[Imc] Fwd: Congress to Kill Micro Radio
Paul Riismandel
p-riism at uiuc.edu
Sat Dec 16 20:47:29 UTC 2000
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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