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.

Re:is this the band that iTrip is in?

[Zarquon]

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).

NPR

[elefantstn]

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?

Re:NPR

[AvitarX]

Also I would like to note that despite the anti-consolidation anti-clearchannel reports/jokes often heard on NPR Clear Channel gives them lots of money (they get thank yous between programs quite often in my area (WHYY)).

The reason is that NPR operates low cost (many low staff rebroadcasting stations) public radio and CC operates low cost commercial radio. Together they make sure that no small stations can take over there market. NPR needs all the donation they can get, and it is the closest thing to community radio available in a lot of markets, if people instead donated to the real thing they would end. The death of NPR for community radio would actually probably be a bad thing, the quality of NPR is very good.

CC on the other hand does not need every listener they can get to profit or stay in business(with the amount of adds and low amount of work they need to do they are making money hand over fist), but they are just greedy SOB's that want every penny they can.

the fact that they have alligned themselves together makes me sad, and even though I listen to NPR instead of sending them money I send a letter every pledge drive that states my beliefs (LPFM is good, and CC sucks) as an explenation of why I send them no money.

As a side note. I was disheartened to learn that my small state (Delaware) has the countries last independant news radio station (WILM). The station is probably listenable by less then 500,000 people and yet continually gets rained on with national awards due to its good news reporting. Is the nation in really such a sad state that there is no good news out there? I mean a smaller station in NY could get far more listeners then ours, and yet they can't keep independant and fail to beat our dinky little area in quality?

C93 FM...

[JCMay]

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.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

[GlobalMind]

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been operating low power radio and TV at the track for a few years now so you can listen in (or watch) the track's direct audio/video feed from the grandstands.

IMHO, a really cool thing.

K.