In a letter to Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John McCain (R-AZ), co-sponsors of the recently passed Local Community Radio Act, REC Networks founder Michi Eyre points out the need for ownership controls on non-commercial educational (NCE) FM broadcast stations and FM translators..
Citing the behavior of Radio Assist Ministries and Edgewater Broadcasting during the 2003 Auction 83 "Great Translator Invasion" FCC filing window and the recent "rapture" hoax by Family Stations, Eyre points out that these "mega-ministries" have hundreds of satellite-fed non-commercial stations including more than one station in the same market precluding local organizations and local ministries from having a voice in their community.
In addition to RAM/Edgewater and Family Stations, Eyre also focuses on stations operated by Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, the pioneer of the "satellator", Educational Media Foundation, the operator of two radio networks and American Family Association, an organization recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Eyre proposes legislation that will in part, impose a cap of 10 full power FM stations and 30 translators per organization with exceptions for bona-fide statewide public radio networks, status secondary to LPFM for translators that exceed ownership limits and a "duopoly" rule that prohibits two NCE-FM stations in the same market with significant coverage overlaps (regardless of whether they have different programs or not).
In addition, Eyre is pressing for the legislation to mandate that a review on the impact of localism to the community be required before a transfer of control of a full power NCE-FM station takes place from one entity to another. This is directly related to the recent transfer of KTRU in Houston and the pending transfer of KUSF in San Francisco.
Eyre states that this is not intended to attack religion or public radio but:
an effort to call attention to accountability issues at the FCC, which caused by various abuses in the system by a small group of corporations have resulted in networks of national voices where local voices have lost their voices. This is valuable spectrum being given to these organizations free of charge. With such a subsidy, they should have accountability to the diversity of their local community.
A copy of Eyre's letter can be found at:
http://recnet.com/docs/mccain-cantwell-letter.pdf
(REC NETWORKS)
