It took ten years, but they finally passed the act that will allow community radio to get a foothold in the community. This is really exciting, and just about anyone who can scrape together a few thousand bucks can pull it off:
Little noticed but extremely important to progressives, on Saturday afternoon Congress also passed the Local Community Radio Act.This legislation opens up radio spectrum to hundreds, if not thousands, of local independent radio stations (also known as LPFM).
Its passing will bring new choices and voices on the radio dial nationwide, but is especially relevant to a broadcast area reaching 160 million people who lived in areas where these stations had previously been barred from local airwaves.
Anyone tracking the rise of radio personalities like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage understands the primary political significance of gaining access to spectrum.
With the opening of the airwaves to LPFM stations, progressives can gain a small but consequential spot on the radio dial. The challenge now is to organize local groups to gain access to licenses. Follow and support the Prometheus Radio Project to learn more.
