Put Your Hands On The Radio!

A Hands-On Guide to Starting a Community Radio Station

From the Prometheus Radio Project

01 Chapter Layout:

A. How We Got Here B. Laying the Groundwork 1. Applying for a License 2. Convening a Board of Directors 3. Choosing a Location C. Get it Together 1. Mission Statements 2. How Much For that Radio Station in the Window? 3. Time to Pay the Bills 4. Fund Drives that Don’t Suck 5. Station Promotion 6. Grants D. We’re on the Air, Now What? 1. Programming Policy 2. Station Governance 3. FCC Rules and Regulations 4. Types of Programs E. Final Transmission

A. How We Got Here casters were later added, but in large measure radio ...or how the pirates won back the airwaves has remained strictly commercial. Things only got for community radio worse as the decades wore on. Despite the emer- gence of Pacifica Radio in mid-century, followed by Low Power FM represents a renewal of radio in at least a hundred community radio stations over the America. For years, licenses for community groups years, real community radio stations are the excep- have been near impossible to come by, especially if tion rather than the rule in most towns. you just wanted a little micropower station for your neighborhood association or small town. There’s no Then along came Pirate. Radio that is. Illegal real mystery as to why licenses were so hard to get, broadcasters have existed from the dawn of broad- casting, but by the why they suddenly Please order your minions of Satan to leave became available in 1980s a new type of my station alone stop you cannot expect the 2000, why they were politically charged then mostly taken almighty to abide by your wave length nonsense pirate station emerged. away again, nor why stop when I offer my prayers to him I must fit The Kantako Family of we stand poised to into his wave reception stop open this station at Black Liberation Radio get them back. It’s all once. (later Human Rights Radio) pioneered illegal politics. –Aimee Semple McPherson, 1925 telegram community broadcast- to the Department of Commerce after they padlocked her radio Our commercial ing from their apart- station for frequency drift. As a faith healer, McPherson often radio broadcasting ment in a housing entreated her listeners to put their hands on their radio receiver system crystallized project in Springfield into its current legal Illinois. Their open defi- framework in 1934 with the creation of the Federal ance, remarkable staying power (for close to twenty Communications Commission (FCC) and the dis- years) and unique form of public service broadcast- missal of the idea that the government should create ing did not quite fit inside the NPR box (the Kantakos room on the dial for noncommercial broadcasters. were famous for rebroadcasting a police scanner Some provisions for educational nonprofit broad- with a running commentary, helping housing proj- 02 ect residents avoid the wrath of overzealous police). reclaim the airwaves. Now an official license cate- Their station became the inspiration for thousands of gory exists for noncommercial, community-oriented low power broadcasters. broadcasting at a power of 100 watts or less – the In the 1990s, Stephen Dunifer of Free Radio power of a light bulb. Berkeley was busted for his unlicensed station, but a The main radio industry lobby, the National As- remarkable court case argued by the National Lawyers sociation of Broadcasters (NAB), and National Public Guild that threw into doubt the legality of the FCC’s Radio (NPR) joined forces and mobilized some bogus licensing system for close to 4 years followed. They industry science to say these little light bulb stations argued for microradio as a free speech right, calling were going to interfere with their 50,000-watt flame- into question the constitutionality of the licensing throwers. Studies flew back and forth until Congress system that gave so many channels to corporations weighed in, slapping the FCC’s new community radio and so little to community groups. In the shadow of stations down in favor of a scaled back plan proposed Dunifer’s case, over a thousand unlicensed community by the big broadcasters. radio stations rose up around the country. Though the The Orwellian titled “Radio Broadcast Preserva- case was ultimately lost on a technicality, microradio tion Act of 2000” immediately clipped the wings of changed the reality of the radio dial. With Dunifer’s the LPFM service by requiring an excessive amount case closed, the FCC heightened their enforcement of space between existing full power stations and the against microradio, shutting down over 250 stations newly licensed low power ones (see 3rd adjacent spacing in 1998 alone. These