[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 84 (Thursday, June 17, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7009-S7010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. CANTWELL:
  S. 2540. A bill to protect educational FM radio stations providing 
public service broadcasting from commercial encroachment; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I stand today to offer a bill to protect 
educational radio stations.
  Broadcaster Linda Ellerbee has compared radio to a national campfire: 
a place where a variety of voices bring us stories, news, opinion, 
culture and entertainment. But it seems these days that those 
representing the biggest business interests have the best seats at that 
campfire.
  Current regulations allow commercial broadcasters to move into the 
spaces of some, lower-powered educational stations.
  Last year the FCC ordered an educational station at a high school in 
Pennsylvania to be closed because a commercial broadcaster wanted to 
move into that space. That high school station had been serving the 
students and the community in Havertown, PA for fifty years. But no 
more. The high school station's voice was silenced. And that same FCC 
order also closed a radio station operated by a school district in 
Princeton, NJ. Both stations lost their licenses so a commercial 
broadcaster could get a frequency closer to the very profitable radio 
market in Philadelphia.
  In my State of Washington, a high school station that has served a 
Seattle community for 35 years is now threatened with closure. That's 
because a commercial broadcaster located in another State wants to 
relocate to a larger city to increase its profits at the expense of the 
students of Mercer Island High School and the community the station 
serves. And in this case, the school's station also serves an important 
tool in the lives of those working in the local music community. The 
station focuses on introducing new and local bands to the airways. 
These artists are frequently later picked up for airplay by other radio 
stations. Few stations across the U.S. perform this role in the music 
industry. No other station serves this role so well in the Seattle 
music community.
  If the FCC allows this move, it could be worth millions to the 
commercial broadcasters. But what is the cost to the local community 
when this voice is silenced? What is the educational cost to the 
students at this high school? What benefits and experiences will they 
be losing in the future?
  This is a classic example of commercial interests trumping the public 
service interest in preserving local educational broadcasters. These 
small public service stations usually don't have

[[Page S7010]]

anyone to stand up for them. Since the 1970's, we have seen more than a 
hundred of these stations disappear, to be replaced by larger, often 
national broadcasters, with little if any connection to the local 
community.
  The examples I've given you here today are not the only ones. Radio 
stations run by universities in Pittsburgh and North Carolina are also 
vulnerable to similar attempts.
  This is why I am introducing the Educational Radio Protection Act.
  My legislation is very simple: educational stations that are able to 
meet certain qualifying standards, similar to the requirements for 
primary, Class A, stations on FM radio, will be given the same 
protected status that these primary stations receive.
  This is an important measure to protect community broadcasters. And 
the bottom line is that commercial broadcasters won't be able to bump 
these educational stations off the radio dial.
  I thank you for the time today to discuss an issue that really is a 
cornerstone of democracy. For only in a democracy are the voices of the 
many heard to bring about a functioning government. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill, and yield the floor.
                                 ______