Documentary on Community Radio Format Getting TV Broadcast Time
NEW YORK
“LPFM: The People’s Choice,” a documentary on low power FM radio, tells the story of how the community-oriented radio format is “bringing diverse peoples closer together and giving new life to declining communities, new strength to neighborhoods and new voices in the marketplace of ideas,” according to its producers.
Aired initially on local stations in California and the Midwest in late September, the documentary can be seen at least through early 2005 in select local TV markets in the United States.
Promoted initially by former Federal Communication Commission Chairman William E. Kennard in 2000, LPFM is a low-cost service designed to promote diversity and localism and “to encourage voices from the margins.” Advocates say that despite LPFM’s promise, there have been powerful media entities seeking to prevent its deployment. Advocates also say that the National Association of Broadcasters and others have mounted significant challenges to LPFM by claiming that low power stations interfere with their larger signals.
The documentary is produced by the United Church of Christ Office of Communication — which is promoting a bill in Congress that would enable the licensing of thousands of new LPFM radio stations. For air times, see <www.ucc.org/ocinc/lpfmradio/onair.htm>.
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