actions provoked more lawsuits, diagram.) The new law eliminated about 75 percent public demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience, of potential stations, essentially keeping LPFM out until the FCC realized that they must legalize a new of major cities. Despite the fact that a subsequent form of community broadcasting. independent engineering study, ordered by Congress, After Philadelphia’s Radio Mutiny was silenced confirmed the FCC’s previous assessment that these by FCC enforcers, the ex-pirates first got mad, and spacing requirements were unnecessary, these restric- then got organized. Reemerging as The Prometheus tive “protections” have yet to be lifted. Radio Project, they organized tours up and down Currently over 800 LPFM stations are on the air the eastern sea- across the country, 3rd Adjacent channel requirements board to educate springing up in and inform whoever small towns and turned out to coffee rural areas. About shops, church base- 200 more are still ments, and campus awaiting their con- classrooms about struction permits. the need for greater The LPFMs already community access to on the air represent the radio dial. Pledg- some of the best ex- ing to start-up 10 amples of communi- new stations for ev- ty radio’s potential, ery pirate station the with stations run by FCC shut down, the farmworkers groups, Prometheans moved civil rights organiza- quickly to the front tions, schools, public lines of the broadcast access tv stations, reform movement. neighborhood as- After a few high-pro- sociations and environmental groups. file protest actions in Washington, FCC Chair William The fight is not over. It is sad but true that com- Kennard announced that he was spearheading a munity radio is not seen by the government as part new class of radio station license. In January of 2000, of the basic fabric of democracy in the United States Low Power FM (LPFM) was born of these struggles to – it is a cause that people have to fight for to get on 03 the air at all. So the time to get your LPFM appli- Orion ... or whenever three of the five FCC Com- cation together is now. We don’t know when they missioners decide it is more important for grassroots will next take applications, but it is best to be ready community groups to have an opportunity to build a when they do. radio station than to give away more of the airwaves to Like we said, it’s all politics, nothing more and the corporations. You guess which is more common. nothing less. The corporate big-wigs and NPR have Since the scheduling of filing windows is based on the their lobbyists in Washington, but we have people whims of public officials as opposed to some regular power. We’ve used it, and we need to keep using it to interval, it is important to prepare your application expand, preserve and protect the airwaves we win back ahead of time. The wait is excruciating, but if you are for our communities. not planning on leaving town, your chance to apply will eventually come. B. Laying the Groundwork 2. Convene a Board of Directors 1. Applying for a License The board of directors is the group of people who The application for a low power license can only be are legally responsible for the radio station. There is submitted to the FCC during one of the rare “Filing no minimum number for boards of directors federally, Windows.” These are five day windows of opportunity though some states have minimums for incorporated that occur when Jupiter lines up with the third transit organizations. Your board of directors on the FCC of Pluto and the 7th rising of Antares in the belt of form should match anything that your organization

The Struggle for Low Power Radio! The Local Community Radio Act

For many years, Prometheus Radio Project has been fighting to undo the restrictions Congress placed on Low Power FM (LPFM) in the interests of big broadcasters. In this pursuit, allies in Congress have introduced the Local Community Radio Act!! This legislation seeks to relax adjacency laws set in 2000. If passed, this bipartisan legislation would open up the airwaves to high schools, labor unions, nonprofits, and civic organizations looking to launch new stations in their neighborhoods. The Local Community Radio Act brings low power (back) to the people! With the airwaves under such tight corporate control, the struggle to bring stations into the hands of communities is crucial. This is especially urgent in urban areas where local groups have been excluded from LPFM since Congress’s decision in 2000.

• Local LPFM radio can be a key tool for local activism and national movement building because... community radio brings local content and news coverage essential to civic engagement!

