PRESS RELEASE:
At 8:00am CST on Nov. 30, student-controlled programming at KTRU 91.7fm in Houston was abruptly brought to an end by the administration of Rice University. This was done in response to a protest by student djs of
increased athletics broadcasting on KTRU. The incident in question was the broadcasting of music over the second half of Nov. 28th's basketball game. While not all djs agree with this course of action, it is clear that the majority believe that Rice athletics has no place on KTRU. KTRU has been controlled and run by the students of Rice University since its inception over 30 years ago. However, the consolidation of the radio market has increasingly left Rice athletics with fewer broadcast options. Over the past few years, the student management of KTRU has grudgingly ceded air time to Rice athletics in the hopes of reaching an acceptable compromise. Unfortunately, in the last few months the athletics department has proceeded to continue to push for more air time with the backing of the Rice administration.

KTRU holds an educational license from the FCC, and the students of KTRU take that concept very seriously, believing we have a role in the education of the audience as well as ourselves. We play a diverse assortment of music, focusing on underexposed genres and artists. We fail to see the educational value of broadcasting mainstream athletic events. In addition, the proposed increase in athletics programming is essentially being mandated by the administration of Rice University, with little to no regard for the traditions or opinions of KTRU.

We are sad to see this occur, but we believe in student control of KTRU. As one of the last bastions of free radio, we will continue to fight for what we believe.

Dennis Lee
Operations Manager
Hip-Hop Director
KTRU 91.7fm
hiphop@ktru.org
dlee@rice.edu

For more information on the history of KTRU:
http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/issues/88/00.10.27/current/feature/index.html

To express your concern, send comments to:
KTRU 91.7fm
Rice University
6100 S. Main St.
Houston, TX 77005

Springfield pirate radio operator Mbanna Kantako's station is off the air again, after federal officials on Thursday confiscated his equipment for the second time in two months.

U.S. marshals, acting on an order issued Thursday morning by U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott, removed all of the equipment Kantako had
been using to broadcast his "Human Rights Radio" station from his home at 1113 N. Fifth St.

Kantako said Thursday evening he plans to return to the airwaves despite the latest raid, but declined further comment. (see story link for details)

NAB's lawsuit against the FCC over LOW-POWER FM (LPFM) was addressed in the U.S. APPEALS COURT for the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA today. NAB lawyer DON VERRILLI mounted a legal challenge and lobbied against the commission's effort on CAPITOL HILL citing that the FCC failed to grasp the significant cost to FM listeners of implementing the service.
VERRILLI also mentioned that the FCC's eligibility requirements would unfairly prevent those who had once broadcast without a license from applying to run a new LPFM station. FCC GENERAL COUNSEL C. GREY PASH, JR. supports this claim by creating a new complaint procedure. It could take the appeals court several months to render a decision. The FCC's plan also faces congressional opposition.

U.S. Appeals Court To Hear LPFM Case Today (11/28)

In February the NAB had filed a two-page lawsuit against the FCC to stop low-power FM on the grounds that "it is arbitrary and capricious, and otherwise contrary to law." Today the judges will hear NAB lawyer Don Verrilli tell the court why the FCC, as NAB
President/CEO Eddie Fritts says, "has violated its most sacred trust to the American consumer [by turning] its back on spectrum
integrity." FCC General Counsel C. Grey Pash Jr. will argue in favor of LPFM licensing.

The U.S. Supreme Court is now considering whether to review the Institute for Justice's petition for certiorari on behalf of micro-broadcaster Alan Freed. This is the first micro-radio case to reach the Supreme Court for consideration. The petition raises a vital question: can the government seize a person's property without an opportunity for the accused to raise constitutional rights?

