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| <nettime> FW: Microradio |
date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 08:33:30 -0500 to: [email protected] from: Barry Forbes <[email protected]> subject: Policy Update: Microradio Last Thursday, January 7, 1999, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman William E. Kennard, released the 1999 FCC Agenda. One of the FCC"s priority for ensuring broad access to communications services and technology will be to "Open low-power radio frequencies for local use." (For more information, see the full FCC 1999 Agenda at http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/Statements/stwek901.html) Low power radio, also known as "microradio," has mostly been used for weather and traffic advisories. However, it can be an exciting new tool that could, among other things, open up entrepreneurial opportunities for minorities and women, provide a new medium that will put members of local communities in touch with one another; and create a source of information that would serve individuals who would like to participate more actively in government decision-making. Chairman Kennard stated his intentions clearly at the October 16, 1999, meeting of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Radio Convention in Seattle: "I also need your input on ways that we can manage the spectrum more efficiently and create more opportunities to use the public airwaves. I am talking about microradio. As I have travelled around the country, I talk to many, many people who want to use the airwaves to speak to their communities -- churches, community groups, universities, small businesses, minority groups. There is a tremendous need for us to find ways use the broadcast spectrum more efficiently so that we can bring more voices to the airwaves. We are seriously evaluating proposals for a new microradio service. I believe that we have an obligation to explore ways to open the doors of opportunity to use the airwaves, particularly as consolidation closes those doors for new entrants." (For more information, see the full text at http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/spwek832.html .) Clearly, Chairman Kennard is committed to this new service, but he needs, and has asked for, our help. The Civil Rights Forum is supporting and assisting with the work of the Media Access Project (MAP.) We hope to launch a grassroots campaign in support of opening microradio to a diversity of voices. The campaign will include letters and phone calls to members of Congress, particularly those who sit on committees that oversee the FCC. Later in January, MAP will be sending a letter that will call for FCC action in support of microradio. We also hope to gain some positive press coverage at that time. We will keep you informed about these plans in the next few weeks as the FCC decides how to proceed. For more information from the Civil Rights Forum, please see http://www.civilrightsforum.org/microradio.htm . In the meantime, please take a few moments to review MAP's briefing paper, "Microradio Matters to All of Us" (below) and spread the word to your constituients and communities. If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact MAP's Cheryl Leanza at (202) 232-4300 or the Civil Rights Forum's Barry Forbes at (202) 887-0301 or [email protected]. Thank you! Mark Lloyd, Executive Director Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy ---------------------------------------------- Microradio Matters to All of Us What is Microradio? The current Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Bill Kennard, is considering creating a whole new type of radio service. Unlike the current centrally-programmed stations that sound the same no matter what part of the country they are located, this service would be intensely local. A radio license would be available to entrepreneurs, community groups, high schools, labor unions, and churches, and anyone who would like to reach out to a small geographically-concentrated group of individuals. How can we use Microradio? Organizations and individuals could use microradio stations in many ways. For example, a union could reach out to a plant or a small town to provide information to its members or potential members. Immigrant groups could broadcast in foreign languages and provide English language instruction. Residents of a public housing project could share information regarding neighborhood services. Churches could broadcast religious services to homebound individuals in the local vicinity. Senior centers could reach their members who cannot travel to the center. City governments could transmit council meetings and mass transit updates. Groups that work with young people could operate a station, allowing teen-agers to run radio shows and simultaneously obtain technical and artistic training that will prepare them for a career in broadcasting. Entrepreneurs could inexpensively start stations to deliver advertising from community-based businesses. The possibilities are limited only by the creativity of the individuals using and listening to microradio. Why do we need Microradio? We are all affected by the nation's mass media. As that media becomes less reflective of the diverse citizens of this nation, we all lose. As that media becomes divorced from their local surroundings, we become more disenfranchised from our government and from our communities. Although there are tremendous and important efforts by current community radio broadcasters all across America, they cannot bring all the voices who wish to speak on the air, and there are