• Locally-run radio is a fundamental right of the community and a necessary tool to respond to emergencies and crises

• More LPFM stations open up the airwaves to more diverse and traditionally marginalized voices that should have a place on the dial

04 might have filed with the state in which you reside. www.recnet.com. It is not guaranteed to be one hun- 3. Location, Location, Location dred percent accurate, and cannot be used in place of the FCC program or a professional engineering study, A radio license is not like a drivers license- you can’t but it gives you an idea of other possibilities. A profes- drive around town with it and put things up where sional engineer will cost a few hundred dollars to do a you please. The transmitter can only be assigned to an frequency search, but is the most reliable way of know- exact geographic location, and you have to specify that ing that the frequency you choose is a good one. location in your application to make sure that it meets the FCC requirements. There are websites where you It is cheapest and simplest to have your studio in can go to find out your exact location in geographical the same location as your radio antenna, but the FCC coordinates by giving your street address. See http:// does not care where your studio is- only the point of prometheusradio.org/find_location transmission. So do not worry if you have to put the studio someplace downtown, but the transmitter needs Once you know where you are, check out www. to be somewhere up in the hills on the outside of town. fcc.gov/mb/audio/lpfm/lpfm_channel_finder.html. This will tell you whether there are any frequencies C. Get it Together: Community organizing to build available at that location. But be warned, the FCC a radio station frequency finder is not necessarily as accurate as some 1. Mission (Statements Need Not Be) Impossible! of the commercial services out there. It may miss some A concise mission statement is necessary to estab- possible channels. So if it says there are no channels lish your station’s core values and identify who the available, you should double check elsewhere. station is meant to serve. To the public, a well thought A very powerful website that can be a big help is out mission statement presents your station to the

Thin Air’s Mission Statement important local, national and global issues, (www.kyrs.org) reflecting values of peace, social, economic and “Thin Air Community Radio shall serve the environmental justice, human rights, democracy, Spokane area with progressive perspectives, multiculturalism, freedom of expression and filling needs that other media do not, providing social change. programming to diverse communities and un- Thin Air’s arts, cultural, and music program- served or underserved groups. ming shall cover a wide spectrum of expression Thin Air programming shall place an em- from traditional to experimental and reflect the phasis on providing a forum for non-corporate diverse cultures Thin Air serves. Thin Air shall and neglected perspectives and discussions on strive for spontaneity and program excellence, both in content and technique.”

Radio Mutiny Mission Statement (91.3 FM, until captured by the FCC) “Radio Mutiny is a broadcasting station for people who are denied a voice in the mainstream media. Our all-volunteer group operates a micro-powered FM transmitter, similar to hundreds of radio stations that have sprung up across the country in response to the ever-tightening control of public informa- tion by elite media corporations. Radio Mutiny does not promote useless prod- ucts, vapid lifestyles, or the sound-bite, assembly line ideology that passes for news in this country. We use the public airwaves for news, music, performance, and for communicating with each other about our real daily lives and communi- ties. Radio Mutiny is rabidly non-hierarchical, decisively anti-authoritarian, avidly pro-feminist, staunchly anti-racist, and flamboyantly anti-homophobic. Our pro- gramming is anti-commercial, non-partisan, irreligious, and iconoclastic. Your radio dial was made for revolution!” 05 community and should inspire volunteers and allies. Station in the Window? Internally, mission statements can be used to establish The Low Down on Low Budgets programming priorities and justify difficult program- One of the absolutely beautiful things about low ming decisions. For example, if a minority group power radio is how cheap it is. A full studio can be put comes to your station and is interested in producing a together with donated equipment, or with used equip- show, the station’s mission can be used to justify dis- ment bought cheaply. A cheap studio set up using placing an incumbent programmer to make room for consumer grade audio stuff will cost you between 0 the new group. Similarly, you can remove a program- and $2000, depending how much you scavenge and mer from his/her show if that programmer airs mate- how picky you are. As you get to the high end of rial that runs counter to your mission (i.e. blatantly equipment and additional production studios, we have