's original conclusions in favor of a full low power FM radio
service. "I think we ought to send the National Association of
Broadcasters a bill for that study," said McCain. |
On June 28th, advocates of low power FM (LPFM) radio, a service used by
churches, schools, activist organizations, emergency responders, and
hundreds of communities, applauded the Senate Commerce Committee's vote to
expand the low power FM radio service. The vote approved an amendment to
a major telecommunications bill currently before the Commerce Committee.
This vote marks a major step towards the expansion of low power FM radio
to the large cities of the United States, and potentially hundreds, if not
thousands, of other communities across this country. The vote also
affirms the Commerce Committee's previous support of LPFM in 2004 and
2005.
Senator McCain (R-AZ), a sponsor of the bill, stated that after 2 years
and 2.2 million dollars of taxpayer money were spent, the study reaffirmed
the FCC's original conclusions in favor of a full low power FM radio
service. "I think we ought to send the National Association of
Broadcasters a bill for that study," said McCain.
Senator Cantwell, (D-WA), another of the bill's sponsors, said that low
power FM radio was about allowing the diverse voices of America to speak.
"The only people left opposing this bill are those who oppose that
diversity,” said the Senator.
Senator Cantwell's remarks were immediately followed by those of low power
FM radio's chief opponent, Montana Senator Conrad Burns, who, in 2000,
famously opined about LPFM, "I've had about all the diversity I can
stand." Senator Burns claimed that there were new radio stations available
in every market in the United States, at any power level, and thus low
power stations were unnecessary. "It is difficult to determine what might
have led Senator Burns to claim that there are stations available at every
power level in every market. Someone must have deliberately misled the
Senator on this point, because there is no truth in this statement, and
it's hard to tell what he might have been thinking. Oh well!" shrugged
Hannah Sassaman of the Prometheus Radio Project.
Senator Lautenberg introduced an amendment that would exclude New Jersey
from the expanded low power FM service, a service he supported in
principle while expressing concern on the impact to New Jersey's
relatively packed airwaves. The Senator was able to append his amendment
for his home state, which has relatively few stations due to its proximity
to New York and Philadelphia. Pete Tridish of the Prometheus Radio
Project, responded to this, saying that "it is unfortunate that Senator
Lautenberg has been so misinformed on this issue. There are numerous small
towns in New Jersey that fit the criteria for low power FM stations, even
though they are ineligible for full power stations. Low Power is New
Jersey's last chance to get properly represented on the radio dial."
Groups as diverse as the Christian Coalition, The Future of Music
Coalition, the United Church of Christ, Free Press, Common Cause, United
States Catholic Conference of Bishops, and many others came together in
support of the amendment to expand low power FM.
"The Prometheus Radio Project thanks Senators McCain, Cantwell, Lott,
Inouye, Rockefeller, Nelson, Sununu, Vitter, Lautenberg, Boxer, Dorgan,
Kerry, Pryor, and Allen for their vision of a diverse, democratic, locally
powerful radio dial," said Tridish of Prometheus.
Low power FM radio was created in January of 2000 by the FCC as a new
class of licenses that could be held by small civil society groups. Since
then hundreds of stations have gone on the air in small towns, operated by
groups ranging from schools, to churches, to farmworkers unions, highway
authorities, and environmental organizations. Low power FM radio was
excluded from major urban areas by an appropriations rider sponsored by
Conrad Burns in December of 2000. |
See also:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/
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This work licensed under a
Creative Commons license |