many communities where no such stations have been established. What can we do to support Microradio? Politically, public demonstrations of support are critical in the next month. Contact members of Congress expressing support of microradio and ask your grass roots membership to do the same. Media Access Project is drafting a joint letter from citizens' groups demonstrating broad-based support for Microradio that will be sent in early January 1999. Signing on to this letter will be another important way to obtain press coverage and to demonstrate grass-roots support for microradio. What's wrong with the current system? Over the last decade, broadcasters successfully lobbied Congress and the FCC to end most limits on radio ownership. During that time, a handful of large corporations, each owning hundreds of stations, have transformed radio from our most local medium, substituting national management for local decision-making, eliminating newscasts, and imposing bland cookie-cutter program formats. The consolidation weakens our democracy. Without locally owned and programmed outlets, citizens cannot learn about important issues in their communities, they do not know what questions are being discussed in their city council meetings, or being debated by the members of their local school boards. Without that basic information, citizens are unable to participate in civic life, and their views go unheeded by our elected leaders. Concentrated ownership reinforces the economic barriers keeping women and minorities from entering the broadcast industry, both as professionals and as owners. Corporate consolidation also marginalizes certain Americans in other ways. Commercial radio is dependent on advertisers, who have been known to assume, as the FCC has recently demonstrated, that Hispanic and African-American viewers and listeners are undesirable audiences. Because they cannot obtain advertising revenue for serving certain demographic groups, commercial stations frequently overlook these audiences. Corporate consolidation magnifies this problem because absentee owners are less likely to know the community they serve and thus are less likely to see beyond simplifying stereotypes when making programming decisions. Consequently, a listener will be lucky to find, in an entire week in any given city, more than a few hours of blues and jazz music, poetry rooted in a religious tradition, or foreign-language news. Who could be against Microradio? Unfortunately, almost everyone who has an FCC radio license now. Besides arguing that the current system does serve the needs of the American public, opponents claim that is it not possible to design a service that would not interfere with current licensees and stealing their listeners. These claims are misplaced. First, neither the FCC nor microradio advocates favor a new service that causes conflicts between full-power stations and microradio stations. Advances in radio technology are making it easier for listeners to tune into stations with more precision and less expensive for new broadcasters to get on the air. Second, microradio will serve the listeners the current broadcasters have ignored. In areas where broadcasters provide a truly local service with opportunities for community members to obtain air time, it is likely that the demand for microradio stations will be small. In addition, the current coterie of community broadcasters will likely find new sources of support and patronage if they choose to furnish expertise and assistance to new microradio broadcasters. Why should we get involved? The opportunity to create microradio will not come again. FCC Chairman Kennard has a strong commitment to creating opportunities in the broadcast industry for all Americans. Chairman Kennard recognizes the great untapped potential of microradio. He has asked for support from the people who will use this service to assist him in persuading others of its merits. To do this, members of Congress and the other FCC commissioners must hear from listeners who are not well served by the current radio offerings, and from speakers who cannot get on the air. Support from outside traditional communications activists is also important because the most vocal constituency supporting microradio has its origin in the so-called "pirate radio" movement. Rightfully or not, because "pirate" broadcasters operate radio stations without a license from the FCC, they are viewed as scofflaws by the communications regulatory community. Support from other thoughtful, well-respected policy advocates is critical part of demonstrating the wide-ranging uses that will be made of microradio licenses if the FCC takes the steps necessary to make them available. Contact: Cheryl A. Leanza, Staff Attorney, Media Access Project (202) 232-4300. ____________________________________________ Barry Forbes, Dir. of Community Programs Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy 818 18th St, NW, #505, Washington DC 20006 Voice: 202-887-0301 Fax: 202-887-0305 Web: http://www.civilrightsforum.org __________________________________________________________ The Virtual Community Mailing List Technology, Design, Social Effects http://admin.gnacademy.org:8001/uu-gna/text/vc/gna-vc.html "The Medium Is the Message" Marshall McLuhan __________________________________________________________ --- # distributed via nettime-l : no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a closed moderated mailinglist for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: [email protected] and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/ contact: [email protected]