sexist, classist, or racist material). heard of people spending as much as $100,000, so you One of the most important decisions you should may need to keep your tech people on a strict leash to make is whether your keep them from buying Here are some examples of communities that station is “community every gewgaw and who- you might be interested in reaching out to. access” or driven by a zawhatsit that they ever single interest or segment Minorities/Immigrants Activist communities lusted after. Youth Seniors of the community. Sta- Keep in mind that tions thrive or die over Community Organizations Academics Business Community Artists/Musicians consumer grade studio such concerns, so precise Local government Public Health Orgs. equipment is perfectly language on this point Colleges/High Schools Organized Labor adequate, especially when is paramount. There is you are starting out and no FCC rule or other short of cash. It is generally a little noisier, less conve- guideline that says you should be one or the other. As nient to use and will break much quicker than good the licensee of a radio station, your group is allowed professional machinery- but if you are putting things complete discretion in what you will or will not broad- together on a shoestring, the pro-gear can wait. On cast, as long as it is not obscene, libelous, etcetera. Your the other hand, it is often easier to fundraise for start- LPFM license is a “Non-commercial-educational” up expenses than maintenance, so try to look at the license, which means your group must have an edu- skills of your volunteers and evaluate whether your cational mission. But it is entirely up to you to define group will be more skilled at fundraising from listen- what that mission is- it could be as narrow as “to ers after you start up or winning big grants before you educate the public that they will go to hell if they do start. not give my church money,” or “to educate the public about the virtues of techno music.” Think broadly – The transmitter and associated equipment usu- the FCC does not employ sociologists to evaluate one ally cost between $4500 and $8000 unless you have educational mission as more valid than another. a tower, which can range from “free if you get that damn thing my husband left there when he died” to Once you have drafted your mission statement ten, twenty, thirty thousand dollars for a fully installed you should prepare to do some outreach. This should tower. Check out these online resources to get the involve organizing community meetings, attending lowdown on all your equipment needs: the meetings of other community organizations, and possibly creating a survey to gauge your community’s Start-up equipment: aspirations for the radio station. For your own meet- http://prometheusradio.org/startup_equipment ings, you should advertise in the local paper (preferably with a free article) and with well-placed fliers. Hav- Understanding Radio: ing a wide community base not only http://prometheusradio.org/understanding_radio improves the diversity of program- Station schematic: ming, it also increases the number of http://prometheusradio.org/station_schematic resources that are available to your You may need to rent studio space -- but it is often community station. worth asking around to see about donated space. You 2. How Much For That Radio may be able to get some local group to donate a room 06 KRBS in Oroville, CA (www.radiobirdstreet.org) 4) Make fundraising a group effort whenever pos- raised $10,000 (see below), taking about $7000 sible. to get on the air – a good chunk of which went 5) Think of fundraising and publicity as birds of a to a quality transmitter and antenna. Radio feather. Conciencia in Immokalee, FL, WCIW, got going for 6) Be creative. Sometimes volunteered services and about $4200, though they did receive a sweet donated items are more valuable than money. mixing board donated from Tampa’s awesome 7) Have a good database (and that means MAIN- full-power community station, WMNF. TAINING it!). This may be one of those skills to del- egate to paid staff, or to a foolproof trustworthy One (anonymous) LPFM does pay some staff, workaholic who just loves organization. Seek Virgos operating on a monthly budget of nearly $3,500, or Cancers. about 75 percent of which comes from grants; staff payroll including taxes amount to about 8) Look into CPB and PTFP grants half their monthly 4. And With Your Fifty Dollar Pledge, You Can expenses. Take Have This Special Tote Bag away their grants Fund Drives that don’t Suck (and staff!) and On air fund drives are a crucial staple for staying on their monthly the air. Here are some ideas about how you can ap- operating budget proach this sort of fundraising: becomes $1000. Make recorded fundraising pitches that are short to you, at least for the first year or so. Having a radio and fun. Include information about where to send station inside is a big draw for a community center, donations (and/or where to call) at least twice. Explain public access TV station, or other institution that likes why you need the money and what it will