Media Foundation (AzCMF)
Independent Media for Arizona
Radio Phoenix Named "Best of Phoenix" by New Times After only a year in operation, Radio Phoenix has been named "Best in Phoenix" by the newspaper in the category "Best Online Music Station that Should be a Radio Station." Needless to say, we agree completely. The article said, "In a just and fair world, the signals of Radio Phoenix would surge across the Phoenix area with 100,000 watts of clarity. Car stereos and hi-fi sets from Surprise to San Tan Valley would broadcast the station's über-eclectic blend of indie/underground music and community-based talk programming. We know listeners would dig Hip Rawk Nation with Kaja Brown on Wednesdays, which boasts a diverse mix of gospel, electronica, pop, and urban music (the kinda stuff that's usually relegated to an audiophile's iPod), as well as the retro soul and R&B sounds of The Dalton Green Show every Sunday afternoon. It would put Tucson's KXCI to shame. Yeah, wouldn't that be something? Returning to that nasty thing called reality, such a feat is a long way from happening, if at all, as this volunteer-run station is currently broadcast online only. According to station manager Jeremy Deatherage [actually, Kaja Brown, ed.], plans are afoot to someday obtain a bona fide FCC license, which costs into the hundreds of thousands. Several benefit gigs have taken baby steps toward that goal, but, like we said, it might not happen anytime soon. In the meantime, we'll keep our fingers crossed and stay tuned." Thanks to all our staff, volunteers, underwriters, and the hundreds of supporters around the Valley who have done so much to keep us on the air and bringing you the most interesting and diverse programming in the Valley. We are all looking forward to that letter from the FCC. Senate Defeats McCain Effort to End Radio Funding Senator had Supported Obama Budget Cuts Since 1986, new applicants for non-commercial stations, such as the Arizona Community Media Foundation (AzCMF), have relied on the Public Telecommunications Facilities Grant Program (PTFP) for their advance planning and construction costs, which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and which are sometimes far beyond the financial capabilities of local communities. Because of the restrictions placed on other radio funding programs by Congress, the PTFP grant has become the only possible major funding source for as yet unproven local radio broadcasters. Last year, PTFP distributed $18 million, a small fraction federal communications support, which runs into billions. Senator John McCain, who at one time was a strong supporter of community radio, jumped on the defunding bandwagon, and threw his weight behind the Obama termination plan. The Senator offered an amendment to the House Bill, which included a $20 million appropriation for PTFP funding. His amendment would have "supported" the President and eliminated the PTFP grant from the new federal budget. On October 12, by a 64-33 vote, the Senate defeated the McCain amendment and approved the $20 million for continued community radio development. The defeat of the amendment recognizes the overwhelming need the PTFP program fills for communities, and will allow AzCMF to move ahead with its station and broadcast planning. _________________________
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In October, 2007, some 3,800 applicants undertook the expenses necessary to file for new non-commercial licenses. AzCMF was among those who incurred tens of thousands of dollars in legal and engineering fees in pursuit of its goal to provide real community radio. Nonetheless, the Obama administration decided that it was going to terminate funding of the PTPF program, which would have left hundreds of applicants without the capability of planning and constructing a station and going on the air once the license application was approved. Without PTFP support, most non-religious applicants, who do not have the support of major national faith based organizations, would be without the ability to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to create community radio station..
AzCMF Files Two Applications for Full Power FM Community Radio.
For the first time in eight years, the FCC opened a filing window for non-commercial educational FM broadcast licenses. Although the window was only five days long and the FCC had imposed a ten filing per organization limit, there were still over 3,800 filings nation-wide, showing the pent-up demand for more non-commercial stations. The massive number of filings caused a break-down in the FCC computer system and required an extension of the window for an additional two days.
In Arizona, 88 applications were submitted, including two from AzCMF. The two applications, one for Apache Junction and the other for Chandler, cover over 500,000 potential listeners in the southeast Valley and Phoenix areas. To view the AzCMF applications, go to
As you go through the application, you will see several exhibits highlighted in blue. These will take you to the mission statement, statement of principles, proposed preogramming schedule, coverage maps, and other interesting details.
Because of the large number of overlapping applications, the FCC announced special procedures for resolving conflicts. Several other groups filed for Apache Junction, but we hope that all these conflicts will be resolved much more quickly than the last time around (some cases in the previous window have not yet been finally resolved after seven years).
www.action.freepress.net/campaign/ownership.
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