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April 20, 1999
William Kennard, Chair
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear William Kennard:
This letter is submitted to the Federal
Communications Commission as it
reviews its rules with regard to low power
FM radio.
Today radio in the United States has moved
away from the vision of its
pioneers as a force for democracy.
Currently owned by a tiny number of
huge multinational corporations, the radio
outlets in this country now
predominantly deliver an audience to paying
advertisers.
We desperately need a system of worker
oriented, community based local
radio stations, controlled and operated
by the people in the communities
they serve. I urge the Commisson to consider
among the alternatives in
your forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
the option of completely
noncommercial, locally owned and local
programmed micro radio.
I also urge you to craft a plan for allocating
spectrum space to
communities which is simple, straightforward
and ease for users such as
IUE's members and community representatives
to master. Consideration for
these principles would permit Local Unions
and labor councils and similar
community organizations to consider utilizing
some form of low power
broadcasting directly.
Very truly yours,
Peter Mitchell
Assistant to the President
and General Counsel