be used for. to have a lot of people coming through. Thank them for listening. These could be aired peri- Many stations get by on volunteers exclusively. odically daily, especially if you don’t have on air fund- However, in many cases stations may want to hire raising drives that begin and end on certain dates. part-time staff to keep the office running smoothly. Plan the weeklong fund drive and pre-announce it This is largely a matter of your organization’s operat- for at least a week; define a set goal, let listeners know ing philosophy. If paid staff are desired, figure out periodically how close you are getting to it; invite how much (or little) they will work for and make this a guests and/or speakers to come in, and promote these part of your operating budget. Tasks that may require events heavily – you can even tease listeners by not paid services include accounting, underwriting (should airing the conclusion to a talk until you get x more your station decide to pursue it), and just general paper shuffling – er – well organized record keeping. Creative Fundraising 3. Everyone Talks About Community Until it is KRBS in Oroville, sitting on 107.1 FM, Time To Pay The Bills: Participatory Fundraising launched a 107 founders drive, enlisting each Fundraising is the life blood of community radio. founder to donate one hundred and seven dol- Here’s a few tips on how everyone can help fundraise lars and ten cents each, and in return they got to make the radio station a success. their name on a nice plaque which has become 1) Set fiscal goals before the year starts. a permanent fixture in the station’s studio; 2) Appreciate the dedicated, always. You can’t have it is also on their website. Founders get to radio without feedback to your volunteers, members, feel they were instrumental in launching your and donors. incredible station, and you get their money!! Win Win!! This is an awesome way to build-up 3) Keep a detailed record of all donations and the your community-involvement philosophy from money used to solicit those donations so as to be able the get-go, and really offers a sense of invest- to accurately evaluate what works for your station and ment in your station by the community, beyond what doesn’t, not to mention all the trouble you could strictly monetary terms. get yourself into. 07 pledges! with a Community Events Calendar. Your local anti- Break down pledges into monthly or daily terms flouridation chapter, as well as the Kiwanis Club and – “for pennies a day you can help us build our new the Rotary Club, will appreciate you announcing their tower!!” Then you can print special bumper stick- events as much as you will appreciate your call letters ers for project-specific drives so people can proudly gracing their newsletters’ pages. display that they helped raise the new tower, like T Shirts, Coffee Mugs, Key Chains, and other stuff KPFT in Houston did in the early 1990s. Drawing PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY WANT with your connections between your radio station and the larger station’s name on it. Make these items available for communities in which it participates is another great sale in the studio, attach them as pledge premiums, way to inspire pledges. Talk about how your station and sell them at tables set up at community events or enriches the local music scene or mention its involve- at station-sponsored fund-raising events. ment in the greater independent media movement. Another great promotional idea is having a pro- Basically, remind your listeners of the value of com- gram guide. A simple guide will contain a program munity media. schedule along with vital information about the station Fund drives are also a great opportunity to utilize (i.e. staff, mission, website, and contact information). your station’s connections in and outside of your com- More expansive guides can read more like a magazine, munity. Contact labels whose artists your radio station containing articles, record reviews, and art by your plays and ask them to donate their extra CDs to your programmers and djs. fund drive. The same can be done for publishers and 6. Don’t They Give Out Big Grant Money For This? distributors of books, DVDs and videos, or whatever Not Really. Grants take loads of time and are very other product that your station can easily promote. competitive. Just because you started a radio station This can be written off as a promotional expense for does not mean that foundations are going to throw them and makes a great premium for your listeners. money at you. Take a number and wait in line with the Local businesses are also a great source of premium zillion other people who want free money! As a rule, material. KDVS, a college radio station in Davis, no foundation wants to go out on a limb and be your California, offers everything from tattoos to dinners main funder- they want to see that you have commu- for two during their fund drive. They also get local nity support in the form of pledge dollars, a healthy restaurants to feed their volunteers during fundraiser amount of merchandising and grassroots fundraising, week in exchange for thank you’s over the air. and some collaborations with other non-profits that Some programmers get creative. You might net you money for services that you provide them. stage a dorky radio play, for example. WFMU in New Unless you have a very special story to tell, you will York brings in musical group Yo La Tengo to play not be able to rely on grants exclusively. They are well cover songs by request over the air during their fund worth the effort for large-scale and expensive projects drive. Programmers at KDVS often promise to do like equipment upgrades or studio / station remodel- embarrassing things in order to inspire pledges, like ing. