Congressman Luther Supports
Low Power FM
Bill
(WASHINGTON,
DC) April 4, 2000 – U.S. House Commerce Committee member Rep. Bill Luther
(MN-06) has helped negotiate a compromise on provisions of the Radio
Broadcasting Preservation Act currently pending in Congress. With only 36 hours
to reach an agreement, major concerns have been resolved surrounding the Federal
Communications Commission proposal to license non-commercial low power FM
stations for community broadcasts.
"Congress should promote diversity on
the airwaves – low power FM stations encourage just that," Rep. Luther said.
"The recent consolidation in the media has taken so much local broadcasting out
of local communities. By making it easy for smaller radio operators to get on
the air, there is an increased opportunity for citizens to stay connected to
their communities and the rest of the country. I am glad that I had the
opportunity to help fashion a compromise that addresses these
issues."
Many citizens were concerned that provisions of this bill would
interfere with existing radio stations and services like Radio Talking Book in
Minnesota, the oldest radio reading service for the blind in the country. "As
our information age continues to evolve, Congress must work to get it right –
and to not damage existing, effective broadcasting," Luther said.
The
compromise creates a pilot program for low power FM stations, while protecting
existing stations and services. The pilot program will help determine whether
these new small stations will pose problems for the existing radio community.
The anticipated success of the pilot program will open the door to an increase
in the number of stations and, thus, an increase in information accessibility.
"Having lived in Minnesota, a state with large rural communities, I
recognize that it is important, though challenging, to keep all areas of our
community connected to the fast-paced information society. This legislation
moves in the right direction by promoting additional means of communication
without causing harm to our existing stations," Luther added.
Luther is a
member of the Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee
that is responsible for telecommunications policy.
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