Radio Free Brattleboro Wins Local Authority To Broadcast

Woo hoo!  -d


PRESS RELEASE

Media:  For interviews or further information contact:

Radio free brattleboro spokesperson, Larry Bloch
(802) 254-9106 or [email protected]

Rfb attorney, Jim Maxwell
(802) 257-1299 or jim-IFapCWNNfobgrEadrWp7uwC/[email protected]

For resources including rfb's legal filings go to www.rfb.fm, or contact
[email protected]



Monday, March 8, 2004

RADIO FREE BRATTLEBORO WINS LOCAL AUTHORITY TO BROADCAST

Brattleboro, VT - A local ballot initiative asking town voters to
grant "authority to broadcast" in lieu of a license from the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) won nearly two thirds of the votes in last
Tuesday's March 2nd election.  The open-access radio free brattleboro (rfb)
began broadcasting in July 1998 as an independent, all-volunteer, non-
commercial community radio station.

The vote is an important milestone for rfb, a non-profit which utilizes 10
watts of power to cover an area with a radius about 2 miles from its broadcast
location, all within the confines of the town of Brattleboro, Vermont.
Spokesperson Larry Bloch stated “I hope that communities across the country
will be inspired by the endorsement that rfb has received from voters here,” 
in response to the vote.

The ballot question asked:
"Shall the voters of Brattleboro give to radio free brattleboro (rfb) authority
to broadcast until such a time that a Low-Power FM license is issued to radio
free brattleboro or to another non-profit, locally based community group which
is prepared to offer to the Town of Brattleboro diverse, all-access, non-
commercial, community radio?"

Radio free brattleboro has been threatened with shutdown by the FCC since June,
2003, when the FCC demanded that rfb show either a license or “authority to
broadcast.”  Since the FCC has abandoned the 10-watt, Class “D” broadcast
licensing classification and has thereby neglected its responsibility to
facilitate access to the airwaves by purely local broadcasters, communities
throughout the United States have been left with no choice for locally
originated broadcasting but to act on their own.


Page 2 of 2		PRESS RELEASE for radio free brattleboro



In order to document its “authority to broadcast” as requested by the FCC, rfb
spent the summer months of 2003 collecting over 2,000 petition signatures from
Town residents who support rfb and uphold the station’s right to broadcast.
After a community forum I in the Fall, the Brattleboro Selectboard passed a
resolution further supporting the work of rfb and urging the FCC to work with
the station to ensure that public access to the radio airwaves remains in
Brattleboro.  The FCC has yet to respond to either of two submissions made by
the attorneys assisting radio free brattleboro, local lawyer Jim Maxwell and
Larry Hildes of the Center for Democratic Communications, who responded to the
FCC’s letter asking for documentation.

Instead, in early January 2004, Maxwell received a letter from the United
States attorney in Burlington, Vermont who demanded, on behalf of the FCC, 
that rfb cease broadcasting.  Maxwell replied with a letter to the US Attorney
seeking a common sense solution that would ensure the continuance of community
radio in Brattleboro.  Some weeks later, acting for the FCC, the US Attorney
flatly refused any and all ideas and went on to threaten rfb with imminent
legal action.

In February, Maxwell filed a complaint on behalf of rfb, asking the United
States District Court to prevent the FCC from seizing the stations' equipment.
A few days later, the U.S. Attorney filed a complaint on behalf of the FCC
asking the court to order rfb to cease and desist broadcasting.  The
government's argument is that rfb's broadcasting causes irreparable harm to 
the United States.  Rfb's argument is that the loss of this vital community
service
will cause irreparable harm to the people of Brattleboro. Attorney Maxwell
said, “Rfb does not desire to spend its time litigating; it wants approval 
from the FCC for its local broadcasting—broadcasting that interferes with no 
other broadcaster and serves local needs.  The FCC has permitted a rapid
consolidation of mega-corporations who want to occupy the entire broadcast
spectrum for profit, endangering free speech and inhibiting local access.  It
is outrageous that while the FCC aids and abets corporate greed, it spends
taxpayer money to threaten and squash community radio.  Who is in charge here?
We need a change.”

Radio free brattleboro has trained hundreds of local citizens in the art of
radio broadcasting and the rights and responsibilities inherent to freedom of
speech.  Rfb remains committed to fostering an informed and engaged public by
offering access to a diverse group of local residents, artists, community
groups, and pubic officials.  Rfb staff member Sara Longsmith added “Now, as
the March 2nd vote resoundingly demonstrates, the residents of Brattleboro 
have reaffirmed the invaluable public service rfb provides to the community.”


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