Aug. 23, 2012
The US Human Rights Network hosted a webinar in partnership with Prometheus Radio Project on August 21, 2012 to share information about how community groups can start their own low power FM community radio stations. Jeff Rousset of Prometheus Radio Project shared the history of Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations, the larger media context in the U.S, and offered information on the upcoming opportunity to apply for LPFM radio stations along with the logisitcs of starting a station. Cruz Salucio and Adrian Alcantar from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) shared ways they are using radio to get the word out about worker's rights, emergency situations, community building and organizing efforts. Danielle Mkali of Main Street Project shared how groups in Minneapolis are organizing to start LPFM radio stations. After a 10 year fight, media justice advocates successfully passed the Local Community Radio Act in 2011. Now, there is a one-time opportunity to open up access to the airwaves for social justice groups. In the next year, nonprofits and community groups will have a historic opportunity to apply for thousands of new non-commercial FM radio licenses! This will be the first time urban areas can apply and the last big chance ever to get a radio license. These Low Power FM (LPFM) multimedia stations can be broadcast studios and organizing hubs for our movements. They can be a powerful local organizing tool featuring local artists and news. Conservative forces are mobilizing to get these licenses and build more right-wing stations. We need to organize social justice groups to get these stations instead and build a national communications infrastructure that's owned and controlled by our movements.
