THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
PIA PIALORSI (202)224-2670
NANCY IVES (202)224-7130

McCAIN: LOW POWER FM RADIO MUST MOVE FORWARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today issued the following statement at the Low Power Radio Coalition press conference today:

"Good afternoon. I'm pleased to be here today with my friend and colleague, Bob Kerrey. I'd also like to extend a special welcome and thank you to the Indigo Girls for joining us in working to ensure that our local communities are afforded greater opportunities to stay informed and in touch.

"The low-power FM radio service will provide community-based organizations, churches, and other non-profit groups with a new, affordable opportunity to reach out to the public, helping to promote a greater awareness within our communities, about our communities.

"Unfortunately, both commercial FM broadcasters and National Public Radio are concerned that Low Power FM's only contribution will be to interfere with their signals, and that the FCC ignored studies showing that new low-power stations would cause harmful interference to the reception of existing full-power FM stations. These arguments have been embodied in legislation in both the House and Senate which would severely curtail the low power FM service.

"I must respectfully disagree with my colleagues on how best to address these concerns. Instead of bringing Low Power FM licensing to a halt, we should ensure that low-power FM licensing continues while being fairly balanced against the concerns of existing broadcasters. I have introduced legislation, S. 2518, the FM Radio Act of 2000, to achieve this goal.

"S.2518 establishes that the National Academy of Sciences --an expert body independent of the FCC --will determine which stations are causing such interference and what the low-power station must do to alleviate it. It gives full-power broadcasters the right to sue any low-power FM licensee for causing harmful interference, and stipulates that the costs of the suit shall be borne by the losing party.

"The bill also requires the FCC to complete its rulemaking process for full-power stations' transition to digital broadcasting no later than June 1, 2000. This will ensure that the future of full-power radio broadcasting is not eclipsed by the Commission's eagerness to launch the new low-power FM service.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that low-power FM is given a fair opportunity to move forward, while existing full-power broadcasters can be certain that their signals will continue to reach their listeners." # # #