Insatiable consumer appetite for wireless phones, pagers, and handheld devices has made the nation's airwaves a dwindling resource. Looking for greater efficiency, federal regulators proposed rules that would allow companies to sublet frequencies licensed to them by the government.
If approved, the effort to create a secondary market would mark a sea change in how the government manages commercial use of the airwaves. Currently, a company must buy a license from the Federal Communications Commission to use radio spectrum for wireless or broadcast services. But the booming demand for frequencies has prompted regulators to look at ways to free up more space. Under the FCC's new proposal, companies holding licenses could lease out portions of unused airwaves to third parties without agency approval. Companies that hold government licenses would be responsible for ensuring that interference-protection rules are not violated by a user subleasing spectrum.
The FCC probably will vote in the first half of next year on whether to implement the changes.

This in via e-mail from Chris Maxwell of the Virginia Center of the Public Press:

Dear supporters of Low Power FM:

Radio Free Richmond wants to get on the air. You want to get on the air (and/or see others get on the air). We have created a video that we can customize to have YOUR group's name and contact information on it.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
We are updating it this weekend in light of changes (Congress coming back Dec5th, President Clinton's threatened veto, not yet carried through) WHAT IS DIFFERENT from the last time we offered the video is that now I have some money clear above my rent to pay for videotapes and mailing it to you.
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

You then give that to your local Cable Public Access TV "station" ...
And thousands of new people are educated about LPFM and about your group!!

And hopefully thousands of new people contact President Clinton and pressure him to keep his promise to veto the bill containing LPFM-Killing riders. And hopefully thousands of new people contact YOU to help you get on the air!

You can see the generic national version (that needs slight updating to
reflect the fact that Congress has gone into recess AGAIN but will be back to negotiate with Clinton on the LPFM-Killer rider) :
http://members.aol.com/wrfr/USLPFMSS.html .........


Sincerely, Christopher Maxwell
Secretary, Virginia Center for Public Press
Radio Free Richmond Project
LPFM Applicant for 92.7 in Richmond, Va.
1621 W Broad St.
Richmond, Va. 23220
Wrfr@aol.com
804-649-WRFR
wrfr@aol.com

The World’s First Public Access Pirate Radio Station Live On The Air NOW!

November 10, 2000---Minneapolis, USA

Twin Cities residents awoke to a pre-campaign discussion forum of an unusual sort Monday morning—a pirate radio station that allows the public to submit their own audio programming. Minneapolis’ infamous 2000 Flushes Pirate Radio emerged from years of inactivity to "flush away the past" and provide a first of it’s kind public forum for free speech.

Using the latest ASP and Shoutcast technology supplied by Minneapolis-based Meme Radio (memeradio.com) listeners are able to upload their own programming in MP3 format through the 2000 Flushes website (2000flushes.com). Upon uploading, the programming gets cued automatically into a playlist and re-broadcast to the entire Twin Cities area within minutes on 94.1 FM.

Chances are most people in the U.S. wake up to, shower to or drive by Clear Channel Communications every day. The largest owner of radio stations in the country, Clear Channel controls 900 local stations and 700,000 billboards. NOW, THE MEDIA giant intends to reach listeners through their Web browsers, too. In September the company announced the formation of the Clear Channel Internet Group. Although it didn’t give details, the message was unmistakable: Clear Channel wants to coordinate all its media properties to hold consumers from the morning drive through the workday to the evening commute.

A merger of German's Bertelsmann AG and British's EMI Group PLC would create the world's largest music group in recorded music sales, with nearly 25% of the global market... According to music industry officials and people close to the negotiations, a Bertelsmann-EMI deal would escape the sort of cross-deal inquiry that plagued the EMI-Warner linkup owing to Time Warner's planned merger with America Online, but would still reduce the number of music-industry majors to four from five... Both companies cautioned that there was "no assurance that a transaction will result." Though the music industry is holding its breath for word on a definitive deal between EMI and Bertelsmann, people close to EMI say a deal with Warner hasn't been ruled out.

Radio station operator Radio One Inc. said it has agreed to acquire Nash Communications Corp., which owns a Boston radio station, for roughly $5 million in cash and stock.
The transaction would bring Radio One's station tally to 51, 50 of which are located in 14 of the 20 largest African-American markets in the country. Radio One claims to be the largest U.S. radio broadcasting company primarily targeting African-American and urban listeners.

Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. said it agreed to buy the the assets of radio station KFSG-FM broadcasting at 96.3 MHz for $250 million in a move to expand its presence to four stations in Los Angeles, the No. 1 U.S. radio market
The cash deal to buy the station from International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a California non-profit religious corporation, is subject to conditions, including regulatory and antitrust approvals.

Today, at around noon, central Texas time, Free Radio Austin was taken off the air. This marks the second time in less than a month, that the unlicensed operators have had their equipment seized. John, the occupant of the house where the station had been relocated to in mid-October was home at the time. He explained that the DJ at the time had the door open when agents from the U.S. Marshalls, Austin police and FCC agent Lloyd Perry entered the property. The DJ was able to shut and lock the door before they entered the studio. He asked to see a warrant and they refused to produce one, even though they had one, so the Dj refused to open the door. He was able to hold them off for a few moments and make a call out to the community about the situation. The police then smashed a window on the side of the building and made entry. They proceeded to remove two turntables, a cd player, two tape decks, a mixer, a microphone, a 40 watt transmitter, an antenna, and a seventy foot pole, among other items. Approximately one hundred people from the community amassed on the street in front of the house.... The warrants left behind were out of the ordinary. Not only was the equipment listed, but it specifically named two individuals of the station, as well as, John and Mary Does 1-100. Free Radio Austin is now under a federal injunction from broadcasting at 97.1 fm.

KPFT management has fired George Reiter, producer of a new show called Thresholds, because he participated in yesterday's protest
to support "Democracy Now!" Hundreds of Pacifica listeners and staff participated in similar protests yesterday--including staff at KPFA and WBAI--but no one else lost their shows because of their participation.

Reiter, who is a professor of physics at the University of Houston, was called by KPFT Program Director Edmundo Resendez today and told that his show would be cancelled because of Reiter's participation in the protest. Reiter said that his show had been doing well since its inception six months ago; KPFT listeners say that he has one of the few progressive shows left on KPFT today.

The following letter was sent to Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) board members this week to announce ARD's MPR "Un-Pledge" Drive.

Dear MPR board members,

On behalf of Minneapolis-based Americans for Radio Diversity (ARD) - a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting community oriented public and commercial broadcasting - and the co-signers below, I am writing to you regarding the FCC's Low-Power FM (LPFM) initiative and MPR's position on the issue.

MPR, to my knowledge, has yet to address the current Minneapolis radio market and how it proves LPFM can work without the interference MPR alleges would occur.

The "K-Love" translator at 90.7FM broadcasts from the Wells Fargo building, the second tallest downtown building, and causes no interference to full power MPR station KNOW at 91.1FM. Not only is this translator (which is LPFM under another name) spaced closer to KNOW than even the LPFM rules allow, it does not interfere with KNOW or the reading for the blind sub-carrier service carried on KNOW's main carrier (interference concerns have purportedly been a major concern of MPR). We also observe that of Minnesota's 63 LPFM applicants, only one frequency was applied for in the noncommercial portion of the
band where most MPR stations and their reading services exist. MPR's silence about these issues leads us to question MPR's actual motives in its opposition to LPFM. While ARD et al. supports and enjoys much of the programming found on MPR, we must take exception to MPR's transformation into just another profit-maximizing media corporation. MPR's opposition to LPFM is clearly driven by the desire to protect the company's bottom line and is a disappointing departure from its charter to serve the public interest.

This position is based not only on LPFM but on a pattern of MPR behavior: revenue to expenditure ratios, the questionable sale
of member lists, the opposition to the launch of community radio station KFAI in the 1970s, the attempted takeover of KBEM during the same period, etc.

