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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2000 |
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Adamske 418.8221 David Fiske 418.0513 |
FCC CHAIRMAN WILLIAM E. KENNARD REITERATES WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO ON LOW POWER FM ISSUES
Washington DC--FCC Chairman William Kennard today expressed surprise that National Public Radio endorsed H.R. 3439, legislation to curtail Low Power FM Radio. He noted that FCC and NPR staff and engineers have been engaged in extensive discussions this week exploring ways to allay NPR's concerns about the new service.
"I am disappointed at this announcement by National Public Radio," Kennard said. "Rather than continuing the process of finding common ground and resolving differences, NPR walked away from the table and endorsed the legislation." Among other things, the Chairman in his discussions with NPR executives, had made a commitment that Low Power FM would not harm Radio Reading Services.
"I continue to be willing to sit down with anyone, anytime, anywhere to work through any technical questions or concerns about this community-based radio service," Kennard said.
Kennard said, "NPR's action today will block access to the nation's airwaves for thousands of churches, civic groups, schools and community groups. I am surprised that an organization which has done so much to promote opportunities for Americans to be heard on the airwaves would join with the special interests in curbing this new service."
The FCC, in response to NPR's statements that the new service might affect sideband-delivered radio reading services for the visually-impaired, met with NPR's engineers and staff several times to address their concerns.
Kennard pledged to ensure that the new low power service would not cause harmful interference to the Radio Reading Service. He said he believed that the FCC-NPR discussions had resolved concerns on this issue, and on issues involving translator services used by non-commercial radio services to deliver their signal.
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