Low Power to the People!: LPFM Leadership Days re-cap!

[Scott Pinkelman]

Greetings from the Prometheus Radio Project!

We hope that everyone has made it home safe- and sound- and hyped to make 2009 the year that we pass the Local Community Radio Act!  Thanks to all of you, LPFM Leadership Days 2009- were a huge success!

In this email you will find:

1) A summary on LPFM Leadership Days- with links to media from the events.

2) Tips for Follow-up, so that we have the greatest impact from all the work that we have done! 

3) Evaluations for you to fill out of LPFM Leadership Days

4) Contact information for those who attended LPFM Leadership Days

1) Summary of LPFM Leadership Days- with links to media from the events

From April 22- 24, 2009- over 50 people, representing diverse communities ranging from Farmworkers from Florida and Oregon, Artists and Musicians from Chicago to New Jersey, Media Activists and Youth Organizers from Atlanta to Detroit, Low-Wage Workers from Baltimore, members of the faith Community from rural North Carolina and radio programmers from Idaho to New York City- gathered in Washington DC to demand More Low Power FM radio- through the passage of the Local Community Radio Act. Watch the You tube video, check out the photos, or listen to Free Speech Radio News' story on the events.

The days of action began with a three-hour lobby training at St. Stephen's Church.  Members of the Allied Media Project, Detroit Summer, the Media Mobilizing Project, and People's Production House presented on media justice- and the importance of telling untold stories in the building of movements to end poverty.  Members of the United Workers and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers  recounted tales about their campaigns for better wages, decent working conditions, and economic human rights- and the role that media played in these campaigns.  Lobbyists from US PIRG, the Consumer's Union, and the Media Access Project shared lobbying tips and provided an overview of the Congressional landscape of today.  Jenny Lizak (Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP)and Autumn Chacón ( Available Media, Albuquerque) of the National Expand Low Power Radio Advisory Committee- demonstrated successful lobbying strategies before we broke into small groups to give our skills a try.

On Thursday, April 23- 3 dozen people, including participants from across the country and local DC folks- Marched from Union Station to the Capitol Steps chanting "Low Power Radio- for our communities."  We were being trailed by a Big Robot Puppet- representing the Corporate Media and the powerful broadcast lobby industry.  Upon arrival to the Capitol Steps, the street theater piece: "Corporate Media versus Community Media" began, and we worked to take the big microphone away from corporate media- so that community groups could have access to the airwaves.  After a struggle, the people triumphed.  Upon stealing the microphone from the Corporate Media robot- we the people realized that there were dozens of little microphones inside- enough for all of us to have a voice on the nations' public airwaves.  This exciting action got us pumped for a long day of Congressional Lobby visits and a Policy Briefing on Capitol Hill.

We met with over 46 Congressional offices, and were assured support- through cosponsorship- in a number of the visits.  At noon, Representative Doyle (D-Pa.) assured his continued support for the Local Community Radio Act and enthusiastically announced that Chairman Boucher was also "inclined" to move this legislation to a vote.  Liz Humes from WRIR-LP in Richmond addressed the importance of Low Power Radio to Emergency Response.  Pop-musician Nicole Atkins from Neptune City New Jersey, voiced the importance of Local Radio to musicians- and spoke of her large following she has around the word but the difficulties she faces when she tries to get her music played on the radio stations in her own town.  Erubiel Valladares, from KPCN-LP spoke of the importance of Low Power Radio in the Farmworker community of Woodburn, Oregon where he lives and organizes.  Cheryl Leanza from the United Church of Christ and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights released a report on Minority ownership of Radio and the ability of Low Power Radio to diversify the media landscape. Parul Desai from the Media Access Project moderated the Panel and gave an important recap of the 2003 MITRE study which disproves The National Association of Broadcasters claims about interference caused by LPFM which had originally been an obstacle to expanding LPFM.  

On Friday, April 24 Low Power Radio advocates brought their demands to the Federal Communications Commission asking the FCC to grant more rights to LPFM stations so that they would not face extinction when a larger station wants to take their signal.  Many groups spoke of their inability to get a radio station unless FCC gives preference to LPFM license applications over satellite repeater signals of already existing non-local stations.    After taking it to the streets, to our Congressional Representatives and to the FCC- there was only one place left to go: The White House!  Over 40 of us met with Susan Crawford, responsible for Technology issues on President Obama's transition team and Jim Kohlenberg, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Chief of Staff.  There in the White House Conference room we demanded that President Obama's words of support (as demonstrated through former cosponsorship of this legislation, and his call to diversity media ownership) be transformed into action.  We delivered a letter, signed by groups from across the country, expressing support of Low Power FM Radio- and demanding that President Obama release a statement in support of the legislation.

After our hard days of advocacy and action- we spent some time reflecting on our next steps, and how grassroots folks will continue to lead the way in the fight for more local community radio.  People headed back to their homes with a heightened commitment to this work.  Whether using their existing stations to inform people of the legislation, working to pass City Council Resolutions, setting up more lobbying visits in their home districts, or doing political education in their communities about the importance of community radio- we are organizing to win- and expand Low Power FM radio to towns and cities across the country.  Join us in the fight.

2) Tips for Follow-up and Getting involved

1) Add your photos to the group Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lpfm_leadership_days/

2) Contact your local paper, and pitch a story about you- as a local person- participating in these days of action

3) Add this information to your organizations' website, write an article for your newsletter, help spread the word

4) Call your Congress person.  Follow-up with staffers that you met with, call your district office, get 5 of your friends to make calls to

5) Do a radio show- on your Low Power station- or another community station or play some of our audio clips/ documentaries on the station

6) Blog, use Facebook, myspace, and twittter to keep the momentum going

7) Work to pass City Council Resolutions in support of Low Power FM

8) Organize a "report-back" in your community and tell people about LPFM Leadership Days, and the Local Community Radio Act

9) Show a "Radio Barnraising" video at an event, and facilitate a discussion about Local Community Radio

10) Donate to the Prometheus Radio Project- so that we can keep this fight going!

3) Contacts.  Building a movement, means building relationships.  Attached is a spreadsheet with the information of those who attended LPFM Leadership days, let's stay in touch and build a stronger movement!

4) Evaluations.  We would really like to know how LPFM Leadership Days went for you.  Attached is an evaluation form, ranking all of the activities, as well as food, housing and other aspects.  Please email completed forms to expan...@prometheusradio.org

Cory Fischer-Hoffman

Campaign Director

Prometheus Radio Project

215-727-9620 x 501

cell: 610-761-5414

www.prometheusradio.org

Take Action to Expand Local Community radio

Low Power to the People!