Want Better Radio? Pick Up Your (micro)Phones
Sometimes passing good public policy is about telling compelling stories. In the case of our quest to pass the Local Community Radio Act, which could put new LPFM stations on the air across the country, there are numerous stories to tell.
Some are stories that we at Free Press have been sharing with legislators for years. They're stories about stations
that have stayed on the air during hurricanes and saved lives or
stations that have been putting the sounds of their local music scene
back on the dial. They're stories that open our eyes to the promise of what community-controlled media can do.
Sometimes, though, passing good public policy is about numbers.
It's about showing strength and uniting with allies - even those who
don't agree on other issues. It's about forcing your elected officials
to pay attention to the issues that matter to you -- by sending
petitions to their offices, showing up on their doorstep, flooding
their inboxes and lighting up their phone lines.
As much as I'd love to believe that compelling stories are enough to
change the world, I know that passing good public policy usually takes
a combination of both stories and numbers.
With this in mind, I present to you the following story - about some numbers:
- 2: The number of times Congress has failed to
enact legislation that would allow the FCC to begin licensing more LPFM
radio stations. - 3: The number of times local radio champions like
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have kept trying to pass
this important bill. - 72: The number of representatives in Congress who currently support the expansion of local radio across the country.
- 435: The total number of legislators in the House of Representatives.
- 100: The minimum number of co-sponsors we need on this bill by September.
- 800: The approximate number of LPFM stations currently on the air in America.
- X000: The thousands of new local radio stations that could go on the air if the Local Community Radio Act passes.
- 5000: The number of phone calls we need to make to Congress on Monday, July 20.
- 88.1 - 107.9: A mostly barren wasteland on
the radio dial where broadcasters typically play the same songs on
every station, ignore diverse voices and prioritize rambling punditry
over local journalism and cultural programs. - (202) 224-3121: The phone number for the Capitol
Switchboard - which will connect you to your member of Congress so you
can ask her or him to co-sponsor the bill. (Or click here to quickly find your representative's digits). - 07/20/09: Monday. The day you need to call your elected officials.
On Monday, July 20, hundreds of people
from across the country will pick up their phones to show their support
for local radio by telling their representatives to co-sponsor the Local Community Radio Act. And guess what? You're going to do it, too.
You'll do it because it's not hard. You'll do it because every
single phone call will make a difference. You'll do it because if you
have to hear that Lady GaGa "Pokerface" song again, you just might rip
the antennae off your car stereo.
And if that doesn't convince you, try doing it because it feels
really good to tell those folks in Washington - the ones who work for
you, by the way - what to do.
And that's my story.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Sometimes passing good public policy is about telling compelling stories. In the case of our quest to pass the Local Community Radio Act, which could put new LPFM stations on the air across the country, there are numerous stories to tell.
Some are stories that we at Free Press have been sharing with legislators for years. They're stories about stations
that have stayed on the air during hurricanes and saved lives or
stations that have been putting the sounds of their local music scene
back on the dial. They're stories that open our eyes to the promise of what community-controlled media can do.
Sometimes, though, passing good public policy is about numbers.
It's about showing strength and uniting with allies - even those who
don't agree on other issues. It's about forcing your elected officials
to pay attention to the issues that matter to you -- by sending
petitions to their offices, showing up on their doorstep, flooding
their inboxes and lighting up their phone lines.
As much as I'd love to believe that compelling stories are enough to
change the world, I know that passing good public policy usually takes
a combination of both stories and numbers.
With this in mind, I present to you the following story - about some numbers:
- 2: The number of times Congress has failed to
enact legislation that would allow the FCC to begin licensing more LPFM
radio stations. - 3: The number of times local radio champions like
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have kept trying to pass
this important bill. - 72: The number of representatives in Congress who currently support the expansion of local radio across the country.
- 435: The total number of legislators in the House of Representatives.
- 100: The minimum number of co-sponsors we need on this bill by September.
- 800: The approximate number of LPFM stations currently on the air in America.
- X000: The thousands of new local radio stations that could go on the air if the Local Community Radio Act passes.
- 5000: The number of phone calls we need to make to Congress on Monday, July 20.
- 88.1 - 107.9: A mostly barren wasteland on
the radio dial where broadcasters typically play the same songs on
every station, ignore diverse voices and prioritize rambling punditry
over local journalism and cultural programs. - (202) 224-3121: The phone number for the Capitol
Switchboard - which will connect you to your member of Congress so you
can ask her or him to co-sponsor the bill. (Or click here to quickly find your representative's digits). - 07/20/09: Monday. The day you need to call your elected officials.
On Monday, July 20, hundreds of people
from across the country will pick up their phones to show their support
for local radio by telling their representatives to co-sponsor the Local Community Radio Act. And guess what? You're going to do it, too.
You'll do it because it's not hard. You'll do it because every
single phone call will make a difference. You'll do it because if you
have to hear that Lady GaGa "Pokerface" song again, you just might rip
the antennae off your car stereo.
And if that doesn't convince you, try doing it because it feels
really good to tell those folks in Washington - the ones who work for
you, by the way - what to do.
And that's my story.
Sometimes passing good public policy is about telling compelling stories. In the case of our quest to pass the Local Community Radio Act, which could put new LPFM stations on the air across the country, there are numerous stories to tell.
Some are stories that we at Free Press have been sharing with legislators for years. They're stories about stations
that have stayed on the air during hurricanes and saved lives or
stations that have been putting the sounds of their local music scene
back on the dial. They're stories that open our eyes to the promise of what community-controlled media can do.
Sometimes, though, passing good public policy is about numbers.
It's about showing strength and uniting with allies - even those who
don't agree on other issues. It's about forcing your elected officials
to pay attention to the issues that matter to you -- by sending
petitions to their offices, showing up on their doorstep, flooding
their inboxes and lighting up their phone lines.
As much as I'd love to believe that compelling stories are enough to
change the world, I know that passing good public policy usually takes
a combination of both stories and numbers.
With this in mind, I present to you the following story - about some numbers:
- 2: The number of times Congress has failed to
enact legislation that would allow the FCC to begin licensing more LPFM
radio stations. - 3: The number of times local radio champions like
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have kept trying to pass
this important bill. - 72: The number of representatives in Congress who currently support the expansion of local radio across the country.
- 435: The total number of legislators in the House of Representatives.
- 100: The minimum number of co-sponsors we need on this bill by September.
- 800: The approximate number of LPFM stations currently on the air in America.
- X000: The thousands of new local radio stations that could go on the air if the Local Community Radio Act passes.
- 5000: The number of phone calls we need to make to Congress on Monday, July 20.
- 88.1 - 107.9: A mostly barren wasteland on
the radio dial where broadcasters typically play the same songs on
every station, ignore diverse voices and prioritize rambling punditry
over local journalism and cultural programs. - (202) 224-3121: The phone number for the Capitol
Switchboard - which will connect you to your member of Congress so you
can ask her or him to co-sponsor the bill. (Or click here to quickly find your representative's digits). - 07/20/09: Monday. The day you need to call your elected officials.
On Monday, July 20, hundreds of people
from across the country will pick up their phones to show their support
for local radio by telling their representatives to co-sponsor the Local Community Radio Act. And guess what? You're going to do it, too.
You'll do it because it's not hard. You'll do it because every
single phone call will make a difference. You'll do it because if you
have to hear that Lady GaGa "Pokerface" song again, you just might rip
the antennae off your car stereo.
And if that doesn't convince you, try doing it because it feels
really good to tell those folks in Washington - the ones who work for
you, by the way - what to do.
And that's my story.