San Francisco Liberation Radio is just one of many stations being hassled by the FCC, also one of a growing number fighting back (per July DIYmedia report).

As the FCC moves to implement its recent deregulation scheme into law next week, facilitating more media mergers and buyouts for the likes of Clear Channel Communications, it quietly continues taking dubious enforcement actions against microradio stations across the country.

From DIYmedia.net, the following statistics are compiled in the Enforcement Action Database, between 1997 and 2003:

The FCC has taken 303 enforcement actions against unlicensed stations, including 122 visits, 86 raids, 10 arrests/convictions, 89 seizures and 27 fines worth a total of $257.000. 37 of the 303 actions have been taken against California stations.

During 2003, there have been 39 enforcement actions against stations, compared to close to 50 for the entire 2002 year. 4 have been against California stations. Interestingly enough, almost half (18) have been taken against stations in Florida (what political information might they be trying to suppress there?)

SFLR is not the only one fighting back:

More skirmishes between the FCC and free radio - this time the good guys are on the offense. FCC agents were discovered snooping around a suspected broadcast location of KBFR last week. Nobody was home at the time, but the agents spoke with others on the premises and swore them to secrecy: "We were never here, okay?"

This particular game of hide-and-seek in Boulder has been going on for more than a year now and it sounds like the FCC's angling for a raid over fines and/or criminal prosecution.

There's also new developments in the showdown between Free Radio San Diego and the FCC. Field agents have stopped by twice so far but the station was quick to sound the alarm. It sent every member of California's congressional delegation letters and CDs detailing FRSD's first encounter with field agents, where DJ "Bob Ugly" specifically asked about his legal rights and was rebuffed.

Those mailings paid off: Senator Diane Feinstein has dispatched a staffer from San Francisco to "assist" with an inquiry into the agents' conduct. A response is expected by the end of August. Feinstein's staffers decline to elaborate in response to my phone call for information yesterday.

More recently:

8/22/03 - RFB Returns; FRSD Gets Grant; RFPI Gets Reprieve [link to this story]

When the FCC came and intimidated Radio Free Brattleboro off the air in June, the Vermont community responded with zeal. A parade float, petition drive, and countless benefits and station meetings later, the station returned to the airwaves today on 107.9 FM. That frequency is currently vacant, but there is a pending LPFM application for it. RFB has promised to vacate the frequency if and when the license is awarded and the station is ready to broadcast.

A local petition drive has drawn "way more than 2,000 signatures" in support of the station, reports RFB's Steven Twiss: "The petition's signatories include several area heavy-hitters including politicians, business owners and artists. One, a wonderful older woman, is on the town council. She bought a 'Free rfb' T-shirt and wore it to a few council meetings, which are broadcast on the local cable access channel." There is also an online petition drive for anyone else interested in symbolically standing with them.

As we have seen in the past, getting "official" recognition from the community seems to keep the FCC away, or at least slows them down. Considering that Brattleboro is a community of 12,000, having one out of every five or six citizens onboard already demonstrates a strong sign of community solidarity.


In summary, should the FCC be allowed to use vast public resources to run repressive "secret police" investigative/enforcement campaigns against stations that operate on unsued dial space which they won't license (or which refuse to participate in licensing)? It I don't think the rules/laws they use come under any active scrutiny or oversight by government oversight agencies and have not been subject to comprehensive legal challenges. The fight for access to the airwaves goes on!!!