Micro Community Radio or CORPORATE radio?!?! [ urgent!! ]

[Doug Schuler]

---- Please forward to interested colleagues and lists ---

Dear Supporters of Democratic Media:

As many of you know the FCC is taking public comments on the issue
legalizing low-power FM radio broadcasting in the U.S.  The last date
that they'll be taking comments is looming closely:  April  12, 1999.
Although there is a great interest in creating non-profit, community
radio from all parts of the country, the FCC is apparently not
interested in their original mandate to regulate radio "in the public
interest, by the least restrictive means necessary."  They are planning
to legalize microradio but AUCTION off the licenses thus missing an
excellent opportunity to develop truly democratic radio.

There is at least one Seattle group who is working on this issue.
Community Powered Radio: URL: http://www.gurlpages.com/activism/cpr/ 
(and they have lots of good links from there...)
CPR's e-mail is cpr at gurlmail.com

Contact the FCC -- BEFORE April 12 and tell them you want legal, 
non-commercial, democratic, community-based microradio!

Chair William Kennard (wkennard at fcc.gov)
Susan Ness (sness at fcc.gov)
Harold Furchgott-Roth (hfurchtg at fcc.gov)
Michael Powell (mpowell at fcc.gov)
Gloria Tristani (gtristan at fcc.gov)

[ It is recommended that you send a note to each commisioner
individually ]
   
Federal Communications Commission
445 12 Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

Thanks!

--- Doug

BTW, here is an article from a recent WSJ...

BATTLE OF THE AIRWAVES
Issue: Microradio

What do a Hispanic pastor, an alternative musician, a New Jersey policeman,
and some blind cooks have in common? They all are eager to explore the
possibilities of microradio. The FCC is considering a proposal to license a
new class of small, low-power radio stations. While the cost of operating a
full scale radio station is prohibitively expensive for most individuals,
less than $1,000 is needed to get a mircoradio station up and running.
Diverse communities nationwide have exhibited interest in obtaining
low-power licenses, but existing broadcasters have pledged to put a fight to
prevent new stations from infringing on their turf. With help from powerful
allies in Congress, the National Association of Broadcasters has managed to
temporally block further FCC action to opening up the radio spectrum to
community and neighborhood voices.

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Kathy Chen]
<http://wsj.com/>



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