[Lac] Fw: LPFM is Winning -- Step by Step

[Diego Saravia]

por ahi les interesa, una victoria importante de la gente de pequeñas radios
en EEUU.

From: Seth Johnson <seth.johnson at realmeasures.dyndns.org>


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [MRN] low power is winning, inch by inch, committee by committee
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 09:49:09 -0400
From: pete tridish <petri at prometheusradio.org>
Reply-To: microradio at lists.riseup.net
To: petri at prometheusradio.org

Dear Friends and Allies of the Prometheus Radio Project,

We won!  Or, we are substantially on our way to winning more Low Power FM
stations for labor groups, schools, environmental organizations, friendly
churches, and all kinds of folks, in America's big cities and all over the
country.  Hurrah!

Early word is, we seem to have won our first vote for more Low Power station
in the cities in the Senate commerce committee today.  They committee
approved a major bill, s2505, which would repeal the third-adjacency
protections that have kept all but one of America's 50 biggest cities from
having their own LPFM stations.  There was an unusual amendment attached,
connected to adopting unusual technical  parameters for placing LPFMs in New
Jersey, and we are waiting for  details on that.  But basically, we seem to
have passed our first  test! This means now that the full Senate will be
considering Low  Power FM.

Every one that contacted Senators so far, you have something to be proud
of!  You've helped to win the second round against one of the toughest
lobbying organizations in the country.  There is still a long road ahead,
but this is a milestone!

Our fundraiser, Anthony Mazza, is out getting champagne and orange juice.
Hannah Sassaman, our program director, is using her mad skills from her
other job (she's a bartender) to make mimosas for everyone here in the
basement office at Prometheus.  Congratulations everybody! We won't drink
them till we see the text to make sure there is nothing slipped in there
that will grow like a tumor as the bill moves through the Senate and House.
The fight continues.

We are very lucky to have such great friends in Washington -- like Media
Access Project and Future of Music and Free Press and Common Cause and the
Catholic Conference and United Church of Christ -- our allies who  know how
to read the obscure astrological alignments of the planets  through the
zodiac needed to make that inscrutable beast in the  capitol do the right
thing once in a while.

Plus big thanks to all of the people who came to DC to lobby, and the
Christian Broadcasters who have been starting to step up to the plate and
win the support of the very first few conservative Republicans to support
us.

Unfortunately, most of the Republicans voted against us this time despite
the prodding of conservative churches and broadcasters, so there is much
work to be done in this area -- we need to redouble our efforts in helping
conservative Christian LPFMs hold their politicians accountable.

Our biggest thanks go to Jaclyn Ford, the Prometheus volunteer who has
busted down every closed door in Washington to get us outsiders a meeting
with just about every legislative office in the Commerce Committee -- and
then some.  Her success shows that we -do- have the power to bring real
community media, in all its forms, to America and to the world. Perseverence
like hers is what will bring us there.  Congratulations, Jaclyn!

And, of course, don't forget the pirates -(or micro broadcasters if  you
prefer) - it was the illegal broadcasters of Brattleboro,  Vermont, with
their crazy demands, weird legal cases and wacky  citizen referendums --
things that all the experts said didn't have a  chance because of this or
that obscure law or precedent -- that woke  up Senator Leahy on the issue,
and got us our first co-sponsor for McCains' bill.

All power to the imagination!!
Pete Tridish, Hannah Sassaman, Anthony Mazza, and all the volunteers,
interns, and allies here at the Prometheus Radio Project

--

  _      _
pe'tre dish (n): a squat, cylindrical, transparent article of
laboratory glassware, useful in observing resistant strains of
culture in aetherial media.

petri at prometheusradio.org
www.prometheusradio.org
Prometheus Radio Project
215-727-9620

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [radio] Take Action to Free the Airwaves!
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 15:11:17 -0400
From: "Shawn Ewald" <shawn at wilshire.net>
Reply-To: shawn at wilshire.net
To: microradio at lists.riseup.net, radioproject at lists.riseup.net

http://www.prometheusradio.org/freeairwaves.shtml

Free the Airwaves!

Interference Study Clears the Air for Low Power FM -- And Prometheus Kicks
Up Its Grassroots Campaign!

Hello, grassroots low-power FM radio campaigners past, present and  future!
On this website, you'll find all the tools you need to take  your interest
and belief in the need for a viable low-power FM radio  service to the
people who can make it a reality -- your local  Congressional
representatives and Senators. Senators John McCain and  Patrick Leahy have
just proposed legislation to expand the Low Power  FM service! We need to
tell our other Senators that now is the time  to expand Low Power FM radio.