We will make special note of MPR's recent takeover of community/college station KPCC-FM in Pasadena, California After the takeover of KPCC, MPR proceeded to relieve all 20 of KPCC's community volunteer music programmers who were replaced by MPR's news and talk format and MPR's flagship program, "A Prairie Home Companion" (a show which has been available on another station in L.A. for some time). This action displayed a total disregard for the diversity of the local community and is in stark contrast to the Carnegie Commission Report, which led Congress to pass the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and which stated that public [broadcasting] programming 'can help us see America whole, in all its diversity,' serve as 'a forum for controversy and debate,' and 'provide a voice for groups in the community that may otherwise be unheard.'

In light of these facts and with much sadness we announce that we are launching a campaign to encourage individual and corporate donors to withhold funding of MPR until MPR fully addresses our concerns regarding their position on LPFM. As supporters of the original mission of MPR, we regret that it has come to this. Please feel free to contact us at any time to discuss the issues addressed in this letter as we wish to maintain an open dialog with your organization on media democracy issues. It is our hope that MPR can fully and fairly analyze these issues and follow the lead of Oregon Public Broadcasting
(OPB), KANW in Albuquerque and others by distancing itself from National Public Radio's position against LPFM.

Respectfully Yours,

Glenn Austin
for Americans for Radio Diversity (http://radiodiversity.com)
2355 Fairview Ave. #156
Roseville, MN 55113
612-874-6521

Alan Freed
for Beat Radio (http://beatworld.com)

Andrea Buffa
for the Media Alliance (http://media-alliance.org)

Andrea Vargas
for the Microradio Implementation Project (http://microradio.org)

Pete Tridish
for the Prometheus Radio Project (http://prometheus.tao.ca)

Americans for Radio Diversity Announces MPR Un-pledge Drive
for Immediate Release: Contact ARD at 612-874-6521
Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN -

Americans for Radio Diversity (ARD) and the co-sponsors listed below will be sponsoring a Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) un-pledge drive starting Nov. 10th. To kick off the drive there will be a rally in front of the MPR offices in St. Paul at 5pm that day. During the un-pledge drive we will be encouraging all past and current financial supporters (both individuals and businesses) of Minnesota Public Radio to withhold their donations in protest of MPR's continued efforts to overturn the FCC's creation of a Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service.

The new LPFM service is an effort by the FCC to provide local community groups, religious organizations, as well as ethnic and minority groups a voice in an increasingly consolidated radio market. In short, it is an effort to serve the local public interest. MPR, along with National Public Radio and the National Association of Broadcasters, has fought against LPFM with a series of disingenuous arguments about interference while ignoring numerous examples of just such a service peacefully coexisting with current stations.

By opposing LPFM they are attempting to keep local broadcasters off the air, and preserve the duopoly they and large corporations have on the nation's airwaves. This is an act unworthy of an organization itself formed to promote the public interest. The members of the organizations listed below do not relish taking this action against MPR. Many of us enjoy MPR's programming and have donated money to them in the past. We fought for them in 1995 when a Republican congress threatened to cut their funding and again in 1998 when they were criticized by Governor Ventura. We are very disappointed that MPR has now turned its back on its original mission to serve the public interest and seems to be operating like any other for-profit station trying to protect its market share.

Americans for Radio Diversity (http://radiodiversity.com) is a Minneapolis based non-profit organization who's mission is to promote community-oriented commercial and public radio broadcasting. The group was a participant in the proceeding that created the LPFM service, has been involved with the FCC's review of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and provides media and radio activists with news and action updates via its web site at http://radiodiversity.com.

Un-pledge drive co-sponsors:

Beat Radio (http://beatworld.com)
Media Alliance (http://media-alliance.org)
Microradio Implementation Project (http://microradio.org)
Prometheus Radio Project (http://prometheus.tao.ca)

A mugging has taken place on Capitol Hill, and its victims are free speech and diversity of the public airwaves. Using the warp and woof of a presidential election year as cover, a Halloween coalition of commercial broadcasters and National Public Radio have strong-armed a provision into a budget bill that would kill a nascent community radio initiative called "Low Power FM radio."