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Local Community radio back on the agenda
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The Local Community Radio Act was introduced yesterday by Representatives Mike Doyle and Lee Tarry. The act was originally introduced in the 110th congress and garnered widespread support; both Barack Obama and John McCain support the bill, but it never came to a Senate vote.
But now it's back, and more popular than ever. Cory Fischer-Hoffman of the Prometheus Radio Project had this to say about the bill:
“now is the time to clarify public interests by localizing more media ownership. As media outlets are increasingly consolidated, local voices are being forced off the airwaves.”
The average cost for setting up a commercial radio station in 2003 was about 2.5 million dollars.
In 2000, the FCC began licensing low-power FM (LPFM) channels for use by local organisations such as churches, community organizers, and artist groups, but the National Association of Broadcasters successfully lobbied congress to place restrictions on the power output and spectrum space of these LPFM stations.
Representative Mike Doyle believes “It is in everyone’s interest to promote community radio.”
Free Press has started an initiative to get the bill passed. Go and send a letter to your representatives, support is likely to be very high for this bill, but only if they know it's there. Inform them of the bills importance, so that local communities can flourish just a bit more.
