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.

2010 began in the throes of combatative partisanship and a supreme court ruling that further deregulates corporate campaign donations, giving corporate interests and corporate media more power in government.  But, we will not give in. We've seen grassroots supporters take action and make their voices heard, helping push the Local Community Radio Act out of the House of Representatives. We're going to keep fighting and see this thing through to the end. 

S592 must be voted out of the Senate and signed by the President this year, or thousands of community groups across the country will lose out on the opportunity to have low power FM radio stations. 

Just as you all helped to make 2009 the year of an unprecedented victory for the Community Radio Act, we need you all to stick with us and make 2010 the year that we bring Low Power to the People!

Stay tuned; we will soon be calling on you all to take action.  In the meantime, talk to your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and families.  Ask your Senator how they will vote, and remind them to support S592.  Make a radio show, a video, or  an article about the fight to take the airwaves from the powerful, and build grassroots networks of alternative participatory local community radio.