WASHINGTON - June 10 - Rep. Rick Boucher, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, will hold a hearing on removing unfair restrictions placed on Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations. The bipartisan "Local Community Radio Act" (HR 1147) would create new opportunities for hundreds of low power, community radio stations in cities, towns and suburbs across the United States. The sponsors of this bipartisan legislation, Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Lee Terry (R-NE), have joined with community organizations, churches, and public safety officials from across the country in support of low power radio. The bill currently has 54 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

Low Power FM stations are community-based, noncommercial radio stations that broadcast to neighborhoods and small towns. LPFM licenses allow schools, churches, labor unions, local governments, emergency providers and other nonprofit groups to have a voice in their communities. In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began to issue LPFM licenses. However, soon after, Congress passed the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act, which drastically and unnecessarily limited the radio spectrum available to LPFM stations. Since then, thousands of applications submitted to the FCC have been dismissed because of these spectrum limitations. The Low Power Community Radio Act (HR 1147) would free up a fraction of the dial for low power radio, returning a portion of the publicly-owned airwaves to public use.

The hearing follows a June 5 ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in favor of the FCC and against the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), affirming the 2007 FCC decision to protect LPFM stations against "encroachment" by full power radio stations. Had the FCC not intervened, these low power stations would have been forced off the air by full power stations seeking to relocate. The Prometheus Radio Project, represented by Media Access Project attorney Parul Desai, intervened in the case on behalf of the FCC and the threatened LPFM stations.

During the last Congressional session, the "Local Community Radio Act" garnered much grassroots support, as well as nearly 100 cosponsors in the House. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and co-sponsored by then-Senator Barack Obama, unanimously passed out of the Commerce Committee. Cheryl Leanza, expert witness for the United Church of Christ (UCC), the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), and the Prometheus Radio Project, will testify on the importance of LPFM radio to churches and communities across the country.

"Ten years ago, the Federal Communications Commission first proposed a new low power radio service that would open up the airwaves to the people, and usher in a wave of dynamic, local, independent voices. The low power radio stations that have made it on the air are a testament to the diversity and ingenuity in this country," said Cheryl Leanza of the UCC. "If Congress passes the Local Community Radio Act of 2009, it will at last make it possible for most communities in America to truly reap the benefits of low power radio."

By holding the June 11 hearing, Chairman Boucher indicates a commitment to move this legislation toward mark-up. In Rep. Boucher's home district, the Southwest Virginia Community College hoped to include a student-run and community radio station in their new Learning Resources Center. Because of limitations that the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act placed on the FCC, their application was dismissed. HR 1147 would make it possible the Southwest Virginia Community College and similar groups nationwide to include radio, an inexpensive and accessible resource, in educational and community programs.

Public safety officials have endorsed Low Power FM because of the instrumental role that these stations have played during emergencies and natural disasters. During Hurricane Ike, many residents in Eastern Texas lost electricity for up to a week. Fortunately, some communities in the path of the storm had access to emergency information because of their local low power radio station. In Chalk Hill, Texas, residents used battery-powered radios to tune in to low power station KZQX-LP, which stayed on air because it could be powered by small generators. LPFM has been a crucial--and sometimes the only--source of emergency information during times of crisis.

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) advocates for HR 1147 because it would diversify media ownership, creating opportunities for underserved communities to own and control their own media outlets. At a policy briefing on April 23, 2009, the LCCR released a report entitled "Low Power Radio: Lost Opportunity or Success on the Dial?" The report concluded that "the FCC's Low Power FM initiative represents the best opportunity in years for diversity in radio broadcasting and ownership."

LPFM is also an important resource for supporting local music and emerging new artists. Local musicians with little chance of making commercial radio playlists get regular airtime on LPFM stations. Even established artists recognize the importance of good local radio: the Indigo Girls, Kronos Quartet, Saul Williams, and Jon Langford, among others, have submitted video testimonials to Future of Music Coalition's newly-launched "I Support Community Radio" campaign, viewable at www.futureofmusic.org.

With grassroots and bipartisan support behind the bill, advocates are optimistic about the future of low power radio.

"The Congressional Hearing on Low Power FM radio demonstrates commitment from Congress to undo the wrong that they did in 2000, when they limited this important service," said Cory Fischer-Hoffman, Campaign Director for the Prometheus Radio Project. "Congress must respond to the communities across the country who are demanding the right to use the public's airwaves to broadcast locally. Now is the time to pass HR 1147."

More statements in support of the Local Power Community Radio Act:   "Low Power FM radio expansion provides a crucial opportunity for increasing media access and diversity," said Candace Clement, campaign coordinator for Free Press. "The Local Community Radio Act will put community voices back on the airwaves, helping to repair the damage left by decades of consolidation on the broadcast dial."

"Media has always played a powerful role in our democracy. Low Power FM directly hands that power to our nation's most vulnerable and underrepresented members," said Amina Fazlullah, Legislative Counsel for US PIRG. "It's not just radio; it's a conduit that helps every day people connect to each other, connect to the greater community and connect to government."   "At a time of rampant consolidation when local voices have almost completely disappeared from the airwaves, low power FM provides an outlet where those community voices can be heard," said Shawn Campbell, President of the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP). "It's neither right nor left-it's "small 'd'" democratic. Everyone can support this bill."   "It's now beyond dispute that massive consolidation in commercial radio has all but eradicated localism and diversity on the public airwaves. Low Power FM represents an important opportunity for those with a love and respect for local broadcasting to serve their towns and cities," said Michael Bracy of Future of Music Coalition. "Future of Music Coalition knows just how important LPFM is to the artists who make up America's rich musical tapestry-from jazz to bluegrass to zydeco to indie rock. It's long past time for government to do the right thing and lift the unnecessary restrictions on LPFM for the benefit of communities, musicians and listeners across the country."

"The current cost of starting up an FM radio station is close to $2.5 million," said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst with Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. "This financial hurdle often places station licenses outside the reach of local hands, at a time when consumers are craving access to more local media. A vote for low power radio is a vote for the families, the workers, and the places of worship that serve as the anchors in our communities."   "The American Federation of Musicians gives its whole-hearted support to the Low Power FM legislation," said David Schoenbrun, President of the Musician Union Local 6. "We believe it will help enormously to correct significant loss of diversity on the airwaves and give much-needed exposure to local musicians who would otherwise not have access to broadcast media for their creative products."

"Radio is one of the most accessible forms of media we have today," said Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher, instructor at the Media Arts Collaborative Charter School, "which is why it is of the utmost importance that the community have a voice among the thousands of commercial stations."

"This hearing is an opportunity to highlight the need for more LPFM stations to provide local community coverage that is so sadly lacking elsewhere," said Media Alliance Executive Director Tracy Rosenberg. "We're thrilled Congress is talking about using public airwaves to add more diverse voices and perspectives to the media."