Recovered from: https://www.usenetarchives.com/view.php?id=misc.activism.progressive&mid=PDE5OTNKdWw4LjIwMzg1Ni4yODExMUBtb250LmNzLm1pc3NvdXJpLmVkdT4 from: mycal 08/07/1993 20:38:56 UTC The following is from Stephen Dunifer. He asked me to forward it to the alt.radio.pirate groups. So I put it here, could someone do the honors of putting it on alt.radio.pirate. Check out the kits Stephen has too! --------------cut here-------------------- RECLAIMING THE AIRWAVES Using inexpensive hand built transmitters, Free Radio Berkeley and other micro power broadcasters are challenging the information stranglehold imposed by the corporate media and enforced by federal regulation. Every Sunday evening from 9 PM to 12 midnight, a broadcast is made from somewhere in Berkeley at 88.1 on the FM band. Running with an output power that varies from 5-15 watts, Free Radio Berkeley has been picked up as far away as 35th and Geary in San Francisco. Free Radio Berkeley is a First Amendment challenge to the restrictive federal regulations which only favor those with money and power. It is the contention of Free Radio Berkeley that most communities, however they may be defined, are denied their own voice. Unless one has at least $50,000 to start a 100 watt FM station, there is no way any community without those resources can have a voice. Before 1980 it was possible to apply for and receive a 10 watt Class D educational station license with very little money in the bank. Thanks to an alliance of reactionary elements who sought to suppress voices outside the mainstream and liberal elements such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (NPR) who sought to establish more "professional" stations (translation, more likely to be funded by corporate blood money laundered through foundations), the FCC eliminated all 10 watt station licenses as of 1980. This move prevented the 90% of the US population who do not have the monetary resources from having a voice on the FM band. Especially African Americans who are grossly underrepresented in the media. If the airwaves were not dominated by the corporate media pirates, there would be plenty of FM radio spectrum space available for all to use. Even in the congested Bay Area FM radio spectrum, there are quite a number of frequencies that would be appropriate for low power (.5 to 10 watts) community broadcast operations. Unfortunately, like so many other public resources such as old growth forests, the air waves have been hijacked and polluted by the corporate state in its relentless pursuit of profit and control of all public resources. Free Radio Berkeley is part of a growing movement of individuals and communities across the country who have set up these micro power (1 to 15 watts) broadcasting operations. Most notable of these is Black Liberation Radio, which covers a housing project area in Illinois. Black Liberation Radio has been under severe attack by both the local police and federal agencies. Despite police and federal harassment, Black Liberation Radio is on 24 hours a day offering some of the finest programs to be found anywhere on almost no budget to speak of. Very recently the FCC filed a Notice of Apparent Violation against one member of Free Radio Berkeley, Stephen Dunifer, with an attached civil fine of $20,000. Free Radio Berkeley and Stephen Dunifer are being represented by Louis Hiken from the National Lawyers Guild Committee on Democratic Communication. It is hoped that this case will result in some major precedents being set for Micro Power Broadcasting. Efforts are under way to organize the Free Communications Coalition to defend and support Micro Power Radio. Funds for legal defense will be raised through a series of benefits and public forums. Call the voice mail number (510) 464-3041 if you can help in any way with this effort. Just imagine the possibilities of having hundreds of micro power broadcasts like this across the country. Cost is not a problem since a basic station can be put on the air for around $200. With determination and purpose we can break the stranglehold on the flow of cultural and artistic expression, information and ideas in this country. Consider giving your community a voice. Very soon, inexpensive (less than $500) UHF TV transmitter designs will be available as well. Free Radio Berkeley encourages you to take up the microphone and let a thousand transmitters bloom. Your support, ideas, and involvement are essential to micro power radio flourishing. We will have a complete handbook out very soon which will cover all aspects of micro power broadcasting. Please call our voice mail number for updates on upcoming events and workshops. Our address is: Free Radio Berkeley, 1442 A Walnut St., #406, Berkeley, CA 94709 Phone # (510) 464-3041 Or, come to the FRB collective organizing meeting on Wednesday, July 21 - 7:30 PM at the Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley For anyone on the net in the vicinity of New York City, I will there on the weekend of August 6 through the 10 or 11th. I am trying to set workshops on micro power radio on Monday & Tuesday. It looks like the Paper Tiger Folks will find a facility large enough to hold 20 or 30 people. Transmitter kits ($40 for 5 watt units) will be available as well as a book on Micro Power Broadcasting that I am working on now. I am asking a donation of $10 to $15 per person for the workshops. Hopefully that might cover my travel costs unless there is an extremely kind beneafactor(s) on the net who would like to donate to a good cause. If anyone on the net wants to order the kit send $40 (made out to cash) to the above address. The new and improved stereo kit using the Rohm BA1404 with one watt output will be available soon at a cost of $35. I have a 6 watt (requires only 1/4 to 1/2 watt input) amplifier kit which will drive a PA-1 to full power, it costs $25. Another design which will be in kit form soon is a 15 watt amplifier that only requires 1/2 watt input, cost will be about $30-$35. Stephen Dunifer -----------Cut here------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PGP key on request. mycal@netronixs.com \ // "..unfortunately we can't control the actions // \ of everyone." President Clinton 04/20/93 No Risk, No Rush