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the getting the name of a donor tattooed on their butt National Telecommunications and Information Ad- cheek if that donor gives $500, or drinking a red bull ministration have grants that can help you here if you for every $100 that comes in during their show. are very, very ready. But they may be more trouble than 5. If A Radio Station Played A Great Show In they are worth. Be sure to read all the fine print! Local The Forest And There Was No One There To Hear, foundations are best to pursue- start looking at groups Would It Make A Sound? in the Funding exchange network (www.FEX.org) and Promoting your station is essential try for a few grants under $5000. You may need a fiscal The best promotion is achieved by getting involved sponsor (sometimes called a fiscal agent) to be able to with local community organizations and by attending, accept tax-deductible donations and apply for grants. promoting, or putting together local events. Get an D. We’re on the Air, Now What? ad in local newsletters from various organizations in 1. Setting Up a Programming Policy return for mentioning their name on the air, and how Programming is usually the biggest source of drama to contact them. This is great especially in conjunction at any radio station. Radio is notorious for its strong 08 personalities, and managing these individuals into to set up the criteria by which the show will later be non-overlapping timeslots is inevitably challenging. To evaluated. avoid the personal conflicts that limited timeslots and b. Program Criteria strong personalities ensure, it is important to have a Regarding programming criteria, you have to transparent decision making process and a clear set of decide what rules, if any, you want to impose on your expectations for programmers. programmers. Here are some questions that you might You should get at least a skeleton of a process for want to consider: Do you want to require that music programming decisions in place as quickly as pos- shows play no commercial music, or maybe just not sible. Many groups start without a process, and they the stuff heard on other radio stations? Do you want make one up the to require that first time a new Great Advice from Radio Genius Elizabeth Robinson of programmers play person comes in KCSB, Santa Barbara, CA: a certain percent- with something A community station should make as few rules as age of new or local they do not like! By possible. But enforce the ones you make. music? Will there then, lots of people be established rules are already in, and of on-air etiquette have different expectations about how their show (i.e. keeping it positive, no discussion of station poli- will be reviewed, and everyone can write their own tics over the air, no making fun of callers, etc.)? story about how it was unfair to them. Much better Outside of these rules, the basic tenets of program- to have a process in place from the start. The process ming quality are technical savvy, entertainment value, can change with time, as long as no one “got in on educational content, artistic content, and on air pres- the ground floor” and feels like the rules of the station ence. These rules in addition to the criteria set out were made for other people, not for them. by the programmer in their own application should Before any programming decisions are made, you determine how the program will be judged. must first invent a process by which these decisions c. Programming Evaluations will be made. This largely just means that you have to find a person or committee to formulate this process It is a good idea to have a regular schedule for the (i.e. applications, interviews, scheduling, evaluations, reassignment of timeslots and program evaluations. It FCC compliance, and communicating with the pro- is up to you to figure out how often this will occur and grammers). Most of this stuff can be done by com- how elaborate the evaluations will be. mittee, but to avoid mixed messages it is often recom- d. Preemption Policy mended that you only have one person in charge of It is inevitable that there will be occasions when the making the schedule and /or communicating with the station will need to halt its regularly scheduled pro- programmers. gramming for special programming (i.e. sports games, a. Application Process election coverage, breaking news, Sun Ra marathons, A show