A diverse coalition of Low Power Radio supporters thanked President Clinton today for his support of the FCC's Low Power FM radio initiative and encouraged him to continue fighting for the issue during the ongoing budget negotiations.
The Federal Communications Commission passed rules in January 2000 that paved the way for hundreds of community-based, non-commercial FM radio licenses to be made available for local governments, churches, educational institutions and community groups. To date, the FCC has received over 1,300 applications from the first 20 states eligible to apply for the stations.
Before the election, Congress passed a Commerce Justice State appropriations bill that included a rider to drastically curtail the number of noncommercial radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. In a letter to congressional leaders, President Clinton singled out LPFM as a reason he planned to veto the bill. To date, Congress has not sent the White House the bill for his signature or veto, and advocates hope the Clinton Administration will stand firm on the issue.
"As leaders of public interest, religious, and civil rights organizations, we are particularly concerned that we gain an opportunity to improve the level of media discourse by adding our voices to those already on the airwaves," the leaders wrote. "Claims that interference will harm current broadcasts are a red herring that fly in the face of rigorous technical analysis submitted to, and conducted by, the Federal Communications Commission."