Market forces have not led to a vigorous radio culture, or thoughtful programming, or programming that gives voice to the community. In their quest for larger audiences, more advertising, and greater profits, commercial broadcasters cater to the basest standards, with ever more blatant effusions of crassness, sex talk, and nihilism. Commercial rewards drive the creation, production, and marketing of ever more Howard Sterns, Greasemans, and the rest of the shock jocks. This inevitably leads to a coarsening of our culture, which has particularly harmful effects on children. Meanwhile, the public is mostly silent on the airwaves that we legally own.
Radio is supposed to serve the ends and purposes of the First Amendment.
That means protecting public discourse, which is essential to our form of democratic self-government. But the current regulatory regime for radio serves to thwart the First Amendment rights and the interests of most Americans. We speak little, if at all, on our own airwaves, while the wealthy may speak through radio by controlling who uses their stations and for what purposes. That's a big deal. Imagine the new voices that could flourish on these microstations service and advocacy groups, universities, community and civic organizations, ethnic groups, arts organizations, seniors groups, and others.