Local Community Radio Act betting against Zeno's Paradox, Beefing Up for the Final Push

The Greek crackpot philosopher Zeno said that you could never reach your goal, because you would always have to go halfway, and then half the remaining distance, and so on, never reaching your final destination. Perhaps he was clairvoyantly basing his theory on the U.S. Senate’s legislative process. But we are out to prove him wrong, and pass the Local Community Radio Act, opening up community radio in America's cities once and for all.

The Campaign to pass the Local Community Radio Act (LCRA) has had a great month. Having already passed the House and the Senate Commerce Committe, the LCRA  (S592) was introduced for "Unanimous Consent" in the Senate in late June. The Democrats have signed off on the bill, and most Republicans seem to be in favor as well. We are working to identify and persuade any remaining Republican Senators who have anonymously placed holds on the bill. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) blocked the bill initially, but withdrew his objection after we met with the Senator's staff. And Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) also blocked the bill, but removed his hold after leading Republican co-sponsor Senator John McCain (R-AZ) promised to work with him on any budgetary implications the bill might hold.

We are now trying to learn whether there are any more anonymous holds on the bill. If you live in a state with at least one Republican Senator, and you'd like to help out, contact petri@prometheusradio.org.

With just a few months to go before the end of this legislative session, we are beefing up our campaign team. Hannah Sassaman, who launched the campaign for the LCRA during her stand-out tenure at Prometheus from 2002 till 2008, is re-joining us for the final push this legislative session. The campaign team also includes Prometheus board member and public interest media attorney Cheryl Leanza, as well as longtime Prometheus volunteer Selina Musuta, a DC-based community radio journalist with experience covering legislative issues.  Journalist Dan Denvir has joined to help with research and press, and Promethean Danielle Chynoweth has stepped in to manage resources and planning for the campaign. Pete Tridish has also shifted focus to work on the campaign full-time, and campaign staffer and experienced organizer Diane Foglizzo has been leading grassroots outreach. With the support of many others nationwide, we’re happy to report that this all-star cast is leading the charge for the Local Community Radio Act.