Washington, DC – July 11, 2009 – The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet held a hearing on the Local Community Radio Act (H.R. 1147), legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Mike Doyle (PA-14) and Lee Terry (NE-2) that would allow thousands of community radio stations across the country to begin broadcasting.

In his opening statement, Congressman Doyle said, “In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission started to create new community radio stations, run by local schools, churches, community groups and governments.  They did this because their mission from Congress is not to help entrenched lobbies, but to make sure that as many Americans as possible have access to the public’s airwaves to fulfill a basic human need – the right to communicate.  But responding to broadcasters’ concerns, Congress called time out and asked for an independent study to examine the issue.  The premise of Congress’ decision to order the study was that if the study confirmed the FCC’s findings, Congress would remove its prohibition on the FCC, and allow it to fully implement community radio.  The study came back, agreed with the FCC that these stations can be created without harming listeners.  And through two unanimous, bipartisan votes, the FCC has twice now recommended that Congress do so.   I am asking Congress to keep its part of the bargain.”

In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued rules that would have allowed the establishment of thousands of low-power FM (LPFM) radio stations across the country.  The FCC’s effort to promote diverse local voices on the radio dial was short-circuited by later that year when Congress enacted “the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act.”  This legislation compelled the FCC to issue LPFM licenses only to low-power radio stations that were at least 4 intervals on the radio dial away from existing full-power stations – ostensibly out of concern that the new stations would cause interference with the existing stations’ signals, but effectively banning low-power FM stations from the 50 largest media markets in the country.  This legislation also required an independent study of how much separation was required to ensure that existing full-power signals weren’t, in fact, compromised.  The study required by the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act, which was completed in 2003, concluded that reducing the separation between radio transmission frequencies to three spaces on the radio dial wouldn’t cause interference with existing broadcast signals.

The Local Community Radio Act would repeal the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act’s requirement that radio stations in a given market be 4 intervals apart.  They believe that reducing the required space between radio stations will allow thousands of new community-based LPFM stations across the country to begin broadcasting, dramatically increasing the diversity and community-orientation of radio programming across the country – and exponentially increasing the ability of local governments to communicate important safety information to their communities in the event of terrorist attacks or natural disasters.  Identical legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

“It’s almost like incumbent broadcasters wrote the line that William Shakespeare actually wrote in Hamlet – ‘Give every man his ear, but few his voice,’” Congressman Doyle observed.  “Mister Chairman, we need to make sure that more Americans get a chance to exercise their voice.  We must pass my bill this year, and we must bring low power to the people.” 

A video of Congressman Doyle’s statement can be seen on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q9Kfg7D860.

A video of Congressman Doyle questioning witnesses at the hearing about the Local Community Radio Act can be seen on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihSowebyCT0&feature=PlayList&p=85572A96BD63DDA3&index=13

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