application is necessary for scheduling etc.) and it is important that there is a clear procedure as well as setting expectations for program quality. for this preemption. A minimal program application should include the 2. There Oughtta Be a Law – Governing Your basics: a show description, personal information of Community Station programmer (name, address, experience, etc.), avail- In addition to FCC regulations, stations can decide ability, and an affidavit explaining that the program- to make up their own policies for keeping program- mer understands FCC and station policy. A more mers in line. Stations often have rules regarding food, elaborate application may also include a detail of drugs and alcohol, handling equipment, on-air guests, volunteer work done or intended for the station and on-air etiquette, subbing procedures, programming a short description of the radio station’s process for logs, and volunteer requirements. These rules should assigning timeslots. If the programmer is new to the be accompanied by a procedure for grievances or station, it is also advised that you have an interview reprimands. For example, a good policy could define with that person before promising them a show. This both minor and major violations, and lay out what process functions to get the programmer him/herself 09 the consequences are of each. There is no one way to stores and buy your favorite album. Legally speaking, govern. We have seen stations that range from benign this law is generally enforced as it applies to sponsor- dictatorships to anarchist collectives, and each have ship announcements. had their strengths and weaknesses. Check out several Fighting words: Radio programmers cannot use stations whose sound you like and see how they make language that is likely to cause listeners to react in a decisions. violent way. In light of this rule, radio hosts should 3. I Gotta Letter From the Government– Knowing be warned not to provoke on-air callers, as tempting the FCC Rules as this might be. Required Logs: Low Power radio stations have Plugola: It is illegal for a radio programmer to significantly less logging requirements than full promote their non-broadcast business interests on power non-commercial radio stations. Low power the air, unless their interest is disclosed, in which case stations must keep engineering logs, containing a it is subject to the rules governing non-commercial date and description of transmitting equipment fail- sponsorship announcements. This includes accepting ures, Emergency Alert System (EAS) testing logs, and money to promote the business interests of others and transmitter readings. They also must keep a political playing one’s own band during their radio show. file, which contains every request for air time that is Payola: This is a form of plugola wherein a pro- made by a candidate for public office. It is required grammer accepts money for playing an artist’s songs by law that you give airtime to a candidate if they on the radio. request it within 7 days of giving airtime to their op- ponent. It is also illegal for a radio station to endorse Sponsorship Announcements: Since all LPFMs any candidate for public office. are non-commercial, there are regulations as to what can be broadcast in exchange for underwriting. Spon- Station Ids: It is required by law that you identify sorship announcements must only inform, avoiding your radio station with its call letters, immediately qualitative statements that cannot be proven such as followed by the name of the city in which you are “best pizza in town” or “great service”, etc. For ex- licensed to broadcast at the beginning of every hour ample, a typical sponsorship announcement will sound (example, KDRT-LP, Davis). something like this: “KDRT thanks Company X for Defamation: It is illegal for a programmer to at- sponsoring this hour of KDRT programming, Com- tack the character of a public or private figure by mak- pany X provides x,y,z services and is located at A street ing on-air statements that cannot be proven. in downtown Davis. For more information, Company Obscenity vs. indecency: The difference between X can be reached at 555-1234 or on the web at com- obscene and indecent material is a tough distinction to panyX.com.” make, because it is largely a matter of degree. Obscene 4. Types of Programs material is sexually explicit material that lacks artis- Public Service Announcements (PSAs): Public tic, political, or scientific value. Any non-scientific Service Announcements can either be read live on the description of excretory activities is also considered air or be prerecorded. They can be used to announce obscene. Indecent material may use the nomenclature community events, promote community resources or of these subjects, but is far less descriptive (and of- distribute information of value to your audience. It is fensive). A good rule of thumb for making this dis- also a good idea to tinction is that indecent material can mention sex, but make prerecorded obscene material describes it. Indecent material can promotional an- contain dirty words, but