Copyright 2000 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
December 23, 2000 Saturday
SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. 3
LENGTH: 729 words
HEADLINE:
255 groups get low-power radio station OK;
10 in Louisiana among those to be
licensed
BYLINE: By Bruce Alpert; Washington bureau
BODY:
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications
Commission on Friday gave 255 organizations, including 10 in Louisiana, the
tentative go-ahead to build and operate low-power FM radio
stations.
The groups, mostly churches, schools and community
organizations, will get their licenses after a 30-day comment period, the FCC
said.
Almost all are outside major urban areas. In response to warnings
from commercial broadcasters that the low-power stations would interfere with
existing signals, Congress imposed restrictions that effectively put a hold on
applications from large cities, including New Orleans.
We're
listening . . .
Louisiana groups chosen for licenses are the Crisis
Pregnancy Help Center of Slidell; Parenthood Foundation of Hammond; Covington
High School; Caddo Christian Educational Committee of Shreveport; Grace
Community Church of Jonesboro; Upper Room Church Ministries of Bastrop; M&M
Community Development, two stations, one in Alexandria and another in Lafayette;
the Southern Development Foundation of Opelousas; and First Baptist Church of
Mansfield.
Some applicants shut out by the congressional restrictions
expressed dismay that they can't qualify for a license that would enable them to
broadcast up to a 10-mile radius.
"Why are these people scared about the
City Park neighborhood, Covington High School and mostly religious groups?" said
Bernie Cyrus, executive director of the Louisiana Music Commission, which wanted
a station to give an outlet to local musicians given little or no air time. "Why
are they trying to stifle voices in their own communities from getting through?"
Cyrus complained that most commercial stations, to the degree that they
provide any community outlet at all, do so for only an hour or so on Sundays.
'Getting a chance'
"We're grateful and happy to be
getting it," said Cindy Collins, the Crisis Pregnancy Help Center's executive
director. She said the center encourages young people to resist pressures to be
sexually active, while providing pregnant teens with counseling and referrals
that offer alternatives to abortion.
Collins said the center intends to
provide radio programming that appeals to young people while providing
encouragement and support to avoid high-risk behaviors.
The Rev. Glen
Nash, pastor of Grace Community Church, said he had become discouraged after
reading about the efforts of commercial broadcasters to block low-power radio
licenses.
"I had been following the news and pretty much had given up on
getting one," Nash said. "It's amazing that we're now apparently getting a
chance."
Nash said he found it ironic that many in Congress who are
pushing restrictions on low-power stations are conservatives, given that many of
the applicants, including his own, represent religious or conservative
ideologies.
Limited licenses
Under an amendment added to
a massive spending bill signed into law Thursday by President Clinton, low-power
licenses are limited to areas where they won't infringe on buffer zones
established by current regulations. One exception is a limited test in nine
markets to determine whether the broadcasters' warnings of interference have
merit.
"The legislation enacted by Congress will allow us time to
determine whether or not low-power radio stations will, in fact, cause
interference problems for existing commercial and public radio stations," said
Ken Johnson, spokesman for Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, chairman of the House
Telecommunications Committee.
In signing the budget bill Thursday,
Clinton said the amendment will only further delay the chance to provide more
diverse programming.
"I am deeply disappointed that Congress chose to
restrict the voice of our nation's churches, schools, civic organizations and
community groups," Clinton said. "I commend the FCC for giving a voice to the
voiceless and I urge the commission to go forward in licensing as many stations
as possible consistent with the limitations imposed by Congress."
The
National Association of Broadcasters said it isn't attempting to block new
voices.
"NAB's central concern related to low-power FM
was the harm it would cause listeners through additional interference," said
Edward Fritts, the group's president and chief executive officer.
. . .
. . . .
Bruce Alpert can be reached at bruce.alpert@newhouse.com
or at (202) 383-7861.
LOAD-DATE: December 23, 2000
