You gotta love it. LPFM - i.e. Low power FM (100 watt community oriented stations) was just approved by Congress.
This legislation opens up radio spectrum to hundreds, if not thousands, of local independent radio stations (also known as LPFM).From the Prometheus Project folks:
What's it mean? It means that your town will have actual local community oriented radio with local DJ's talking about local issues, playing a wide range of music and doing something wonderful with the public airwaves (i.e. FM radio) that we haven't seen in a long long time.WASHINGTON, DC – Today a bill to expand community radio nationwide – the Local Community Radio Act – passed the U.S. Senate, thanks to the bipartisan leadership of Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John McCain (R-AZ). This follows Friday afternoon’s passage of the bill in the House of Representatives, led by Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Lee Terry (R-NE). The bill now awaits the President's signature.
These Congressional champions for community radio joined with the thousands of grassroots advocates and dozens of public interest groups who have fought for ten years to secure this victory for local media. In response to overwhelming grassroots pressure, Congress has given the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a mandate to license thousands, of new community stations nationwide. This bill marks the first major legislative success for the growing movement for a more democratic media system in the U.S.
By this time next year, it'll be worth owning a radio again.