The Road To LPFM Victory

We are thrilled to report that the Communications, Technology and Internet Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee will be holding a hearing on HR 1147, the Local Community Radio Act, on Thursday, June 11 at 10 am.

In this Congressional hearing, a panel will testify before the House Subcommittee, including LPFM supporter and Prometheus Board Member, Cheryl Leanza. This is a thrilling and critical step towards passage of the Local Community Radio Act, a battle that Prometheus has been fighting for a number of years. With the passage of the Local Community Radio Act, there will be space on the dial for hundreds, potentially thousands more non-commercial Low Power FM radio stations. At Prometheus, we are eager to get back to the work of building more LPFM stations and getting more local and progressive voices on the airwaves!

The Prometheus Radio Project is a small non-profit among many well-funded media giants; we count on our allies and friends to support our work; to build a network of LPFM radio stations to empower community voices, create participatory media, and support movements for social change. Please consider making a donation today, on the occasion of this exciting milestone!

Background:
HR 1147, also known as the Local Community Radio Act, would give power back to the FCC to license LPFMs on the third adjacency, which is how the service was originally conceived in 2000. But due to the passage of the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act in 2000, Congress pushed LPFMs to 4th adjacent channels due to fears of possible interference with FP stations.

The MITRE study, commissioned by Congress to study possible interference and published in 2003, showed that in fact there would not be interference by LPFMs on 3rd adjacent channels, denying many of the fears raised in the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act.

HR 1147 is a simple, bipartisan bill that validates the original FCC research on appropriate spacing for LPFMs and puts into effect the recommendations of the MITRE study. In the House, it is currently in the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, introduced by Representatives Doyle and Terry, with 54 cosponsors and in the Senate is Commerce Committee with lead sponsors, Senators Cantwell and McCain.