SF supes introduce resolution supporting SF Liberation Radio

Resolution supporting San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM and urging Federal, State, and Local officials to support policies and practices that encourage diverse local non-commercial media.

WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has provided an invaluable public service to the City and County of San Francisco for the past ten years; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has provided a forum for those whose voices are often excluded from the increasingly consolidated corporate media; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has remained committed to fostering an informed and engaged public by providing access to a diverse group of local residents, artists, community groups, and public officials; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has contributed to a wide diversity of programming including Radio Food Not Bombs, Renters¹ Radio by the Tenants Union, Labor Line, OutLoud Radio, and the Green Party Radio Show; and
WHEREAS, The regulatory structure of the Federal Communications Commission increasingly precludes the expression of alternate and dissonant voices; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Communications Commission¹s most recent reasons for rejecting San Francisco Liberation Radio¹s license requests are based on widely criticized provisions in the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000; and
WHEREAS, The Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000 contains provisions that would prevent the Federal Communications Commission from considering applications from persons or organizations who had previously been unlicensed broadcasters and also required increased channel separation between new LPFM stations and other broadcast licensees; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio¹s multiple attempts to obtain an LPFM license have been rejected by the Federal Communications Commission; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has operated without interfering with other radio station broadcasts; and
WHEREAS, San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM has peacefully coexisted with its neighbors throughout its broadcasting history; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Communications Commission has delivered a notice of illegal broadcasting to San Francisco Liberation Radio; and
WHEREAS, Citizens in a democracy require public access to a diverse range of media voices and messages in order to participate fully in our community's shared social, cultural and political life; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco supports San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7 FM and other local, non-commercial media; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urges the Federal Communications Commission not to interfere with the functioning of San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7FM; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urges federal, state and local law enforcement officials to refrain from activities that prevent San Francisco Liberation Radio 93.7FM and other diverse local media from providing healthy democratic local media in the San Francisco Bay Area; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urge the Federal Communications Commission to resist attempts to repeal the cross-ownership ban and urge the Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to protect content diversity and press freedom by retaining and strengthening existing media ownership regulations, including regulations that limit the number of stations one owner may hold; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco call upon Congress to exercise its oversight in the area of federal communications policy through public hearings on media ownership issues; and to pursue legislation aimed at protecting democratic media by prohibiting further media consolidation.