Sun, 29 Nov 1998
ampb@global.california.com (Paul Griffin)
I wanted to let you know about an interesting broadcast happening in
Berkeley. On monday, November 23, two free speech advocates by the
names "birdman" and "sparrow" climbed up a tree and started up "Tree Radio
Berkeley". They've been on the air for seven days so far and have
gathered a lot of support from the local community. Folks from the
Earth First! collective have been doing shifts on the air and ground support
folks have been providing them with fresh batteries, food and program material.
The neighbors on Hillegass Avenue have also been part of the ground support
team along with homeless people and free speech supporters. Tree
Radio Berkeley was started up to alert people to the fact that the FCC
has been violating our freedom of speech by shutting down micro-power radio
stations all over america. TRB is demanding that Free Radio Berkeley
be allowed back on the air and the oppression of micro-power radio be stopped.
they also demand that the FCC approve the
National Lawyers Guild Committee for Democratic
Communications proposal for creating a non-commercial low power radio
service. The following is the original press release for TRB...
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release-November 22, 1998
Contact: 510-587-3388
"Tree Radio Berkeley" Plans Tree-top Radio Protest
Microradio activists plan a marathon broadcast from the treetops on
Monday, November 23 to protest recent FCC raids on micropower stations
across the country and to demand a public forum with the FCC to urge them
to adequately license micropower radio stations. The activists will broadcast
non-stop atop a tree in Central Berkeley to demand an end to the
string of micropower radio station closures and harassment by FCC officials.
The activists believe that the proposals for licensing some forms of low-power
radio currently in front of the FCC do not address the needs of communities-they
are commercially oriented and do not allow sufficient power to be able
to broadcast to a community. The action is
occurring right now at Willard Park on Derby Street, one block east
of Telegraph. The activists are broadcasting at 104.1 FM frequency.