LPFM Radio News
 

From RuidosoNews.com
Opinion
Where's the community in community radio?
Marty Racine/On Second Thought
Feb 17, 2005, 10:12 pm

... So, here's the deal. This town can have a community station with local programming,
or not. It can have a station that broadcasts meetings and hearings, or not. It can
have a station that is unafraid to probe issues, or not. It can have a station that
plays music you won't hear anywhere else, or not.
It is not up to the chamber. It is not up to KEDU. It's up to you. 'Twas ever thus.

(Marty Racine is a former news director of KEDU LP, 102.3 FM.)

War of the Worlds Monday, October 31st, 9:00pm!
KEDU presents the1938 Radio thriller that
shook the World. Join us tonight at 9:00pm for
the full length radio presentation, without interruption.

More info on "War of the Worlds"

KEDU Radio Turns Two Monday!  More
KEDU celebrates two years of Community Service in Ruidoso.
 

Media Access Project (MAP) is a thirty year old non-profit tax
exempt public interest telecommunications law firm which promotes
the public's First Amendment right to hear and be heard on the
electronic media of today and tomorrow. In the words of the Supreme Court:

 "It is the purpose of the First Amendment to preserve an uninhibited
  marketplace of ideas in which truth will ultimately prevail... It is the right
  of the public to receive suitable access to social, political, esthetic, moral
                               and other ideas which is crucial here."  More

Reclaim Local Radio: Support LPFM

Dear Friends,
In 2000, the FCC opened up the nation's airwaves to low power community radio
stations. Since then, more than 675 local stations have gone on the air in 50 states,
forming the national backbone for community broadcasting.

Now, local radio (LPFM) needs your help to survive and grow. The FCC is considering
critical new measures that would prevent commercial stations from pushing our
community broadcasters off the dial. Before the FCC decides, they need to hear from you.

Please write the FCC and tell them to protect Low Power FM radio stations.

It's taken commercial saturation of the radio waves to create demand for something as
revolutionary as LPFM. These stations are locally driven and noncommercial, providing news
and information to communities often ignored by mainstream radio.

The FCC is modifying the 2000 rules that created LPFM stations. If you have and value a local
station, or wish you had more homegrown broadcasting in your area, the FCC needs to hear
from you right now.

Act now to protect and support local radio.

Onward,

Robert W. McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net

P.P.S. To learn more about LPFM, see www.freepress.net/lpfm.

Power of the people:
Communities use low power FM to take back the Vermont airwaves
 

Community Radio Lobbies to Stay Alive
Financial Express - Bombay,India
... Price, who established his LPFM station in March 2004, is among many local radio presidents, broadcasters and producers who are feeling the heat of ...
See all stories on this topic

Low-power stations imperiled as giants gobble up frequencies
'Atlanta has seen a lot of radio consolidation,' says Indigo Girls member

By JOSH SANBURN
Cox News Service
Published on: 06/14/05

Washington — For most of his working life, Jim Price has been helping others establish community radio stations in every state of the country. But now, as president of his own station in Ringgold, Ga., he might soon be out of a job.

Price runs WBFC-LP, a low-power radio station that serves his North Georgia community, broadcasting local Southern gospel music and public service announcements.

But about 60 miles north of Ringgold in McMinnville, Tenn., Clear Channel Communications, which owns hundreds of radio stations across the country, is waiting for an application to go through the Federal Communications Commission that would allow it to begin broadcasting on Price's frequency.

"They moved in on the channel that I chose back in 2000," Price said. "Two of us can't operate on the same channel. That is the threat, and I've got nowhere to go."

For Price to continue broadcasting, he would have to reapply for an LPFM frequency and possibly move his station elsewhere.

Price, who established his LPFM station in March 2004, is among many local radio presidents, broadcasters and producers who are feeling the heat of conglomerates like Clear Channel.

On Thursday, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) announced plans to introduce legislation within two weeks to protect LPFM stations from corporate interference.

Indigo Girls express concern

Slaughter championed LPFM alongside the band the Indigo Girls, who said they were concerned about the loss of community-oriented broadcasting, including in Atlanta.

"Atlanta has seen a lot of radio consolidation," said Amy Ray, one of the band's members. "We really need for those outlying areas of Atlanta, in the inner city of Atlanta, and all those areas to have opportunities, because they have unique aspects of their community and unique things going on."

