[grc] National LPFM Org

Michelle Bradley mae at recnet.com
Fri Dec 23 20:43:41 PST 2016 

If there was a dedicated LPFM-only national membership organization, how 
much would you be willing to budget per year for membership?

=m


On 12/23/2016 9:59 PM, Robert Park wrote:
> I would like to see a NFCB membership fee for LPFMs based on a 
> percentage of staff salaries paid by the station. (That would be $0 
> for those of us with no paid staff, and should be well below $500 for 
> stations with a single part-time staff person.)
>
> For the Madison WI area we have an association of area community LPFM 
> stations, with our first newsletter due out in January. (See 
> http://lpfm.madisonwi.us/.)
>
> On Fri, Dec 23, 2016 at 8:31 PM, Michelle Bradley via grc 
> <grc at maillist.peak.org <mailto:grc at maillist.peak.org>> wrote:
>
>     It is one thing to have an LPFM organization to gather and share
>     war stories and come up with tips and perhaps exchange
>     programming. *But what will happen when our spectrum and operating
>     conditions are under threat?
>
>     *With the new administration, there is a potential of a treat to
>     NCE broadcasters mainly due to the GOP's hatred of NPR and the
>     non-NPR NCE stations may get dragged through the mud. The only
>     thing that could save us from that is the large number of
>     Christian NCE stations that would also get dragged through the mud
>     with any changes at the FCC (and we know they don't want a "war of
>     Christianity".)
>
>     With that said, I saw someone post on here earlier that LPFM is
>     nothing like full-power (NCE) stations.  That is a very inaccurate
>     statement from a policy standpoint. *LPFM is an NCE station with a
>     smaller reach and fewer rules.*  All rules related to
>     underwriting, fundraising, etc. that apply to full-power NCE
>     stations also apply to LPFM.
>
>     If issues come up, will this new LPFM organization have the
>     resources available to put feet on the street in DC?  Do you want
>     to run the risk of losing something because there is a conflicting
>     opinion between two groups that are perceived to advocate for
>     non-commercial radio?   We lost LP-250 in 2012 because of a
>     similar situation.
>
>     I have been working closely with the NFCB to make them more LPFM
>     accommodating.  There are some out there who are opposed to the
>     NFCB based on incidents that took place several years ago under a
>     different leadership structure. Sally and Ernesto are really
>     working to help get LPFM better supported within the
>     organization.  This will happen faster if we demonstrate
>     willingness through our numbers.
>
>     "LPFM" is a service class, just like D, A, C3, C2, C1, C0, C, B1
>     and B.  We should be looking at the type of station, which if you
>     are subscribed to this list, you are likely a secular *community
>     radio station*.  Community radio stations come in all shapes and
>     sizes.  The policy issues that face LPFM stations are likely the
>     same as those that also impact full-power NCE stations.
>
>     Also think about this.  A large majority of full-power NCE
>     stations that are represented by organizations like NFCB are in
>     the 88~92 MHz spectrum (the reserved band) while a large majority
>     of LPFM stations are in the 92~108 MHz spectrum. LPFM's "enemy" is
>     not the NCE stations, it is the commercial FM stations represented
>     by the NAB.
>
>     Myself, I would rather see a single *well-established*
>     organization approach the FCC with a message supportive of all
>     secular community stations.  Since Prometheus has been narrowed
>     down to two people and no longer has the funding or infrastructure
>     to advocate much beyond the internet (which is similar to the
>     situation that I am in), they are no longer an option without a
>     major infusion.
>
>     Despite the number of LPFM stations out there, they are spread
>     among six different segments and those stations that would like
>     subscribe to this list (in the "community radio" and "cause based"
>     segments) are in the minority (where "faith-based") has the
>     biggest piece of the pie.  Some LPFMs that I spoke to are
>     concerned about NFCB's $500 low-tier membership rate.  So, if a
>     new LPFM organization was to enter with a lower membership rate,
>     will they be able to sustain and have the resources to provide
>     services to their membership and be able to still provide
>     advocacy?   It's going to be a tough stretch if you ask me.
>     Organizations like the ARRL are able to sustain with low(er)
>     membership fees because of the large number of licensed hams that
>     could be potential members.
>
>     There is strength in numbers.  I would rather strengthen an
>     existing organization.  Get pro-LPFM people on their board to
>     further that organization's support of LPFM.  The only (existing)
>     organization that I feel that LPFM stations can fit into on a
>     nationwide basis is the NFCB.
>
>     If LPFM does decide to establish their own organization, I will
>     support it but I do feel that you will be shooting yourself in the
>     foot if you expect such an organization to be ready to address
>     policy issues.
>
>     Just my two cents worth here.  Have a happy holiday season
>     everyone.  In 2017, we need to focus on getting LPFM stations up
>     and running so we can eventually have these stations in an
>     organization whether it's through an established one like NFCB or
>     an LPFM-only one.  I will be spending 2017 chugging policy and
>     hoping the FCC does not act negatively on LPFM (or NCE in general).
>
>     Michelle Bradley
>     Founder
>     REC Networks
>     http://recnet.com
>
>     =m
>
>     **
>
>     On 12/23/2016 8:16 PM, Sabrina Roach via grc wrote:
>
>         Also sent to NCEorg
>
>         I'm game to work on fundraising for one, but first, let's map
>         out exactly
>         what it would provide and what the costs are.
>
>         As some folks don't feel like NFCB is a good fit, would
>         Alliance for
>         Community Media be a fit? There are many PEG stations that
>         have LPFMs.
>         Harrington handles their nonprofit back office and could do
>         the same for a
>         national LPFM organization.
>
>         Sabrina
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