From Class D to LPFM: The high-powered politics of low-power radio

The most heated broadcasting issue of the year 2000 was the fight over low- power FM radio. The rise and fall of the proposed service reflected the sta te of the art in telecommunication policymaking, and provided a snapshot of power relations among broadcasters, the FCC, Congress, and citizen activis ts. For public radio managers with long institutional memories, however, th e low-power FM debate seems a bit ironic., That's because a similar low-pow er service did exist, but was permitted to languish by broadcasters and reg ulators. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the former Class D F M and the contemporary debate.