How Can I Act on this Right Now?

Great question! Now is the time to contact your Senator and your
Congresspeople, by mail, email, phone, or in person. You need to ask  them
to expand the Low Power FM service! Follow the steps below so we  can help
you get a station in your town, and for every town in the  USA. If you'd
like to read some more background first, click here
(http://www.prometheusradio.org/freeairwaves.shtml#background) before  you
get to work! 				 Some Tools for You to Use!

Below, please find some tools for you to use as you contact your
Congresspeople. Print out these documents, and pass them along to  friends
and neighbors who are willing to help fight for this great  service!

1 -- Find out who my Senators and Congresspeople are! Click here
(http://www.mediareform.net/washington) to find the phone numbers and
addresses of your Senators and Congresspeople. They're the ones  you're
callin' and writin'!

2 -- Write or call my letter to my Senators and Congresspeople! Click  here
(http://www.prometheusradio.org/free_letter.shtml) for an  example letter
you can adapt to send to your elected officials. And  check out this
briefing  (http://www.prometheusradio.org/free_cong_briefing.shtml) to
learn  more about the issue. You could even print out this brief
(http://www.prometheusradio.org/congress_brief.doc) to send to your
Congresspeople and Senators! These links include information you can  use to
prepare yourself for a phonecall, or even for a personal  visit. We're told
that phonecalls are more powerful than letters, so  give a phonecall to your
Senators and Congresspeople if you can.

3 -- Let us know you've contacted your elected officials! And, sign  up at
the same time to be at the forefront of the movement for more  community
radio. We'll keep you posted on how to be the first person  on your block
with a shiny new LPFM, when the time comes!

4 -- Get the word out! Forward this message to inform your friends  about
this issue or send them this link:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/freeairwaves.shtml

5 -- Keep getting that word out! Prometheus has developed Public  Service
Announcements that you can play on your Low Power FM station,  your internet
station, or just for yourself and your friends! Use  radio to make more
radio, that's what I always say. Click here
(http://www.prometheusradio.org/long_with_music_spot.mp3) for a 40  second
spot, and here  (http://www.prometheusradio.org/small_radio_spot_music.mp3)
for a 20  second spot! Produced by our own Levi Roman.

Background:

Why Congress? Why Now?

As you probably know, the Prometheus Radio Project has been fighting  for
Low Power FM for a long time, using a wide variety of tools,  skills, and
tactics. We use our flexibility and energies for  different priorities at
different times. Building stations is always  essential, as is giving
support to Low Power broadcasters and  applicants. But now -- for the first
time since we all won the  service in 2000 -- everyone in the office, our
full board, and as  many allies and friends as we can corral into the effort
are trying  to convince congress to expand the Low Power FM Service.

The Federal Communications Commission, the regulatory organization
responsible for determining who gets to use our airwaves, just  recommended
to Congress that they finally expand the Low Power FM  service. That means
that the power to bring more Low Power stations  to your communities, as
well as to the cities that lost out big the  first time 'round, is back in
the hands of our elected officials. What is Congress Going to Do, Exactly?

Good question. Is there a piece of legislation this second that your
Senator or Congressperson could co-sponsor or endorse? The answer is  YES!
Senator John McCain promised to present such legislation, and  did it, in
partnership with Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, on June  4th! Read the
legislation here
(http://www.prometheusradio.org/expand_lpfm_mccain_bill.pdf). What  we're
doing is trying to outpace the inevitable industry lobbying to  our elected
officials, as they fight to keep more Low Power FM  stations off the air.
Your Senators and Congressmen need to hear from  you, that Low Power FM
radio matters to you, so they can work to  bring it to your communities.

A Grassroots Victory

To recap -- the Low Power FM radio service, formed in 2000, was a  response
to the work of Prometheus organizers and people like you! To  date, hundreds
of new radio stations are on the air, transmitting  vibrant local
programming to towns and countrysides that need it. But  only twenty percent
of the original license applications were even  allowed to be considered,
because powerful lobbying groups argued  that these new stations would cause
interference with existing  signals.