FCC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher said the commission was reviewing the issue.

Congress mandated that LPFM have secondary status, which means commercial stations take precedence on the airwaves. "Unfortunately, full-power FM just has a higher status," Fisher said.

LPFM licenses were created in 2000 to allow community-oriented broadcasting within a 3- to 7-mile radius and are available only to "noncommercial educational entities and public safety and transportation organizations," according to the FCC. The licenses are free to those entities and not available to "individuals or for commercial operations."

However, LPFM stations like Price's are increasingly being pushed out.

A similar case is under investigation by the FCC involving three Idaho companies that received 1,026 free translator stations, which are low-power but are not required to broadcast noncommercial content. Radio Assist Ministry Inc., Edgewater Broadcasting Inc. and World Radio Link have sold 85 of those stations and have made close to $800,000. There are currently no rules in place to prevent individuals from receiving large numbers of translator stations or selling them, said Harold Feld, a lawyer challenging the three groups.

Eric Burns, a spokesman for Slaughter, said her legislation would direct the FCC to prevent future encroachment by large companies. Clear Channel was unavailable for comment.

A bill introduced to a Senate committee in February would ensure that licenses are available to both translator and LPFM stations based on the needs of each community.

Price said he doubted he would get what he ultimately wants anytime soon: primary status for LPFM. What would that mean for people like him?

"I can't be bumped. I'm a real radio station," he said. "I dream about that."
<>

Asia:NZ Newsletter
Scoop.co.nz (press release) - New Zealand
... LPFM signals are available to anyone who wants to set up a radio station but only
on a three kilowatt signal compared with 5-10 kilowatts for commercial ...

Winning The Media Wars
TomPaine.com - Washington,D.C.,USA
... to prove noninterference with commercial broadcasters." For more on LPFM,
including information on obtaining a license, contact Prometheus Radio Project . ...

FM station applicants endure long wait
The Republican - Springfield,MA,USA
... They represent the distinct interests competing for one available low-power
frequency modulation (LPFM) radio license - on 99.7 FM. ...

Radio Assist met with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps a few
days back. This is on the LPFM docket:

Confessions of a Listener
by GARRISON KEILLOR

The Return of Low-Power FM
Utne Reader Online - USA
... R-Ariz.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the
Local Community Radio Act of 2005. The bill would expand LPFM service nationwide

Can Congress Tune In and Turn On?
Guerrilla News Network - USA
... To begin with, low-power FM radio (LPFM)-<>one of the best vehicles for
developing and expanding community radio <>is back on the docket. ...

Community Radio Leaders Gather for 30th Annual Conference
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
... Community Radio stations will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing stations
... challenges, expanded channels to provide more public service, and LPFM...

Really Local Radio

New station features a familiar voice

 

Today's Community Calendar
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA
... AMY GOODMAN, host of the national daily, radio/TV program "Democracy Now!" (heard locally on Portsmouth Community Radio, 106.1 WSCA-LPFM) will discuss her ...


 KCFL-FM/sandi woodruff:
 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/220897_radiobeat21.html

Yay radio free moscow, and hood river!
 Two LPFMs win grants from university of maryland/j-lab!

http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20050428.071811&time=07%2038%20PDT&year=2005&public=0

 Keystone college, scranton, PA:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14448788&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416046&rfi=6
 

Community Radio on Capitol Hill Media panel provides testimony to Senate and Congressional  staffer on Senate Bill 2505 involving  Low Power FM Radio in the US. The LPFM bill introduced by Sen. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ) gets approved by the SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE on a voice vote THURSDAY (7/21), sending the bill to the full Senate. The bill, S. 2505, would drop third-adjacent-channel interference protection and would also drop the current requirement that the FCC investigate the economic impact of adding an LPFM to existing full-power FMs in the market. Left to Right: Alan Korn (Attorney), Anne Twite (KEDU), Jeff Crespie (WRYR), Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, Carol Pierson - Pres. National Fed. of Community Broadcasters, Harv Twite - GM, KEDU Radio Left to Right: Jeff Crespie (WRYR), Alan Korn, Carol Pierson (NFCB), Rep. Steve Pearce, R-NM, Anne and Harv Twite (KEDU) For more information on local radio issues, visit the Media Access Project listed below: http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/lpfm/index.html