LANDMARK Community Radio Act

 Along with the repealing of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy', the House and Senate both passed the Community Radio Act on December 18th.  The Community Radio Act will, as the Huffington Post reports, allow for the creation of new non-commercial stations on American airwaves-- a number that could reach to the hundreds or even thousands.  In a press release, the Future of Music Coalition said, "The addition of more Low Power FM (LPFM) stations will increase local civic engagement, diversify the airwaves, support local music and culture, assist during emergencies, expand religious expression, and provide a platform for the voices of underrepresented communities to be heard."

The bill states that the new stations must be FCC-approved "based on the needs of the local community" and that certain restrictions are put in place to "prohibit any applicant from obtaining a low-power FM license if the applicant has engaged in any manner in the unlicensed operation of any station in violation of section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301)."

Many LPFM stations have come into existence since 2001, some of which being run solely by the U.S. Government.  With the passing of this legislation we can now expect to see many more privately run LPFM stations out there.  This is a fairly major victory for aspiring broadcasters and should be seen as such.  I look forward to the successes of the new radio stations hitting the air.