Sample Letter on Expanding Low Power FM The keys to a successful letter to Congress. • Make a specific demand and do it right away.
These are busy folks. The first sentence of your letter, while cordial, should lay out the specific action you want them to take. For instance, we want to repeal the Radio Preservation Act of 2000. • Do your homework and offer praise when it applies.
If your Member of Congress has spoken out or voted correctly on this
issue in the past, acknowledge that record, thank them, and ask them to
do more. Not sure how your Senator or Congressperson voted?
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and we'll find out for you. • Make one or two key points in support of your position and offer background.
Boil the issue down to its essence. Low-power FM has been blocked
because of bogus interference claims. The Mitre Study clearly
demonstrates that those claims are unfounded. Low-power FM should be
reinstated to its original scope. • Just the facts, Ma'am.
If there are a few key supportable statistics, quotes, or studies, use
them to augment your argument. Avoid hot air, hyperbole, and
unsubstantiated claims. There are lots of facts available on this
website, and other resources we can point out to you.
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if you are looking for a particular kind of statistic to bolster your argument as you write your letter.
• Personalize the letter to his/her district.
If you are an Low Power FM applicant, briefly tell the member of
Congress how you planned to serve your community and how your plans
were stymied by this legislation. If you are a current broadcaster,
speak about how your station currently benefits the local culture,
economy, and freedom of speech. If you hope to apply for a station,
talk about how your station will make a difference in the current media
system, political environment, and society of your town and region. • Do your homework, and keep in touch.
Find out who the key legislative aide is on this issue. If there is an
important development, i.e. a bill is introduced -- and that may be
happening soon -- don't hesitate to call or fax that aide with the
latest information. • Keep your letter short.
As a general rule, keep your letter to one page. Remember, the average
Congressional office receives hundreds of letters and phone calls every
day on issues ranging from abortion to water projects to the war in
Iraq. Keep it brief and to the point -- and they are more likely to
read and listen! • Close by restating your main request, and ask for follow up.
How about a personal meeting when they are next in your home state?
Call the office to follow up on the letter.  | | | | | | |
Sample Letter to Senators on Expanding LPFM
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The Honorable _________________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator ______________ My name is _____, and I am a representative of ________ {insert
name of group here, perhaps say a bit about the aims and goals of your
group, its length of time in the community, etc.}. I am writing today to urge you to repeal the Radio Preservation Act of 2000.
The Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000 was a piece of special
interest legislation slipped in as a rider to an appropriations bill.
In January of 2000, the Federal Communications Commission established
the new Low Power FM radio service, in order to provide totally
non-commercial, locally-oriented broadcast opportunities to communities
across the country. The idea behind the initiative was to increase
diversity on our airwaves by giving a new voice to local community
organizations, churches, and non-profit groups. As a result of the FCC
initiative, there are now dozens of new, legally operating low-power FM
stations serving predominantly rural communities around the nation.
This is an incredible success story but it is only a partial success. In
December of 2000, Congress -- under intense pressure from established
broadcasters -- slipped the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act into a
'must-pass' appropriations rider to the federal burget, gutting the
original Low Power FM Radio (LPFM) service. What did the act do?
Basically, the act claimed that LPFM stations would interfere with
existing full-power radio stations, and that the implementation of the
service should be limited. As a result of this act, almost 75% of the
opportunities for new LPFM stations were destroyed. The service was
established, but only in a very limited version of its original scope.
Urban areas and minorities were hit hardest by the results of the Radio
Broadcasting Preservation Act. Part of the
"Radio Preservation Act" mandated an independent study to see if these
claims of potential were legitimate. The resulting study, conducted by
the Mitre Corporation and released in July 2003, found no significant
interference problems from the newly operating low-power FM stations
licensed by the FCC. The Mitre Corporation even went so far as to
recommend that the LPFM service be returned to its original scope! And,
just this year, the FCC made its recommendation to Congress -- it is
time to expand Low Power FM and bring these important radio stations to
the people of the United States. Can I count
on you, as my elected representative, to fight for the expansion of
community radio? Are you willing to introduce such legislation to bring
Low Power to our community, or to be a co-sponsor? Community
radio is not an issue of the left or the right. The thousands of people
currently enjoying and working for Low Power FM represent churches,
schools, minority groups, and span the whole political spectrum. This
is an issue of allowing local community groups to have their voices on
their own local airwaves. Please let me know if I can count on your
support in Congress. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, | | | | | | | | A More Detailed Example! The
above letter provides a great introduction to the issue but what if you
are a group whose application has been held up by the Radio
Preservation Act? Here's how Glenn from Minnesota made expanding
low-power FM a local issue.
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