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The Prometheus Radio Project is a non-profit advocacy and community organizing group committed to building an inclusive and representative media landscape in the United States and around the world. They are working to create a network of [[LPFM|low power]] [[community radio]] stations. The communities organizing around these stations have grown into a powerful force working toward a more democratic media future. Founded in 1998 by a small group of radio activists in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], Prometheus has been active in building the low power community radio movement and organizing against [[media consolidation]].

Mission

From their website, [http://www.prometheusradio.org Prometheusradio.org]: {{quote|Prometheus Radio Project maintains that a free, diverse, and democratic media is critical to the political and cultural health of our nation; yet there exists unprecedented levels of [[media consolidation]] and lack of content diversity across the media landscape. The organization works toward a future characterized by ready access to media outlets and a broad selection of cultural and information media resources. In addition to its policy-focused media reform work, the primary mission of Prometheus is to help expand the community of [[LPFM]] stations and listeners. The vision inherent in this mission is that this community will grow into a powerful force working toward a future of more democratic media, free from the control of [[Corporate media]]. Toward this end, the organization supports community groups at every stage of the process of building community radio stations, facilitating public participation in the [[Federal Communications Commission]] regulatory process, and sponsoring events that promote awareness and support of [[media democracy]] and LPFM radio.}}

Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC

In 2003 the [[Federal Communications Commission]], under Chairman [[Michael Powell (politician)|Michael Powell]], sought to significantly relax media outlet ownership regulations. In [[Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC]], a number of broadcasters and citizens groups, including the [[Consumer Federation of America]], the National Council of Churches of Christ, and [[Media Alliance]], sued to prevent the FCC from following through on the decision. Prometheus was represented by Andrew Jay Schwartzman and Cheryl Leanza of the [http://www.mediaaccess.org Media Access Project]. On September 3, 2003, the [[U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals]] issued a stay which prevented the new rules from being enforced pending the outcome of the litigation. In 2004, the majority ruled 2-1 in favor of Prometheus and mandated the FCC re-examine its media ownership rules. They ruled that a "diversity index" used by the FCC to weigh cross-ownership (of radio, television and newspapers) employed several "irrational assumptions and inconsistencies." Dissent by Chief Judge [[Anthony Joseph Scirica]] noted that the majority were simply employing their own assumptions. The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] later turned down an appeal, so the decision stands. The FCC was ordered to reconfigure how it justifies raising ownership limits.

Barnraisings

[[File:|thumb|Studying the console at the WMXP-LP Barnraising, June 2007.]] In the spirit of the [[Amish]] [[barn-raising]] tradition, where a community comes together and erects an essential structure, Prometheus holds radio barnraisings. These events bring together the local community with community radio advocates from around the world to build a [[community radio]] station, while advancing the movement for media democracy. Prometheus barnraisings gather Low Power FM radio advocates, journalists, radio engineers, students, lawyers, musicians, activists and other folks from across the country to build a studio, raise an antenna mast, and put the station on air for the first time - all over the course of three days. At a typical barnraising, the organization invites expert facilitators to lead workshops on a wide variety of topics, like understanding the workings of the FCC, introductions to various aspects of radio engineering, updates on [[Mass media|media]] and democracy campaigns, and how radio can promote social change today. In the inclusive spirit of Prometheus's mission, the events are open to all. Prometheus has held eleven community radio barnraisings to date:NEWLINE

