The Prometheus Radio Project is a non-profit advocacy and community organizing group committed building an inclusive and representative media landscape in the United States and around the world. Their primary focus has been to create a large community of low power community radio stations and listeners that will grow 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.
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Mission
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 FCC regulatory process, and sponsoring events that promote awareness and support of media democracy and LPFM radio.[1]
Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC
In 2003 the Federal Communications Commission, under Chairman 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 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.[2] The Supreme Court later turned down an appeal, so the decision stands. The FCC was ordered to reconfigure how it justifies raising ownership limits.
Barnraisings
In the spirit of the Amish barn-raising tradition, where a community comes together and erects a new and essential structure, Prometheus holds radio barnraisings. These events bring together members of the immediate 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 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 3 days. At a typical barnraising, the organization invites expert facilitators to lead workshops on a wide variety of topics relating to new radio stations. Subjects such as understanding the workings of the FCC, introductions to various aspects of radio engineering, updates on media and democracy campaigns, and how radio can promote today's social change are addressed. In the inclusive spirit of Prometheus' mission, the events are open to anyone interested in community radio.
Prometheus has held eleven community radio barnraisings to date:[3]
- WRYR-LP in Deale, Maryland with South Arundel Citizens for Responsible Development
- KRBS-LP in Oroville, California with the Bird Street Media Project
- KOCZ-LP in Opelousas, Louisiana with the Southern Development Foundation
- KYRS-LP in Spokane, Washington with the Thin Air Radio Project
- WCIW-LP in Immokalee, Florida with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
- WSCA-LP in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Portsmith Community Radio
- WRFN-LP in Pasquo, Tennessee with Radio Free Nashville
- WXOJ-LP in Northampton, Massachusetts with Valley Free Radio
- WRFU-LP in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois with Radio Free Urbana
- KPCN-LP in Woodburn, Oregon with Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
- WMXP-LP in Greenville, South Carolina with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Prometheus has also been active internationally, working with groups in Guatemala, Nepal, Colombia, Jordan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
See also
- Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC
- LPFM
- Media Ownership
- Community Radio
- Media democracy
- World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
- Telecommunications Act of 1996
- National Association of Broadcasters
- Citizen media
External links
- Prometheus Radio Project - Homepage
- Free Press - National organization working to reform the media
- Rec Networks - LPFM database
- 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
- H.R. 2802 - Text of the Local Community Radio Act of 2007
- Radio for People - Coalition to expand community radio
- Reclaim the Media - Seattle-based media activist group
- Liberadio(!)'s interview with Kate Blofson of Prometheus Radio - October 8, 2007
- Prometheus Cheerleaders - Performance outside the FCC hearing on localism, October 31, 2007
