[Imc] Pioneering Springfield Microbroadcaster Shut Down
Paul Riismandel
p-riism at uiuc.edu
Sun Oct 1 06:57:07 UTC 2000
I received this news Friday night and promptly reported it on WEFT during
our Pledge Drive party. I'll also be talking about it a little more Sunday
morning at 10:00am on my Radio Free Conscience program.
Here's the report I posted to Indymedia:
On Friday, Sept. 29 at 5:15pm, pioneering Micropower Broadcaster Mbanna
Kantako and his Springfield, IL, unlicensed micropower radio station,
Human Rights Radio, were shut down by Federal Marshals and the Federal
Communications Commission. The FCC charges that Kantako's station,
operating at less than 100 watts of power, threatened the radio
communications for the Air Rendezvous Air Show planned for Springfield this
weekend.
The raid, conducted by Federal Marshals, lasted from 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM
CDT, during which Kantako's transmitting and computer equipment. Luckily,
his recordings library, containing valuable archive recordings of Human
Rights radio broadcasts, were left untouched.
Mbanna Kantako, widely recognized as the founding father of the micropower
radio movement, first went on the air with Black Liberation Radio in
November 1987, broadcasting to the residents of the John Hay Housing
Projects in Springfield, the capital city of Illinois. Since that time
Kantako has broadened his message from one of black liberation to one
looking to help empower and liberate all oppressed peoples. Noted
micropower radio activists like Stephen Dunifer of Free Radio Berkeley cite
Kantako as the inspiration for the nationwide micropower radio movement
that has grown so strong that the FCC was moved into recreating a licensed
low-power radio service this past January.
Kantako's court date is set for Wednesday, October 4 at 10:00 AM in the
Federal Court, Federal Building in downtown Springfield, IL on Monroe
Street (between 6th and 7th Streets). Supporters of Kantako, Human Rights
Radio, and right to use the airwaves are strongly encouraged to attend this
date and show your support in the courtroom.
For more information, contact Ron Sakolsky & Sheila Nopper at 217-498-8497 or
Michael Townsend at 217-483-6100
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