Thursday, December 17, 2009
National Skyline Low-Power FM Gets a Lift as Houses Passes Local Community Radio Act
Posted by Steve Haruch on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Due to the recent shake-up(s) at WRVU, we've all been hearing the name Radio Free Nashville bandied about a lot recently. The Cat Beast Party has apparently found a new home there, while others, like Nashville Mixtapes and Needles + Pins, wait to hear if there's room for them on the airwaves. There could be a mass migration in the works as former RVU community DJs look to RFN as they to find a new frequency for their shows. Meanwhile, it looks like there might be more low-power FM stations like RFN on the horizon, as a bill that would loosen restrictions on small community stations has cleared its first major hurdle the legislative process. From Reclaim the Media:
On Dec. 16, the House of Representatives passed the Local Community Radio Act (HR 1147) by voice vote. The bill would allow for the creation of hundreds, possibly thousands, of new, low power FM (LPFM) radio stations dedicated to broadcasting community news and local perspectives to neighborhoods across the country.
Here's some background perspective on low-power FM, plus a little call to action, courtesy of the Radio Free Nashville site*:
BACKGROUND:In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission established the Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service -- noncommercial, local, low-powered radio that schools, community groups, churches, and any nonprofit like Radio Free Nashville could use to broadcast local information to their local community. There are about 800 LPFM stations on air all across the country -- but groups in many communities and most big cities who applied for these great new stations all lost out. Why?
Because the big broadcasters -- represented by the National Association of Broadcasters -- convinced Congress that little LPFM stations like us would interfere with big radio stations in big cities and make the radio dial unlistenable. So Congress limited low power FM to rural areas.
But when they passed that law, Congress asked the FCC to study whether or not LPFM stations would really cause interference. The FCC hired a big, independent engineering firm to study this potential interference, and five years and $2.2 million later, they proved that LPFM was a great idea in big cities as well as small communities.
The Local Community Radio Act will finally begin to right the wrongs that were done to LPFM.
CALL TODAY. PASS THIS ON. LET'S GET THIS PASSED.
So maybe if this thing passes Chris Crofton will just start his own low-power radio station, and stop making rude gestures at Joe Baine Colvert through the glass at Lake Fever. Just a thought.
* Sorry there doesn't seem to be a permalink to this post.
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