obscene material focuses on nouncements pro- them. Indecent material can be broadcast during safe moting the various harbor hours (10pm-6am); obscene material is prohib- programs on your ited at all times. radio station. Calls to Action: It is illegal for non-commercial Producing prere- programmers to issue any calls to action. These calls corded programming to action can be anything from ordering your listeners Practicing with mic and mini- such as PSAs, station to riot for a political cause, to telling them to go to the disc in Tanzania photo: Kate Coyer IDs, and news pieces 01 has recently become accessible to those without access lines read by alternating voices, because it makes them to expensive recording equipment. User friendly sound easier to listen to and easier to record. For national editing programs are available for cheap and even free and international news, there are many quality syndi- for download, such as Audacity (www.audacity.sound- cated shows that are available for free or really cheap forge.net) and digital recording equipment has never to LPFMs. been cheaper or more portable. Minidiscs recorders Public Affairs: Public affairs shows aim to educate are popular but bewildering in variety. www.minidisc. the community. They can be shows about gardening, org is a very helpful resource. From painful experi- bike culture and repair, politics, philosophy, health, ence, we strongly recommend getting a quality mic– it hobbies, psychology, literature, or legal advice...just is the most important link in your production chain. to name a few. WCIW, a station for farm laborers in Music: Doing a good music show is pretty straight- Immokalee Florida, has shows devoted to workers forward, but here is some advice from experience. rights and news from workers’ home countries. Keep the air-breaks short, to the point, and announce Every public affairs show can benefit from theme the music starting from the last piece that your audi- music. You should also keep music on the side to in- ence heard (a.k.a. back-rapping). Give out the phone terject in between talking segments. Co-hosts are also number, call letters, and web address often. Be nice to good for dividing up the talking load, which is neces- callers but cut them off if they sary because radio listeners tend are boring. Promote your local Resources for syndicated content: to tune out after hearing the music scene and take requests. www.pacifica.org same voice for too long. Background music is always a www.fsrn.org For political talk shows, it good idea. So is background www.democracynow.org is often best to have more than information. Theme shows (i.e. www.prx.org one point of view presented, regional shows, historical shows, radio4all.net unless someone is sharing a shows centered around a cer- www.transom.org personal experience. Otherwise, tain topic, etc.) are also fun and you are likely to turn off anyone interesting. Always remember, you are there to educate that doesn’t already agree with you. Also, when you and entertain. interview others, be sure to listen to what they have to News: One of the beauties of low power radio is say, as opposed asking what they think about your po- that it has a limited range. Why? Because this enables litical views. A good rule of thumb is to ask questions them to broadcast material that might be irrelevant to that start out with the 5 w’s: who, what, when, where, a larger audience. Your news department (if you have why and how... and opposed to questions that start the resources to have one) should take advantage of with a verb: “do you think...”, Speak like you would this situation, covering local issues and giving a voice in the context where your listener is, perhaps not quite to those who usually do not make the news. This news as informally. Remember they can’t see you so body should also, if possible, be more than simply bring language won’t help- your words have to be descriptive color to the stories already covered by the local press. so they can paint pictures in their minds. Your news department should aspire to be investiga- E. Final Transmission tive, following up on reports of community injustice, researching campaign contributions of local politi- For more on the history of the struggle to reclaim cians, and highlighting the accomplishments of com- our airwaves, ways to get involved in the campaign munity groups. to get LPFM in our cities, and get your LPFM ap- plication together, take a gander at the website of The Recording daily headlines, to be played several Prometheus Radio Project: www.prometheusradio. times throughout the day, is a cheap and easy way to org. There, you can read up to learn more about how provide a valuable service to your listeners. You can to start your own legal low power station. Your com- create guidelines, like having x number of local, re- munity needs you! gional, national or international stories, and have your news staff summarize and record these stories at the beginning of every day. It is best to have these head- Guide written by Pete Tridish, Zach Schiller, and Sakura Saunders 11