PHILADELPHIA – On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued its long-awaited verdict in Prometheus Radio Project v. the Federal Communications Commission, rejecting the FCC’s attempt to further deregulate media ownership. The Court threw out FCC rules that would have allowed one company to own a newspaper and broadcast stations in the same market. The Court also upheld the FCC’s other limits on local broadcast ownership, and agreed with Prometheus and other public interest groups that the FCC failed to consider the impact of its rules on women and people of color.

"We won on almost every point. This decision is a vindication of the public's right to have a diverse media environment,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman of Media Access Project, who argued the case on behalf of Prometheus.

This is the second major victory this year for the Prometheus Radio Project, whose ten-year effort to pass legislation expanding community radio succeeded when President Obama signed the bipartisan Local Community Radio Act into law on January 4. The law will result in thousands of new community radio stations, and the FCC will be accepting applications for stations as early as next summer.

 Prometheus Staffer Brandy Doyle participated in a panel discussion at New America Foundation (NAF) on Community Media: A Full Spectrum Future.  Details about the event and a link to the video transcript can be found here.

After three years of grassroots, volunteer labor, WGXC: Hands-On Radio is set to begin broadcasting on the strongest non- commercial signal in Columbia and Greene counties

By Josh Potter

story from: http://metroland.net/features.html

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.