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News :: Elections & Legislation : Media |
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Central Illinois: Help Expand Community Radio Today! |
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by via email
(No verified email address) |
07 Sep 2006
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There's a major opportunity to bring low power FM to thousands more
cities and towns, and your Congressman is key to making this opportunity
a reality. Congressman Timothy Johnson (R-IL) has co-sponsored a bill,
HB 5785 or the WARN act, which would, if passed, establish a stronger
emergency alert service (remember "This is a test of the emergency
broadcast system"?). Low power FM advocates have met with Johnson's
staff and with other supporters of this bill in the House and Senate,
and have made clear arguments as to why our legislators should amend the
WARN act to expand low power FM radio across the nation. |
Dear Illinois Supporter of Community Radio,
Greetings from the Prometheus Radio Project!
Thanks for everything you've done over the years to build, fight for,
protect, and expand low power FM (LPFM) radio in your community. For
over 5 years, we've worked with folks like you to help community groups,
schools, farmworkers, environmental organizations, and many more build
radio stations around the world. We need your help -today- to expand
low power FM radio! Please make one quick phone call to your
Congressman, and forward this message.
There's a major opportunity to bring low power FM to thousands more
cities and towns, and your Congressman is key to making this opportunity
a reality. Congressman Timothy Johnson (R-IL) has co-sponsored a bill,
HB 5785 or the WARN act, which would, if passed, establish a stronger
emergency alert service (remember "This is a test of the emergency
broadcast system"?). Low power FM advocates have met with Johnson's
staff and with other supporters of this bill in the House and Senate,
and have made clear arguments as to why our legislators should amend the
WARN act to expand low power FM radio across the nation.
Of the 4 Gulf coast stations that stayed on the air during and just
after Hurricane Katrina, 2 of them were low power FM radio stations.
Emergency and crisis teams -- from South Carolinian fire departments to
municipalities working with the Department of Homeland Security -- have
used low power FM stations to warn communities in times of disaster.
You can call Congressman Johnson right now to ask him to support low
power FM as part of the WARN act, house bill 5785. You can say
something like:
"I'm a constituent of Congressman Johnson. I'd like to thank him for
supporting HB 5785, the WARN act, which will expand the emergency alert
service and protect communities across Illinois. I'd like to ask the
Congressman to amend WARN to expand low power FM radio, as our
communities need local, reliable, community-based radio stations to
serve our neighborhoods, and deliver essential information in the case
of crisis. Thank you."
And we're encouraging constituents to reach the congressman at his DC
office, by phone:
Washington Office
1229 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2371
Fax: 202-226-0791
Or at his district office:
Primary District Office
2004 Fox Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217-403-4690
Fax: 217-403-4691
Please email us back to let us know if you called, and what folks on the
other end of the line had to say!
Thanks so much for helping your neighbors and your community expand and
protect local radio.
Hannah Sassaman
Prometheus radio Project
PS -- Want to let other folks know about low power FM and the WARN act?
At the link below, please find some talking points you can read and
distribute to anyone else who wants to call their Congressmember about
this great opportunity!
http://www.prometheusradio.org/media/WARN_act_fact_sheet_sept_2006.doc
http://www.prometheusradio.org/media/WARN_act_fact_sheet_sept_2006.pdf |
This work is in the public domain |
