The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Yesterday, the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet voted 15-1 to approve the Local Community Radio Act. The bill would expand low power radio to 40 million people who are currently unable to receive it.

Low power FM (LPFM) refers to community-based, non-commercial FM stations that operate at 100 watts or less and have a broadcast reach of only a few miles. There are currently 800 LPFM stations being used by churches, schools, non-profits, and other community groups. These stations provide local forums for important news and discussions.

However, LPFM is not fully available to many communities across the country because a law passed in 2000 limits the Federal Communications Commission's authority to license LPFM. The Local Community Radio Act, introduced by Reps. Mike Doyle, D. Pa., and Lee Terry, R. Neb., allows the number of new LPFM stations to increase without interfering with larger, full power stations.

"The Leadership Conference commends Representatives Doyle and Terry for championing equal access to information for all.  In an era of mass media consolidation, we in the civil rights community believe that it is critical to promote diverse ownership and diverse viewpoints over the public airwaves, and we look forward to the passage of this bill into law," said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.