Cultural Policy, the Public Sphere, and the Struggle to Define Low-Power FM Radio

Abstract

Between 1998 and 2001, a citizen-generated policy proposal called for the implementation of a low-power FM (LPFM) radio service in the United States, leading to fierce debates within the FCC, among civic and industry leaders, and in the engineering community. This article is a case study of the regulatory developments surrounding LPFM, including an analysis of the institutions, individuals, and civic groups involved in this process and how the provisions of the policy changed over time. Drawing together the ideas of Thomas Streeter, Tony Bennett, and Jim McGuigan, it considers this process as an instance of cultural policy formation, including the range of influences, crucial transition points, rhetorical lines of attack, and the compromises that ultimately undermined LPFM's chances of becoming a vibrant, alternative site of broadcasting.