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?"

Comments

Oct. 17 day of LPFM action

[None a loaf]

I just read an article on that. They are trying to organize hundreds of LPFM stations broadcasting on Oct. 17.

Break the Corporate Media's Stranglehold on the Free Flow of Information, News, Artistic Expression and Cultural Creativity http://www.counterpunch.org/dunifer07252003.html

See also http://www.freeradio.org/

Low power FM

[bedessen]

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.