The Ballistics of Radio
February 11, 2005
Five years ago the Federal Communications Commission authorized low-power FM, opening up the FM airwaves to thousands more community broadcasters. But the National Association of Broadcasters and NPR both testified to Congress that low-power FM would interfere with existing signals. The FCC had done its own tests proving otherwise but Congress put on the brakes, stalling LPFM …until this week. Seen as an antidote to media consolidation, LPFM has been exhumed in a bill co-sponsored by John McCain that seems likely to put Low Power back on the fast track. Or will it? Media Maven Rick Karr joins Brooke to survey the state of the spectrum.