However, a congressionally-mandated testing program designed to  assess the
probability of interference from low-power FM stations has  been completed
and the resulting study has found that interference is  not an issue!
According to the study, released July 13 by the MITRE  Corporation, there is
only an infinitesimal chance that the signals  from FCC licensed low-power
stations will interfere with bigger, full  power radio stations.

Act to Expand Low Power Radio

So, as we've said, now that we have this study, we need those
Congresspeople who stood up for low-power FM radio in 2000 to stand  up
again, and fight for the licenses that were taken away last time!  And, we
need new allies in our legislature to join the fight --  allies who
understand that low-power FM is a concrete way to build  local, diverse
media in an increasingly consolidated, corporate media  environment.

Best Hope For A Low Power Future For Urban Community Radio

According to FCC statistics developed in 1999, many major urban areas  of
the United States were on track to get Low Power FM radio  stations. Then,
when Congress passed its exorbitant protection rule,  most of those
communities lost out. Take a look at these statistics  and think about how
wonderful these stations would be in the cities  below!

Potential Low Power FM Stations in America's Cities!

Here are just a few of the major cities that could get Low Power FM  radio
stations to serve their populations if Congress expands the  service.

Houston, Texas -- 1 station
Phoenix, Arizona -- 3 stations
San Antonio, Texas -- 13 stations
Indianapolis, Indiana -- 8 stations
Baltimore, Maryland -- 4 stations
Jacksonville, Florida -- 8 stations
Columbus, Ohio -- 13 stations
Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- 6 stations
Boston, Massachusetts -- 2 stations
Nashville, Tennessee -- 7 stations
Denver, Colorado -- 3 stations
Las Vegas, Nevada -- 14 stations
Richmond, Virginia -- 23 stations
Peoria, Illinois -- 10 stations
Kansas City, Kansas -- 1 station

Expanding the service would create thousands more community radio  stations,
especially in the cities that have gone without them for so  long.

http://www.prometheusradio.org/freeairwaves.shtml

-------- Original Message --------
 Subject: Take Action to Support Low Power FM - ACM's Legislative Action
Center
    Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 15:59:09 -0400 (EDT)
    From: Seth Chase <government at alliancecm.org>
      To: alliancecm_list at mailmanager.net

Take Action to Support Low Power FM - ACM's Legislative  Action Center

Now is the Time to Work for More Community Radio  Outlets!

Take Action!

-- What is Low Power FM? --

Low Power FM (LPFM) is a free, over-the-airwaves, FM radio  service,
launched by citizen groups, media advocates, not-for-profits,  churches,
unlicensed microbroadcasters, and peace and justice allies  all across the
United States. These groups worked together in 2000 to  convince the Federal
Communications Commission, and America's  legislators, to build thousands
more FM radio stations for folks all  across the country. With a crackling
energy paralleled by that of those  fighters who established public access
TV, these groups brought  citizens' voices to DC legislators, and legalized
this new form of  community broadcasting! Thousands of community
organizations,  from Hmong neighborhood associations in Fresno, California
to  migrant workers' labor unions in Immokalee, Florida, started to apply
for these new licenses to broadcast.

-- Community Radio, For Some. --

However, the corporate lobbyists of the National Association of Broadcasters
and their allies wouldn't let new community  broadcasters on the air without
a fight. Fearing competition from a  quality, locally produced product, one
that would immediately sound different than  the commercial top 40 streamed
into Clear Channel's radio clusters from thousands of miles away, the big
broadcasters convinced America's legislators to slap a huge protection
standard on LPFM. They claimed  that the 100-watt stations local folks were
trying to build would  interfere with the 50,000 watt juggernauts currently
dotting America's  landscape! Still, Congress passed the ironically named
'Radio  Preservation Act of 2000', which kept LPFM out of 49 of the top 50
biggest cities in America. Almost 70% of potential stations were lost.

-- The Tide Turns! --

With the help of allies from the public access movement, and  thousands of
other community media advocates and organizers, that's  all about to change.
A major engineering study, commissioned by the FCC,  proved that there was
no potential interference from LPFM. Senators  John McCain and Patrick Leahy
proposed legislation that would  return the forbidden frequencies to
communities (senate bill 2505),  and that bill was recently approved for
full Senate consideration by  the Senate Commerce Committee!

HELP CHANGE THE LAW -- CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS  TODAY!. The bill mentioned
above -- s2505 -- is the best chance we  have for more LPFM stations to be
released to American  communities.
------- End of Forwarded Message -------


-- 
Diego Saravia 
dsa at unsa.edu.ar