[[WRYR-LP]] - February 16-18, 2002 - [[Deale, Maryland]] with South Arundel Citizens for Responsible Development
[[KRBS-LP]] - April 12-14, 2002 - [[Oroville, California]] with the Bird Street Media Project
[http://www.kocz.org/index.php KOCZ-LP] - November 15-17, 2002 - [[Opelousas, Louisiana]] with the Southern Development Foundation
[[KYRS-LP]] - October 24-26, 2003 - [[Spokane, Washington]] with Thin Air Community Radio
[[WCIW-LP]] - December 5-7, 2003 - [[Immokalee, Florida]] with the [[Coalition of Immokalee Workers]]
[[WSCA-LP]] - September 10-12, 2004 - [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] with Portsmith Community Radio
[[WRFN-LP]] - April 1-3, 2005 - [[Pasquo, Tennessee]] with Radio Free Nashville
[[WXOJ-LP]] - April 5-7, 2005 - [[Northampton, Massachusetts]] with Valley Free Radio
[[WRFU-LP]] - November 11-13, 2005 - [[Champaign-Urbana, Illinois]] with Radio Free Urbana
[http://www.pcun.org/radio KPCN-LP] - August 18-20, 2006 - [[Woodburn, Oregon]] with Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
[[WMXP-LP]] - June 8-10, 2007 - [[Greenville, South Carolina]] with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
[http://www.wgxc.org/ WGXC-FM] - September 24-26, 2010 - [[Hudson, New York]] with Free103point9

NEWLINE Prometheus has also been active internationally, working with groups in [[Guatemala]], [[Nepal]], [[Colombia]], [[Jordan]], [[Kenya]], and [[Tanzania]].

Prometheus Involvement with Local Community Radio Act

For many years, Prometheus has strived to gain community members and nonprofit groups a fair share of the radio spectrum. Most recently, Prometheus was involved in the passing of the Local Radio Community Act. The act, proposed in 2009, opened up a portion of the radio spectrum to low-power community radio stations (LPFMs). Before then, community members could apply for licenses for full-power stations, which are five to ten times as expensive as LPFMs. Those groups who did not have the capital to build a full-power station were forced into piracy. The Prometheus Radio Project did everything possible to ensure the passage of the Local Community Radio Act. Members of the organization discovered that while the bill circulated in Congress, [[Senate hold|secret holds]] were put on it to prevent its passage. People who opposed the bill, like [[Gordon_H._Smith|Senator Gordon Smith]] -- the president of the National Association of Broadcasters -- were persuading other senators to vote against it. The moment the Prometheus Radio Project found out about this, members began contacting all the citizens they could. They encouraged their contacts to call their senators to show they were aware of these holds. Their efforts turned out to be worth it when the Local Community Radio Act was finally passed in 2010. What signing this act means is that “the FCC [has] a new mandate to expand low power radio,” says Brandy Doyle, Policy Director for the Prometheus Radio Project. However, the FCC will not begin to automatically handout licenses. Doyle states that “we think the FCC will need to do a rule making to clarify the intent of the new law and update the rules going forward.” (Doyle) Because of this act more groups will soon start to apply for licenses and they will need a lot of support in order to “navigate the process” says Vanessa Maria Graber, Community Radio Director at the Prometheus Radio Project. Now, however, “many low power stations are under a significant and substantive threat of encroachment.” Low Power FM Encroachment Report, 2/15/2005. Encroachment is something that Prometheus will have to work on combating next. Prometheus saw the act's passage as an opportunity to give a voice to local community radio and bring community radio to urban areas.

External links

NEWLINE

[http://www.freepress.net/ Free Press] - National organization working to reform the media
[http://www.lpfm.ws Rec Networks] - LPFM database
[http://www.techlawjournal.com/cong106/lpfm/hr3439rh.htm Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000] - Text of the act, supported by [[National Public Radio]] and the [[National Association of Broadcasters]], which was overturned in the lawsuit [[Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC]]
[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.2802: H.R. 2802] - Text of the Local Community Radio Act of 2007
[http://www.radioforpeople.org Radio for People] - Coalition to expand community radio
[http://www.reclaimthemedia.org Reclaim the Media] - Seattle-based media activist group
[http://www.liberadio.com/2007/10/09/interview-with-kate-blofson-prometheus-radio-monday-october-8-2007/ Liberadio(!)'s interview with Kate Blofson of Prometheus Radio] - October 8, 2007
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NOK1OwvP_c Prometheus Cheerleaders] - Performance outside the FCC hearing on localism, October 31, 2007