What: Community Cable Public Access TV Channels And  Radio  stations	Why: We need competition.	How: Educate Organize	Who: YOU  (150-300 volunteer DJ/News/Talk hosts =300 different views/cultures.
See our plans in our application to the FCC for a Low Power FM broadcast license!

From: Christopher Maxwell                      TO: Beth Barmettler

Radio Free Richmond Project                          Style Weekly
7/23/99 (updated with more accurate data 7/28/99 and re-submitted to Style)

Dear Style Editor,

Thank you for running a salient article for the need for good quality radio in Richmond.

There were however some inaccuracies.

Firstly I am indeed employed.

Secondly, the "radio for blue hairs" quotation was troublesome because I have no qualms with radio directed toward a classical audience. To the contrary, my suggestion was to dedicate WCVE's 88.9FM frequency exclusively to the classical audience. To this point, I provided WCVE with the $8000 worth of research they would need to apply for a second frequency at 89.7FM. This would allow for both a full time classical station and a full time eclectic station.

Many people think that the reason for the formation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is to provide for fine arts listening. Actually, the founding mission statement for the CPB is to "provide a voice for groups in the community that may otherwise be unheard.."

Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook show 50 commercial classical format radio stations in the USA. Of the 35 that were in areas that were rated (the others being in rural unrated markets), 26 earned over a "one share". There are plenty of stations that provide a significant existence and survive for their listeners on less than a one share (1% of the listening market). They pull this off in spite of a commercial free competitor provided by the taxpayers just as Discovery Channel competes with public TV!

Even more amazing, plenty of stations do very well. WGMS in Washington DC regularly clocks a "four share" and is the 6th most popular station in a market of 42 commercial radio stations. Eighteen of the commercial stations in Washington survive on less than a one share.

Furthermore, Classical Music has the wealthiest audience. WCLV in Cleveland OH claims that its Commercial Classical audience is "298% times as likely as the average American to have an income over $100,000" and "216% as likely to own $10,000+ in stocks". The WCVL listener is twice as likely to be an executive as the Cleveland market’s overall listeners. Does this sound like the bunch of folks who need your tax dollars to "provide a voice for groups in the community that may otherwise be unheard"?

There is nothing wrong with classical music, but to play commercially viable classical music on the only taxpayer CPB funded station to the near exclusion of the eclectic market is not in keeping with the CPB mission.

Thirdly, your readers might also be interested to know that 1200+ people signed a petition to reinstate Henry Wailes and 863 people signed a petition to reinstate "Living On Earth" ... both to no avail. Also, the City Council of Richmond unanimously voted for a resolution to support the Low Power Radio Service (LPRS) proposal by the FCC. The LPRS would open 3 to 58 new slots on the FM dial for small businesses, churches and community radio stations if Congress supported it against its detractors at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and NPR.
[Click here for more info]

Lastly, the opposition's arguments focusing on the technical issues surrounding the LPRS appears to be more than merely technical.

The Chairman of the US House Telecommunications Subcommittee, "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA), has a daughter who works for the network broadcasters lobbying arm, the National Association of Broadcasters. This would be like a judge hearing a case where the prosecutor is his daughter.

The Chairman of the US Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee, Conrad Burns (R-Mont) gave a speech to the NAB in April saying, "We don't need all these little radio stations, I've had about all the diversity I can stand."

These things appear to your writer to be like an episode of "X-Files". Perhaps they are more all in a days work in the effort to promote understanding by the sharing of culture and ideas.

In closing, it is unfortunate that some people find themselves uncomfortable with Richmond's desire for more diverse programming.

Sincerely, Christopher Maxwell

Radio Free Richmond
seeks to be a light unto those who are not illuminated by existing commercial, religious or public radio stations.

We will play the News Views Jazz and Blues techno and free-form other radio stations would rather not use.

In this way we will contribute to a stable and just society where everyone can become who they want to be. 

We seek to enable the weakest links in our society to become strong  so that no-one can thrive on the pain and weakness of others.

Get on the air before 2000: 

 

More information on LPFM

 

Effort to defend our ability to hear WDCE 90.1FM as well as any new LPFM stations.

The Fall 2000 "Murrow's Hope" newsletter is the Video SlideShow and Audio File (playing now on AT&T and Comcast Cable Public Access channels)... or you can read the script here.

 

Read more details on the LPRS in Spring'99 Newsletter "Murrow's Hope"

 

Subscribe to eMurrow's Hope

.......

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WHAT IS LPFM?
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LPFM stands for "Low Power FM". LPFM is essentially the re-legalization of small affordable radio stations for new entrants to create competition to serve audiences ignored by larger stations.

The Big Broadcasters have had the rules bent for decades to make room for their 40,000 and 100,000 watt stations to squeeze onto the dial and spew horrible morning shows and repeat the same music over and over and over ... 
for DECADES!

Now a few thousand churches, educational and community civic groups want to get the same deal and make space on the FM dial to build affordable radio stations to bring those stories, values, culture and music that the big religious, NPR and commercial networks can't be bothered with. 
Your stories, values, culture and music.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) received 13,000 requests for a slot to 
build a station in 1997.

Thousands of "pirate" radio stations have taken to the air for $1000 each or less. 

The FCC received over 3000 formal comments in the Low Power FM hearings, more than any other issue in FCC history!!

And so the FCC created the "Low Power FM" broadcast service. Designed to be affordable (less than a new car) and protected from the big boys (only new and only new local ownership can apply for one).

LPFM has BROAD public support, half of the LPFM applicants are (often) conservative churches, half are educational organizations or radical change organizations. 

And the Big Broadcasters know this and can't stand the competition. The Big Broadcasters are trying to cut costs, cut jobs by running all their radio stations by remote control. They don't want to have to hire back that staff because some 98 watt LPFM weakling is doing a better job on local music, culture and news than they can remotely. 

And so here we are at the tail end of a Senate Session. They were due to adjourn last week. 
Many Senators want to go home and campaign for reelection.

The Big Broadcasters are working hard to get our Senators all lined up to kill LOCAL COMMUNITY AND CHURCH radio 
that would increase their expenses because they would have to compete with us for your heart and soul.

The Big Broadcasters hope that President Clinton will not follow through on his promise to veto 
any bill that harms Low Power FM.

We need to provide Clinton with the support he needs to veto anti-LPFM legislation no matter what.
 
 

ALSO: remind Clinton that you don't appreciate NPR President Kevin Klose going against his own NPR membership stations in opposing Low Power FM, using tax money to kick thousands of church and educational LPFM radio stations off the air.
 
 

NPR affiliate Brasher, "I felt a little like a citizen might feel if he woke up one morning to find that a new president had been elected, but nobody told him there was an election. Frankly, I really doubt that the position taken by the officers, and I understand, this Board, represents the true feelings of the men and women who work in National Public Radio and in our stations.!"  (Speaking to the NPR board about President Kevin Klose's apparently renegade attack on LPFM.)