• No June Meeting
• Presenting for Governor Scholars

The next general LMR meeting will be in July. The steering committee has been organizing presentations for Bill Bornschein's Governor Scholars Program in June.

LMR's Broadcast Committee: LMR has committed to producing a weekly half hour radio program for WXBH. We've completed 3 shows to date:

Show one includes: segment/interviews with Tory Strange (involvement with local tv station visits - review of public files/license renewal), Anita Soloman (local cable issues), quickie update Chicago Media Action activist Scott Sanders, and an extended interview with CMA organizer Mitchell Szczepanczyk.

Show two includes: interviews with Maryann Beerling, Tucson community radio activist in the early 90s and Camp Wellstone faculty Jen Cullen/Peggy Flannigan - grassroot activism and media coverage.

Show three includes: from the Democracy Now! archives, the 35th anniversary of the Kent State tragedy and an interview with Bill Bornschein - media literacy in the classroom during our current period of invasion and occupation.

Want to produce a segment or show for Active Voices? Call Mark (773-1726) - let's do it.

ACTIVISTS MEET WITH YARMUTH FOR NET NEUTRALITY

Code Pink's Trudy Kubrick and LMR activists Wilborn, Hicks, Strange and McKinley recently met with KY 3rd Congressional District Representative John Yarmuth at his local office to advocate for the preservation of net neutrality. Our friends at Free Press scheduled the visit as part of the full court press to keep the internet free.

Representative Yarmuth said he supports equal access to the internet but expressed questions about ISPs funding capacity upgrades without tollbooths.

Don't let John get snookered by telco kool-aid. A team of researchers at the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business Administration concluded in their report:"...the INCENTIVE to upgrade capacity is HIGHER under net neutrality."

Contact John - tell him to "just say NO!" to Big Media spin. Press John to talk with Rep. Ed Markey, and to support Markey's efforts to preserve net neutrality.

Bill Moyers reminded us in Memphis that we're approaching the time when all media will be delivered via high speed broadband. Without protection, the net could become like cable where providers decide the content and price. Netroot voices and start-up enterprises without the wallets to pay the toll for fastlane privileges would be relegated to the slow lane. And the clunky slow lane will mean a slow death.

It matters - pick up the phone, make the call, pushback.

FCC APPROVES TIME AND FACILITY SHARE AGREEMENT WITH FERN CREEK GROUP

WXBH, the low power fm radio project organized by the Brick House inches closer to air.

The FCC approved the time and facility share agreement submitted by WXBH and the Fern Creek High School Alumni Association. (Fern Creek received its license last September and has been broadcasting at 92.7 since that time)

WXBH tech reps recently met on-site with Fern Creek's pointperson to review dsl/wireless service options for connecting its computer and uploading programming for broadcasting.

The check for Pacifica affiliation has been sent. Programmers such as Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare/Physicians for National Health-KY and the Coalition for the Homeless are starting to trickle in for training. Program proposals can be submitted online at WXHB or call Mark (773-1726) for info about producing a 15 minute program sampler.

Write the story. Tell the story. Reclaim the media.

LMR at FCC hearing in Nashville

This winter seven LMR activists squeezed into a van built for six, and puttered south to Nashville's Belmont University, the site of the FCC hearing on media ownership. On campus we were welcomed by volunteers from Free Press, Radio Free Nashville and the Prometheus Radio Project. Fueled by the luncheon feast provided by Radio Free Nashville, six of us signed up to address the Panel.

The hearing, which started about 1:30pm was a big grin: a 6 hour thunderstorm of near unamimous voices calling for an end to corporate supported media policy. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps earned a standing ovation for his fiercely passionate opening remarks, a rally to take back the airwaves.

Commissioners heard first from a panel representing the Nashville music community: singers, songwriters, producers. The diverse group weighed-in solidly against dumbed-down playlists, support for locally owned radio stations, and soundly opposed to the Clear Channel-ization of radio that smothers independent artists' opportunities.

With the exception of Nashville's Gannett franchise and one tv station, the later afternoon panel of suits representing diverse media interests opposed policies relaxing cross ownership restrictions.

And the day and evening parade of Citizens stepping up to the mic for their two minute opportunity to directly address Commissioners was amazingly diverse: young/old, black/white, physically challenged, student, professional, musician, theater owner, radio programmers, journalists, church reps, teachers, community organizers - each articulating in their own voice: CONSOLIDATION THREATENS OUR DEMOCRACY - STOP BIG MEDIA, the airwaves belong to the people, not the corporations! The first of the Louisville crew was called to speak about 7pm, and we split after our turns at the mic.

The mission crew for this adventure: Cherise Williams, Ira Grupper, Anita Solomon, Walter Tillow, Victoria Strange, John Hicks, and Mark McKinley.

Spare cash? Please remember Radio Free Nashville, Free Press, and Prometheus for outreach and organizing the massive turnout. Your donations are appreciated.

Visit Free Press - National Conference on Media Reform

Visit FREEPRESS. See/listen for yourself - the workshops and key speakers addressing critical media issues.

Then ACT - Be part of the bottom- up heat making a difference in media policy and social justice.

LMR Acts to Preserve Net Neutrality

This fall LMR hosted a lunchtime sidewalk demonstration and petition hand-off to Sen Mitch McConnell's office to show support for the preservation of Net Neutrality.

The petition, signed by over 5,000 Kentuckians, clearly communicates the message to Senator McConnell: keep the internet free - don't allow phone and cable companies to erect tollbooths - deciding which Web sites open quickly on our computers based on which sites pay them the most.

The hastily organized event was part of community action nationwide organized by the Save the Internet coalition and MoveOn.

Free Press coordinated media coverage for the event. Only LEO appeared at the scene.

UPDATE: The 109th Congress has ended - the Stevens' Telco Bill dies. OUR VOICES WERE HEARD! We know those rascals will be back. Stay tuned.

LMR Action at Metro Council Cable Hearing: Open Up the Cable Franchise Agreement

A chorus of LMR voices rang out loud and clear in the Metro Council Chambers at a public hearing sponsored by a Council subcommittee eyeballing local cable issues.

LMR's position: Insight changed ownership when it accepted a $710 buyout offer from the Carlyle Group. It failed to notify local government of the ownership change. Insight broke the franchise agreement.

LMR advocates for an agreement that provides increased public access and oversight plus funding for an independent citizens media center.

ACTION: CALL KEN FLEMING 574-1107 OPEN UP THE AGREEMENT. ENOUGH BACK ROOM BACK-SCRATCHING, HOW ABOUT SOME TRANSPARENCY?

Listen to LMR speakers at the hearing below -

Mark McKinley
Anita Solomon
Victoria Strange
John Hicks

Community Voices in Programming at WFPL

Carol Besse is the Chair of the WFPL Committee of the Community Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB Chair is Larry Gettleman.

Thanks again to Donovan Reynolds for joining us at our September meeting. Donovan's proposals for increased west Louisville coverage and a capital campaign for local programming were well received by the group. Go to our podcast page to listen in.