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FCC: Get Local Radio Right This Time

Sun, 05/06/2012 - 10:38 — Dave Culver
Section(s): 
Activism & Organizing
Media

  • Tell the FCC we need all the community radio we can get.
  • The FCC wants to hear from you. Here's what's at stake:
  • Sign &Share Widely
  • Interested in starting a station? Find out what's involved.

Free Press

Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Lydia Howell

This article is made possible with the generous contributions of Evergreene Digest readers like you. Thank you!

One of the most common complaints about radio is that no matter where you go on the dial, it all sounds the same. You can take a small step today to change that — dramatically.

We won big last year when President Obama signed the Local Community Radio Act, which opened the door to a new era of Lower Power FM (LPFM) radio. Right now, the Federal Communications Commission is developing rules that will govern these new community stations. And the agency’s next move will determine whether just a handful of stations start broadcasting — or thousands take to the airwaves.

Tell the FCC we need all the community radio we can get.

The FCC wants to hear from you. Here's what's at stake:

How many stations there will be: The FCC can decide to allow new stations to operate on waivers. If it does this, the number of stations that could be licensed in a given community will more than double. For example, in the greater Atlanta region, waivers could put as many as 25 new stations on the air.

How "local" stations are: Some LPFM stations amount to nothing more than computers broadcasting canned programming from national networks. The FCC is considering a proposal that would require stations to produce at least some local content each week. This is an invaluable resource that LPFM stations can provide to their communities.

We are truly on the verge of a local radio renaissance. Let's make sure the FCC knows that we want thousands more stations broadcasting local radio.

Thanks for all that you do —

Related:

Interested in starting a station? Find out what's involved by checking out these resources from our friends at the Prometheus Radio Project.

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