<nettime> U.S. LOW-POWER RADIO MAY NEVER GET ON THE AIR

[Drazen Pantic <drazen@location1.org>]

taken from [creative-radio] mailing list:


LOW-POWER RADIO MAY NEVER GET ON THE AIR
Issue: Low-Power

The future of a Federal Communications Commission program to establish up to
1,000 low-power FM community radio stations hangs in the balance as last
minute political wrangling between Congress and President Clinton continues
this week. Last January, the FCC created the low-power program to give
schools, churches and other non-profit groups a chance to serve their
communities through small local radio stations that would broadcast up to
3.5 miles away. Existing FM stations, however, are worried that the FCC's
plan would cause harmful interference to their signals. Now, the House and
Senate have approved a provision that would essentially stop the FCC's
low-power radio plan in its tracks. The provision has been tucked into a
sweeping government spending bill that Clinton is expected to veto. If the
bill is vetoed, it would open up a new round of negotiations between
Congress and the administration. And it's far from certain whether the
low-power program will survive in the final package after negotiations are
finished. FCC Chairman, William Kennard, has criticized Congress and
broadcasters for addressing the issue through a government spending bill
negotiated behind closed door. "All this is done in back rooms in the dark
of night,'' he said. ``The people who want lower power FM stations --
churches, schools and community groups -- are not at the table."

[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Heather Fleming Phillips]
(http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/front/docs/lowpow103000.htm)

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