Low-Power FM Radio May Benefit From Hurricane

Drew Clark writes:  "The FCC is considering a proposal that could put more low-power radio stations on the air -- in a move that comes five years after an attempt to do just that was dramatically curtailed by Congress.  ¶  But the politics of low-power FM may have shifted considerably in the interim, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Although the National Association of Broadcasters and National Public Radio scored a victory in crippling the LPFM push in 2000, low-power radio activists said new legislation in Congress, plus the urge for "localism" in broadcasting, puts the momentum on their side.  ¶  Further, a high-profile experimental license that the FCC recently granted to community activists could spotlight low-power radio's ability to reach segments of the population lacking other media options. Some community activists started a radio station in the parking lot of Houston's Astrodome for Katrina evacuees. ...¶... Opposition by NAB and NPR, which generally transmit at more than 1 megawatt -- or 1,000 watts -- and fear interference from low-power stations, led to language in a 2000 appropriations bill requiring the FCC to use a stricter standard when licensing LPFM. ..."  Link:  National Journal.