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What Became of Low Power FM?
Mark Tobenkin asks: "Early in the new century legislation was passed, allowing for medium-sized FM transmitters in the United States. The objective was to empower local communities in the face of growing media consolidation. However, in early 2001, Congress curtailed this new project. The fresh political climate following the rejection of the FCC's new regulations seems to offer hope. Does the Slashdot Community know of a movement to give LPFM a second shot in Congress?"
Anyone interested in this topic should visit www.prometheusradio.org, notably the newest press releaste titled Broadcast Lobby Caught Red Handed With Red Herring. Basically, the results of a recent independent study show that all the concerns from the ClearChannel-type large broadcast interests were 100% complete FUD. The large stations protested LPFM tooth and nail, under the guise of "it will interfere with our broadcasts." In truth they are just scared of people having access to community radio programming that's not dictated and controled by payola and other corporate interests. All of their interference claims have been more or less completely debunked.
Hopefully, this will pave the way for Congress to lift the artifical restrictions on LPFM that it imposed a few years ago (at the request of NAB lobbying), and open the door to true community-controled radio.
The original question is fairly US-centric; what the FCC did was propose a large number of relatively low-power (50-100 watts) broadcast licenses in the commercial 3m band (88-108 mhz). Essentially line-of-sight only, although there are very occasional openings. Even in the most crowded radio markets, there are usually a number of frequencies open to prevent interference with distant markets.
After very large outcries from the established stations, congress severely cut back the number of licenses granted. IIRC, many or most that were granted are religious stations. In any case, they would still have to deal with BMI/ASCAP/RIAA et al for rights to broadcast pretty much any music, even if performed by their own groups (ASCAP and BMI handle arrangers, composers, lyricists, RIAA handles specific recordings).
"'Tis great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his." --Poor Richard's Almanac
Every time there's a story on media consolidation on Slashdot, someone recommends listening to NPR instead, but NPR was actually one of the leading voices against LPFM. Remember when you're boycotting the Clear Channel stations (is it a boycott if you wouldn't listen anyway?), that giving money to NPR helps support the anti-community radio attack. I've also written to my congressman to urge defunding PBS -- if they're not interested in community media, why should the community be forced to bankroll them?
If it ain't broke, you need more software.
Yes, generally speaking nothing has happened with LPFM; from what I've read it's just about impossible to get an LPFM license. Not impossible, however. C93 has been going for a while now. They're an LPFM station that we get around town.