“The Capitol looks really big at night under spotlights when you’re alone on the front steps,” said Tim Stone. The Portsmouth resident and founding member of Portsmouth Community Radio (WSCA, 106.1 FM) returned last week from a trip to Washington, D.C., during which he advocated to U.S. representatives from New Hampshire for expansion of community radio possibilities nationwide. 

Big as it was, the Capitol was not unapproachable for Stone, who met with Sen. Judd Gregg and staffers for Sen. John Sununu and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, in addition to FCC staff, last Tuesday. Stone was one of about four dozen community radio leaders from across the country who attended Low-Power FM Leadership Days on Feb. 25 and 26.  The event was organized by Prometheus Radio Project, a nonprofit community radio advocacy group based in Philadelphia. 

When Portsmouth Community Radio applied for its license back in 2000, it was one of 29 entities in New Hampshire applying for a newly created class of radio frequencies. Operating at less than 100 watts and typically reaching a radius of 3.5 miles, these low-power stations were intended to restore localism to airwaves that were increasingly dominated by large, commercial businesses. However, the same year that these frequencies were created by the FCC, many were taken away. 

The National Association of Broadcasters claimed to Congress that even small LPFM signals would interfere with those of large, commercial interests. They lobbied for a reduction of the number of frequencies made available for LPFMs, and they were joined by National Public Radio, which was concerned about losing the ability to expand its broadcast through translator stations. In 2003, Congress passed what Stone calls the “perversely named” Radio Preservation Act of 2003, which swept many LPFMs off the table by imposing drastic restrictions to the space these new stations could occupy on the dial. 

Portsmouth Community Radio was one of over 500 LPFM stations nationwide to become licensed despite the new limitations imposed by the 2003 act. Gritty Radio (WXGR in Dover) also persevered to get on the air at 101.5 FM, and one station in Meredith received a construction permit, which lapsed before the station was built. All told, only nine of 29 New Hampshire applicants received a license.

Now, at the recommendation of the FCC, the Local Community Radio Act of 2007 is poised to restore LPFM licensing to its original specifications. This would reopen the door for local, nonprofit, educational broadcasting that is licensed according to “the needs of the local community,” Stone said. 

According to the text of the act, all five FCC commissioners have admitted that some of their past decisions have, “in at least some local radio markets,” resulted in “too much consolidation.” Statistics within the act also specify that, although women comprise over half the country’s population and minorities comprise about one-third, those constituencies constitute only 6 and 7 percent, respectively, of media owners nationwide. LPFM radio stations are held up not as a sweeping answer to this inequality, but at least as an opportunity for underrepresented communities to provide localities with more diverse media.

There is strong bipartisan support for the bills in both houses of Congress. HR 2802 has more than 70 co-sponsors, and SB 1675 was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. 

However, similar bills have been thwarted in years past. The NAB is holding its ground, despite a $2 million, taxpayer-funded, independent study that proved broadcasters’ concerns of encroachment were unsubstantiated. Expecting the NAB to again “pack the halls” to oppose community radio, Prometheus decided to bring its own lobby to town. 

Monday’s training consisted of practice “pitch” sessions, as well as a rapid-fire series of talks on “The Movement for Media Reform,” “The Power of Grassroots Pressure” and “FCC Rulemakings,” among others. Stone had been selected to perform an example pitch for the group.

“I’m just in this room of this diversity of people of all colors and ages and races,” he explained, searching for words to describe how special it was to be part of the moment.  Four women from New Mexico are trying to start an LPFM radio station as part of a charter school to serve their Native American community. A man named Hector reminded Stone of an immigrant who traveled from Florida to help WSCA get on the air almost four years ago. A father-son team of religious broadcasters was also part of the mix. “It’s so inspiring to see what people can do,” Stone said. He pointed out that, in many cases, the people who had traveled to D.C. to make their voices heard were working with almost no financial resources for their organizations and often had no money, themselves. “But, they make it happen,” he said. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the LPFM leaders spoke with elected officials or staffers from their states or districts in meetings that were set up in advance by Prometheus. Two separate meetings were held with the FCC.

Stone personally met with U.S. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s legislative director, Robert Moller, to specifically request that she sponsor the House bill.

“We can be pretty sure we already have her support,” Stone said. But more active sponsors will be needed to move the bill out of committee and to a decisive vote.

Stone also met with U.S. Sen. John Sununu’s legislative director, Michael O’Rielly, who convinced him that Sununu’s office “seemed to be well aware of the issues.” (It helps that Sununu was on the committee that unanimously recommended the bill.) The real test, however, was Stone’s meeting with U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, who had sponsored the Radio Preservation Act of 2003. 

Stone told Gregg the story of Portsmouth Community Radio, explaining its value to the community by describing the varied community services it offers, including locally hosted public affairs programming, interviews with city officials and political candidates, weather alerts and coverage of local concerts, lectures and events.

At the close of the meeting, Stone asked Gregg if he could count on the senator’s support.  Gregg was somewhat “stoic and cool,” Stone said, but the N.H. senator said he would indeed support the LPFM bill.   

The Local Community Radio Act of 2007 has prompted letters of support from organizations and people as diverse as public safety officials from Mississippi, immigrant rights groups and the National Association of Evangelicals. Other advocates of the act include the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, the mayor of Richmond and pirate radio outlaws.

Stone and other advocates believe that people without access to local media are prevented from effecting desired changes at the local level. Seacoast residents are lucky to know what community radio sounds like. But, with the passing of the Local Community Radio Act of 2007, the same chance could be given to communities across the state and nation. If the legislation passes, Stone hopes, we could all hear, for the first time, what radio sounds like when it is put in the hands of the people it reaches: you.