[Imc] Fwd: Congress to Kill Micro Radio

[Paul Riismandel]

More on LPFM from the CDC:


>Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 11:11:58 -0500
>To: NYC-DAN at topica.com
>From: Eileen Sutton <efsutton at earthlink.net>
>Subject: Congress to Kill Micro Radio
>
>to my Pacifica comrades: a bit off topic, but urgently related.../e
>
>=======================================
>
>TRAGICALLY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) AND PUBLIC RADIO 
>(NPR) HAVE SUCCEEDED IN KILLING LEGALIZED LOW POWER RADIO
>
>by Peter Franck
>
>The National Lawyers Guild Center on Democratic Communications ("CDC") has 
>just learned that Congress intends to pass an Omnibus Budget Act 
>containing a rider which will gut the FCC's new Low Power FM (LPFM) 
>service. It now appears that President Clinton will sign this bill.
>
>This is the culmination of a year long intensive lobbying campaign by the 
>NAB, which unfortunately has been given liberal cover by NPRís campaign 
>against LPFM.
>
>For more than ten years CDC has been involved with the defense of micro 
>broadcasters who went on the air at a time when the FCC refused to license 
>low power stations.  We argued that those rules were unconstitutional, and 
>the risk of losing in court was one factor in the FCC changing its 
>position and authorizing LPFM.
>
>More than a year ago, in meetings with the NAB we pointed out that they 
>would hurt established broadcasters if they killed LPFM (also known as 
>microradio).  The NAB claimed they were worried about interference from 
>unlicensed broadcasters.  We pointed out that they would be much better 
>off accepting some competition for audience from these small stations but 
>knowing where the stations were, and knowing that the FCC had assigned 
>them to available frequencies.
>
>We pointed out that if LPFM was killed they would be faced with many 
>stations going on the air in an unpredictable way at unknown frequencies 
>and locations.  Because the technology is cheap and readily available LPFM 
>will not disappear, no matter how much Congress, NPR and the NAB try to 
>kill it. For many, LPFM remains the only means for local communities to 
>have a voice.
>
>Disappointed as we are by this congressional refusal to allow a small 
>experiment in media democracy,  CDC will look at possible legal challenges 
>to Congress' unprecedented attack on community radio.  Peter Franck, a 
>member of CDC speculated  that this new law may well be unconstitutional. 
>Franck added ìLaws passed by congress are easier to challenge in the 
>courts than regulations promulgated by agencies such as the FCC.  This is 
>not over.î
>
>Since 1990, the CDC has worked with pioneering microbroadcasters such as 
>Mbanna Kantako and Stephen Dunifer, who took to the airwaves to challenge 
>the FCC's ban on low power community radio. In response to growing public 
>support, the FCC under Chairman Bill Kennard adopted a Low Power FM 
>service to promote public access to the airwaves. This modest service 
>would have create up to one-thousand new 100 watt and 10 watt community 
>stations.  (The bill being passed by congress is a phony ìcompromiseî 
>because it may allow 60 or 70 LPFM stations in the most rural and 
>unpopulated parts of the country.)
>
>National Public Radio and the National Association of Broadcasters failed 
>to stop the FCC from implementing its modest Low Power FM service. But 
>after months of intensive lobbying, NPR and the NAB convinced Congress to 
>quietly kill the service, and prevent schools, libraries, community groups 
>and local government from operating low watt stations. The extent of 
>Congressional meddling into the technical affairs of the FCC is 
>unprecedented, and proves that the public has indeed lost all control over 
>the "public" airwaves.  CDC is committed to doing everything it can to 
>help recover them for the public
>
>
>
>
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Peter Franck ,NLG Center for Democratic Communications (CDC)
>3450 Geary Blvd., Suite 208, San Francisco, CA 94118; www.nlgcdc.org
>CDC: 415.522.9814; P. Franck: 415.381.9960; fax 415.381.9963
>pfranck at culturelaw.com
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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