I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2802 
To implement the recommendations of the Federal Communications 
Commission report to the Congress regarding low-power FM service. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2007 
Mr. DOYLE (for himself and Mr. TERRY) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To implement the recommendations of the Federal Commu-
nications Commission report to the Congress regarding 
low-power FM service. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Local Community 
Radio Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The passage of the Telecommunications Act 
of 1996 led to increased ownership consolidation in 
the radio industry. 
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(2) At a hearing before the Senate Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on June 
4, 2003, all 5 members of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission testified that there has been, in at 
least some local radio markets, too much consolida-
tion. 
(3) A commitment to localism—local oper-
ations, local research, local management, locally- 
originated programming, local artists, and local news 
and events—would bolster radio listening. 
(4) Local communities have sought to launch 
radio stations to meet their local needs. However, 
due to the scarce amount of spectrum available and 
the high cost of buying and running a large station, 
many local communities are unable to establish a 
radio station. 
(5) In 2003, the average cost to acquire a com-
mercial radio station was more than $2,500,000. 
(6) In January, 2000, the Federal Communica-
tions Commission authorized a new, affordable com-
munity radio service called ‘‘low-power FM’’ or 
‘‘LPFM’’ to ‘‘enhance locally focused community-ori-
ented radio broadcasting’’. 
(7) Through the creation of LPFM, the Com-
mission sought to ‘‘create opportunities for new 
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voices on the air waves and to allow local groups, in-
cluding schools, churches, and other community- 
based organizations, to provide programming respon-
sive to local community needs and interests’’. 
(8) The Commission made clear that the cre-
ation of LPFM would not compromise the integrity 
of the FM radio band by stating, ‘‘We are com-
mitted to creating a low-power FM radio service only 
if it does not cause unacceptable interference to ex-
isting radio service.’’. 
(9) Currently, FM translator stations can oper-
ate on the second- and third-adjacent channels to 
full power radio stations, up to an effective radiated 
power of 250 watts, pursuant to part 74 of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations, using the very same 
transmitters that LPFM stations will use. The Com-
mission based its LPFM rules on the actual per-
formance of these translators that already operate 
without undue interference to FM stations. The ac-
tual interference record of these translators is far 
more useful than any results that further testing 
could yield. 
(10) Small rural broadcasters were particularly 
concerned about a lengthy and costly interference 
complaint process. Therefore, in September, 2000, 
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the Commission created a simple process to address 
interference complaints regarding LPFM stations on 
an expedited basis. 
(11) In December, 2000, Congress delayed the 
full implementation of LPFM until an independent 
engineering study was completed and reviewed. This 
delay was due to some broadcasters’ concerns that 
LPFM service would cause interference in the FM 
band. 
(12) The delay prevented millions of Americans 
from having a locally operated, community based 
radio station in their neighborhood. 
(13) Over 500 LPFM stations were allowed to 
proceed despite the congressional action. These sta-
tions are currently on the air and are run by local 
government agencies, groups promoting arts and 
education to immigrant and indigenous peoples, art-
ists, schools, religious organizations, environmental 
groups, organizations promoting literacy, and many 
other civically-oriented organizations. 
(14) After 2 years and the expenditure of 
$2,193,343 in taxpayer dollars to conduct this 
study, the broadcasters’ concerns were demonstrated 
to be unsubstantiated. 
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(15) Minorities represent almost a third of our 
population. However, according to the Federal Com-
munication Commission’s most recent Form 323 
data on the race and gender of full power, commer-
cial broadcast licensees, minorities own only 7 per-
cent of all local television and radio stations. Women 
represent more than half of the population, but own 
only 6 percent of all local television and radio sta-
tions. LPFM stations, while not a solution to the 
overall inequalities in minority and female broadcast 
ownership, provide an additional opportunity for 
underrepresented communities to operate a station 
and provide local communities with a greater diver-
sity of viewpoints and culture. 
(16) LPFM stations have proven to be a vital 
source of information during local or national emer-
gencies. Out of the few stations that were able to 
stay online during Katrina, several were LPFM sta-
tions. In Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, LPFM station 
WQRZ remained on the air during Hurricane 
Katrina and served as the Emergency Operations 
Center for Hancock County. Additionally, after Hur-
ricane Katrina when thousands of evacuees tempo-
rarily housed at the Houston Astrodome were unable 
to hear information about the availability of food 
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