FCC opens airwaves to low-power FM stations

Low-power FM radio stations have been lauded as an alternative to commercial radio. Now, with recent legislation, more stations are likely on the way. "This month President Obama signed the Local Community Radio Act, which repeals restrictions on such stations and allows the Federal Communications Commission to give out more 100-watt licenses," Brian Stelter of The New York Times reports. Low-power FM stations like KOCZ in Opelousas, La., can usually only be heard within 10 to 15 miles of the station.

"Freeing space on the radio dial for local voices might seem a moot point in an age when anyone can start an Internet radio station," Stelter writes. "But the appropriation of the public airwaves remains a vital and, for some, very emotional issue." Hannah Sassaman, a longtime advocate of community radio, says most Americans "still get their news and culture over the broadcast dial." KOCZ helped bring Zydeco, a blend of Cajun, rhythm and blues and, among a younger generation, hip-hop, back to the radio in Louisiana. "It helps promote that culture — and that’s something that’s very significant for the African-American community here," John Freeman, executive director of KOCZ, said.

"Low-power stations are designated for noncommercial uses, so many are licensed to churches and schools," Selter writes. "KOCZ is licensed to the Southern Development Foundation, a civil rights group that grants scholarships and runs a business incubator but has fallen on hard times." KOCZ shows depend on the underwriting of local sponsors like funeral homes and beauty salons. "Low-power FM stations are small, but they make a giant contribution to local community programming,"  Julius Genachowski, the chairman of the FCC, said in a statement. (Read more)