Our Cities, Our Airwaves: Tell the FCC that our cities and towns need community radio!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On July 12, 2011, the FCC asked the public to comment on a plan to expand community radio and allow new stations in urban areas.

Let policy makers know that your city needs local, diverse voices on the air by taking this e-action!   Or download our letter writing tips and write your own letter to the FCC to tell them why you need community radio in your city or town. 

Want more information? 

Translating the Translators - This page explains the FCC's recently released plan in more depth.

What happens in your city? - A list of cities with an explanation of what the plan means in each place.  

Thanks to the recent passage of the bipartisan Local Community Radio Act, there will soon be an opportunity to build low power FM community radio stations across the nation, and for the first time, in urban areas. Before the FCC can allocate open channels to new community stations, they must first address a backlog of thousands of pending applications for translators which are radio transmitters that repeat the signal of existing stations. The way the FCC handles this will determine whether urban schools, churches, and non-profit organizations will have access to low power radio.
 
Prometheus and our allies fought for ten years to pass this law because we wanted to see vibrant community radio in all of our communities. Show the FCC that this is still our priority, and join us in calling for a resolution of these pending translator applications that gives community groups in urban areas a chance at the airwaves. These are our cities, our airwaves!

Take action!

There are two ways you can tell the FCC you care about community radio. 

Submit a petition letter to your elected officials and the FCC through the Media and Democracy Coalition website. 

Or you can go more in depth, and write the FCC your own letter describing the need for local radio in your community, and tell them why you support preserving space for LPFM channels. Download our letter writing tips for ideas about writing and easy intstructions for submitting your letter online, and get in touch if you have any questions.

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RadioSummer PSAs

Media justice activists won a ten-year long campaign in December 2010 to pass the Local Community Radio Act. The new law mandates the government to expand the Low Power FM (LPFM) service, creating the potential for thousands of new community radio station licenses across the country like your own!

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Local Community Radio Act Passes: Your Help Needed to Make a Thousand New Radio Stations Bloom

The New Year ushered in a new era for community radio.  President Obama signed the Local Community Radio Act into law, allowing for the biggest expansion of community radio stations in U.S. history and allowing low-power, neighborhood based stations to broadcast in urban areas for the first time. Hundreds of groups waiting for radio stations were ecstatic at the news.

A day later, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission pledged "swift action to open up the dial for these new stations." In the coming months, the FCC will be working to develop the rules for an application window for new radio licenses, which could happen as early as November 2011.

Just in the past few weeks, Prometheus has been contacted by hundreds of groups wanting to start a station, adding to the many hundreds who have been waiting and advocating for more radio licenses for ten years.  Prometheus is planning a nationwide campaign to help groups apply for licenses and is seeking donations, volunteers, and partners from media and social justice organizations to assist with outreach. Learn how to get involved. 

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Let the radio station building begin! How you can help make more radio.

Now that we have passed the Local Community Radio Act, we are looking ahead to the largest expansion in the number of community radio stations in US history. Let the fun begin! We are ramping up our organization and convening a coalition to help get these new radio station licenses in the hands of groups wanting to start local, participatory stations.

So you want to start a station …

The best community radio stations are participatory, engaged locally, and serve their communities with a clear mission. They are led by a coalition of groups, strong leaders within the community, and have a dedicated group of volunteers. Even though you can't apply for a new radio station until the FCC takes applications, which may be a year away, there are many things you can do in the meantime to organize your community and plan your station.

We strongly suggest holding a meeting to begin mapping out a plan for community involvement. What communities in your area lack a voice in local media? What issues are underrepresented? Who are the people and organizations you want to engage? By finding out what kind of radio will be relevant to those you'd like to serve, you can start building listeners even before you build your station.

Since the FCC hasn't yet released the new rules for the low power FM (LPFM) service, it's too early to begin picking a location or to know what channels are available in your community. We do know that these license will be available only to non-commercial entities, including non-profit organizations, schools, churches, emergency responders, and local governments. If you aren't associated with a non-profit organization, look for organizations locally that might make good partners.

If you have any other questions about how to start a station, fill out the "Want to start a radio station?" form here: http://prometheusradio.org/want_to_start_a_station. Once the form is completed, we will add you to our list for updates and news.

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Tell the Senate: Last Chance to Expand Community Radio Nationwide!

We’re almost there!! Call your Senator NOW and ask them to make sure they expand community radio to your neighborhood!

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