NP re control of media by corporate interests

[Doug Millison]

>Delivered-To: millison at dnai.com
>Approved-By: phart at FAIR.ORG
>Date:         Thu, 28 Sep 2000 12:34:21 -0400
>Reply-To: fair-l-request at LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
>Sender: "media analysis, critiques and news reports"
>               <FAIR-L at LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>
>From: FAIR-L <FAIR-L at FAIR.ORG>
>Subject:      [FAIR-L] ACTION ALERT: Low Power Radio in Jeopardy in Senate
>To: FAIR-L at LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
>Status:  U
>
>                                  FAIR-L
>                     Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
>                Media analysis, critiques and news reports
>
>
>
>
>
>ACTION ALERT:
>Low Power Radio in Jeopardy in Senate
>
>September 28, 2000
>
>In what was widely seen as a victory for media and community activists, the
>Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last January approved a plan to
>license low power (or "micro") radio stations in many areas of the country.
>The FCC planned to begin the licensing process for non-commercial radio
>stations operating between 10 and 100 watts.
>
>However, an intense lobbying effort by the National Association of
>Broadcasters (NAB), National Public Radio (NPR) and others in the broadcast
>industry now threatens to severely restrict-- or eliminate-- low power
>radio. Last May, FAIR released an Action Alert calling on concerned citizens
>to oppose S.2068, a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) that
>would have prohibited all low power radio. While that bill failed to gain
>sufficient support to pass, a new anti-low power bill, S.3020, was
>introduced on September 7 by Sen. Rod Grams (R-Minn.). S.3020 is
>misleadingly titled the "Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000."
>
>Sen. Grams is touting his bill as a compromise, but in fact it is identical
>to an earlier bill, HR3439, which passed the House of Representatives in
>April and would severely curtail and delay the FCC's plan to issue low power
>radio licenses. Both bills would reduce the number of possible low-power
>stations by about 80 percent and require a new round of technical tests that
>many public interest groups deem unnecessary.
>
>According to the Media Access Project, a non-profit law firm which works to
>promote First Amendment rights, S.3020 would also "effectively prohibit most
>low power FM stations" by requiring unnecessarily large spaces on the dial
>between them and existing stations, "making LPFM impossible in all but the
>least crowded radio markets."
>
>The Senate is expected to debate S.3020 very soon. The NAB is also lobbying
>for HR3439 to be added to an appropriations bill in the House as a rider--
>essentially sneaking the legislation in and making it more difficult for
>senators to vote against it. Jim May, NAB executive vice president of
>government relations, recently wrote in a "Broadcaster Alert" to NAB station
>executives that "given all the political maneuvering in Washington prior to
>the November elections," an appropriations bill would be NAB's "best vehicle
>for us to move our legislation" (About.com,
>http://pirateradio.about.com/tvradio/pirateradio/library/weekly/aa091200a.ht
>m ).
>
>ACTION: If you support low power radio, it is crucial that you contact your
>senator as soon as possible and urge them to oppose S.3020, and to oppose
>the NAB's attempt to sneak in HR3439 as an appropriations rider. You might
>also urge your senator to allow the FCC's low power plan to proceed without
>legislative interference.
>
>To locate your senator's e-mail address, go to:
>http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index_by_state.cfm
>
>The Senate switchboard number is 202-224-3121.
>
>As always, please remember that your comments are taken more seriously if
>you maintain a polite tone. Please cc your correspondence to fair at fair.org
>
>For more information, please see:
>
>Media Access Project's resources on low power activism (includes a sample
>letter):
>http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/lpfm/urgactn.html
>
>FCC: "Frequently Asked Questions About Low-Power FM Radio"
>http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/prd/lpfm/lpfmfaq.html
>
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