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The Local Community Radio Act in the Homestretch
Wednesday, 27 January 2010


In our fight to pass the Local Community Radio Act, every victory we celebrate comes with a new hurdle to overcome.  On December 16, 2009 the Local Community Radio Act was launched out of the House of Representatives with unanimous bipartisan support.  Now, the Senate version (S592), which has already passed out of Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, must pass the full Senate to be placed on the President's desk this Spring.

The bill still needs to be officially reported and filed—a bureaucratic process that should take only days,  particularly because this is the third session in a row that the legislation has unanimously cleared Committee.  In the recent healthcare debate, much attention has been paid to the slow-moving, complex inner workings of the Senate. We are no exception. As we wait for a full Senate vote, we are looking to the leadership of cosponsors Senator Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to move the bill forward. The Local Community Radio Act (S592) also includes the Snowe Amendment and the Lautenberg Amendment.

Read more...
 
Reflections on LPFM's House victory from longtime Prometheus rockstar Hannah Sassaman
Thursday, 17 December 2009

Low Power FM Passes the House of Representatives!

by Hannah Sassaman

A number of people have asked me to do a little bit of writing on a big moment for community media justice — the passage of the low power FM radio bill out of the House of Representatives last night.

The bill was brought to the house floor for the very first time on December 16th — directly after the joyful and bipartisan introduction of a resolution to honor A. Phillip Randolphorganizer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and a lion of the labor and civil rights movements.

Randolph believed in community media as a vital tool to build the movement for economic and racial justice.  In 1917, he founded The Hotel Messenger — a magazine that fearlessly espoused the political vision and personal stories of a community suffering greatly under class and racial discrimination and brutality.  The paper exposed corruption in uniform sales to sidewaiters in New York and regularly told worker and community stories.  He used his movement and his paper to plan visionary marches on Washington for fair employment and civil rights, and to engage in a rhetoric of change that rose above partisan argument:

“Our aim is to appeal to reason, to lift our pens above the cringing demagogy of the times… Patriotism has no appeal to us; justice has.  Party has no weight with us, principle has.  Loyalty is meaningless; it depends on what one is loyal to.”

That’s the kind of media that we need now – media that rises above a ‘cringing demagogy’ that oppresses rather than liberates us.  What an honor for the bill to expand Low Power FM to be brought to the floor the same day as Randolph’s resolution.

Read more...
 
Local Community Radio Act Clears House of Representatives
Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Local Community Radio Act Clears House of Representatives Without Opposition from Commercial Broadcasters

Washington, DC – The Local Community Radio Act passed the House of Representatives Wednesday evening with a resounding voice vote and now moves to the Senate. The bill will open the airwaves for hundreds of new non-commercial stations across the country, bringing low power radio to urban areas for the first time.
Read more...
 
House Vote Postponed...
Tuesday, 15 December 2009

The Local Community Radio Act House vote is postponed until tomorrow. Check back in the morning for the latest! We've waited 9 years, I suppose we can wait one more night...

 
Local Community Radio Act is on deck TOMORROW!!
Monday, 14 December 2009

The Local Community Radio Act is on the House suspension calendar for Tuesday, December 15 at 10 a.m. We need 2/3 majority for it to pass. Call your representative now to ensure its safe passage!

 
Urgent: Help the Local Community Radio Act Jump Through The Flaming Hoop of Congress!
Friday, 11 December 2009

 This is it! Legislators are getting ready to go home for the holidays, and since they tend to argue all year long, they do a lot of the actual bill passing each year between now and December 18, when they leave Washington.

Since the Local Community Radio Act has passed all of its committees, the House and Senate can pass it at any moment, if we can just get it on the agenda for next week.

Take The Leap Now! Here's How:

Call your Representative’s office and ask to speak to the staff person who covers telecom issues. After that, do the same when you call your Senators.

To find out your elected official's name, contact info, the name of their telecom staffer, and whether they support the bill, go to Free Press or call Prometheus at 215-727-9620. Either by phone or on voicemail, tell the Congressional staffer something like:

“I am a constituent of [Politician X] and I am calling to urge him/her to support the Local Community Radio Act, HR1147 and S592, which expands the Low Power FM radio service, creating new opportunities for local media in our community. Can I count on [Politician X] to help get this bill passed?”

Even if your Representative or Senator supports the bill, your call will remind them to make sure that our bill gets decided this week. Afterwards, let us know how your call went by posting on our facebook event and you’ll be entered to win a free bag of Prometheus goodies , including a book, a t-shirt, stickers, and more! Thanks to everyone for helping to bring low power to the people!

 
Local Community Radio Act Sails through Senate Committee
Thursday, 19 November 2009

The Local Community Radio Act (S 592) was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation today. The bill has been moving swiftly in the last few months in both the House and Senate and looks poised to pass this congressional session. 

Click here to read the whole press release! 

 
Today! Senate Markup and Committee Vote on the Local Community Radio Act!
Thursday, 19 November 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY
November 17, 2009

WHO: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

WHAT: Markup and Committee Vote on S 592, The Local Community Radio Act (LCRA)

WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2009, at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Senate Russell Building, Room 293, Washington, D.C.

WHY: The Local Community Radio Act would allow for hundreds of new, non-commercial radio stations around the country. These independent community stations are run by non-profit organizations such as schools, churches, emergency responders, and neighborhood groups.

The Local Community Radio Act, co-sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), has passed the Senate Committee twice before.  However, this time the Senate bill is accompanied by a House version of the bill, HR 1147, which recently passed the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet and the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the first time. This greatly increases the Act’s chances for passage in this legislative session.

 
Prometheus is looking for a Technical and Training Organizer to join our staff!
Thursday, 19 November 2009

The Technical and Training Organizer will work in conjunction with our Station Support Coordinator and Community Radio Organizer to provide engineering and station construction support to new and existing participatory radio stations. Candidates must be self-motivated and capable of working in collaborative settings with volunteers, interns and other staff.

The demystification of radio technologies and FCC processes is central to Prometheus’s work.  Therefore, we are looking for a person who is a both a skilled technician and an enthusiastic trainer.  This organizer is expected to create an environment where people who are new to radio can enjoy learning through collaboration and skill-sharing. This is an exciting position for someone who values sharing knowledge, thinking big, and building stuff. 

READ THE FULL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT


 

 
Local Community Radio Act is Fast-Moving in Congress!
Monday, 16 November 2009

Building on the unanimous passage out of the Energy & Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives, the Senate version of the legislation will be moving forward this week. On Thursday, November 19 the Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation will vote on the Local Community Radio Act, taking an important step forward towards passage.


 
Watch Prometheus on Democracy Now!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009

 

Click here to read the full interview transcript. 

 
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