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McCain, Leahy bill forwards LPFM

Two Senators, each with an important seat on different important Senate committees, are introducing a bill to expedite the implementation of low power FM stations. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is chair of the Commerce Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is ranking member at the Judiciary Committee.

They are co-sponsoring the Low Power Radio Act of 2004 - - a bill which would put a stop to studies and debate in order to start getting more such stations on the air.

McCain said, "After spending almost two years and over two million dollars, an independent study revealed what the FCC and community groups have said all along: Low power FM radio will do no harm to other broadcasters. This bill directly responds to recommendations by the FCC by removing any further delay in low power FM radio implementation and eliminating the need for any further study."

He continued, "I look forward to hearing more local artists, local news, local public affairs programming and community-based programming on low power FM radio stations throughout the country."

NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts was quick to respond. "It is unfortunate Sen. McCain is relying on the deeply flawed Mitre study in supporting the authorization of more low power FM stations. Local radio listeners should not be subjected to the inevitable interference that would result from shoehorning more stations onto an already overcrowded radio dial," he said.

RBR observation:

Will the LPFM rules the FCC has proposed cause interference? The simple truth is that no one knows. The Commission didn't do the study that the US Congress mandated - - instead trying to get by on the cheap and ordering up the Mitre study, which didn't prove anything one way or the other. Until real tests are run on real world conditions, we won't know whether lots of new LPFMs would cause interference. For Sen. McCain to claim that the Mitre study resolved anything is a flat out lie.


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