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11/18/99 Just two days after the FCC closed the second round of comments on a proposal to legalize a low power radio service, the broadcast lobby has chosen not to wait to hear the opinions that more than three thousand of you sent the Federal Communications Commission on the issue. Representative Michael Oxley (R-OH) has announced the introduction of legislation called the "Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 1999," which would prohibit the FCC from continuing its proceeding on the creation of a low power radio service, as well as prohibit the FCC from ever being able to consider such a service again. Oxley has already issued a press release on his new bill. It is nothing more than the "party line" we have all already heard from the National Association of Broadcasters, its members and, most importantly, the lobbying force it controls. There is not one single thing Oxley's legislation speaks about that deviates from the ammunition the National Association of Broadcasters used during this entire debate. In fact, this bill sounds like it was written by the NAB itself. So there it is, folks. Instead of facing the thousands of Americans who cared enough to contract the government about regaining its radio voice, the National Association of Broadcasters is instead attempting to manipulate our democracy to silence them. We, as individual citizens, do not have the ears of our Representatives and Senators. We can not stroll into their offices and argue our points with them. Unfortunately, the National Association of Broadcasters can - and does. The National Association of Broadcasters is about to actively and publicly subvert the will of the people. The dues your local radio stations faithfully pay to their national organization are about to pay off with dividends. This will all come at the expense of us - the listeners who want a choice, and an alternative to the status quo. Please, contact your own Representative or Senator by any means possible. They will all be coming home shortly, as Congress takes a break after approving the new federal budget. Let them know that you want a choice. The status quo is not good enough. And legal low power radio should be an alternative. If you don't now, you might never get the chance again. |