A-Infos (en) AMPB REPORT 24.

[ampb@global.california.com (Paul Griffin)]

 ________________________________________________
      A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
            http://www.ainfos.ca/
 ________________________________________________

AMPB REPORT     AMPB - PAUL GRIFFIN
ASSOCIATION OF MICRO-POWER BROADCASTERS           2018 SHATTUCK AVE. #22
                                                                           
  BERKELEY, CA 94704
                                                                           
     (510) 848-1455
                                                                     
E-MAIL: ampb@california.com


Dear Readers,
     You may have noticed the new address and e-mail for us.  The bottom
line is the mail was not getting through to the old addresses, so that's
why things have changed.  You can still send stuff to the old address and
email but for extra reliability, use the new one.  As always, there is lots
of news and views in this issue.  We're planning a series of workshops and
planning sessions for the weekend of june 13 and 14.  The details for this
event can be found on the back of this sheet.  We've also got reports from
the east coast conference (april 4 and 5).  Free Radio Berkeley held a
great demonstration at the NAB convention in Las Vegas and actually made it
into Time Magazine!  Recent attacks on micro-power radio have been coming
from the National Association of Broadcasters, National Public Radio, and
even the California Broadcasters Association!  As I write this, four
members of I.R.A.T.E. are in Haiti training a large group of people how to
build and operate micro-power radio stations.  Eventually, Haiti will have
a whole network of stations on the air, showing the world that low power
radio is a fine way to share music, news and information.  Maybe then, the
FCC will see things our way and stop harrassing us "pirates".  -Paul
Griffin

Free Radio Berkeley is sponsoring a Micropower Broadcasting & Free Radio
Technical Faire and Gathering on Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th
in San Francisco.  Location is Cell Space, 2050 Bryant St (between 18th &
19th).  It runs from 9 am to 6 pm each day.  A sliding scale donation of
$5-$20 is requested.  Our schedule is as follows: 
Saturday, June 13th
9 am - 10 am - Opening registration
10am - 12 noon - Workshop Sessions
1.) What comprises a micropower station and how it is put 
 together
2.) Digital editing and production of program material
12 noon - 1 pm - Lunch
1 pm - 3 pm -Workshop sessions
1.) How to build an FM broadcast transmitter
2.) Proper care, use and handling of studio equipment
3.) Interviewing techniques
3 pm - 5 pm - Workshop sessions
1.) Legal aspects of micropower broadcasting
 2.) Using field recording equipment
3.) Micropower broadcasting and the Internet
5 pm - 6 pm - Report from the National Lawyers Guild Committee on  
Democratic Communications on current micropower broadcasting petitions
before the FCC
Saturday evening - Benefit & party - proceeds to Radio X.  Time and place TBA
Sunday, June 14th
10 am  - 12 noon - Workshop sessions
1.) Schmoozing record companies for free material
2.) Mobile broadcasting
3.) Antennas for micropower broadcasting
12 noon - 1 pm - Lunch
1 pm - 3 pm - Workshop sessions
1.) Repair and testing techniques for transmitters & 
 studio equipment
2.) Digital editing and production of progam material
3.) How to build an FM broadcast amplifier
3 pm - 6 pm - Liberating the Airwaves - Planning and strategies for the 
further growth and proliferation of micropower broadcasting
Wokshops will be taught by staff members of Free Radio Berekeley, Radio
Clandestina and TUC productions.
For the duration of the gathering a transmitter checkup and tuning bench
will be available for testing and repair.
Bring your program materials to share.  A high speed tape duplicator will
be set up for this purpose.  Make sure the tape is ferrous oxide, not
chrome.  The high speed duplicator does not work with chrome, it eats the 
heads due to the speed. 
For further information contact Stephen Dunifer - frbspd@crl.com, (510) 464-3041




#       TITLE - ARTIST -  LABEL
1       WINGLESS ANGELS - WINGLESS ANGELS - ISLAND      
2       MAKE SOME NOISE - LIQUID SOUL - ARK 21          
3       VEGAS - THE CRYSTAL METHOD - OUTPOST
4       FRIENDS - SLY AND ROBBIE - EAST WEST
5       PREEMPTIVE STRIKE - DJ SHADOW - MO WAX
6       GLEE - BRAN VAN 3000 - CAPITOL
7       DECKS+DRUMS+ROCK+ROLL - PROPELLERHEADS - DREAMWORKS
8       SUSPICIOUS - MACKA B - RAS
9       ROUGH GUIDE-CUBA - VARIOUS ARTISTS - WORLD MUSIC
10      THE NEW SOUND OF.... - LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES      - LUAKA BOP   
11      COMPAS - GIPSY KINGS - NONESUCH 
12      HOUND DOG TAYLOR TRIBUTE - VARIOUS ARTISTS - ALLIGATOR  
13      THE GHETTO ELECTRO.... - DARWIN CHAMBER - MOONSHINE
14      COWS WITH GUNS - DANA LYONS - PENGUIN
15      SPOKEN WORD - MUMIA ABU-JAMAL - ALT. TENTACLES          
16      SALUTE TO...  - WEST AFRICAN HIGHLIFE BAND - INNER SPIRIT
17      SACRED SYSTEM: CH. 2  - BILL LASWELL - REACHOUT INT'L           
18      MAN OR MYTH? - DJ FAUST - BOMB HIP-HOP
19      I TESTAMENT - CAPLETON - RUSH
20      END HITS - FUGAZI - DISCHORD
21      SEASON OF SOULS - TULKU - TRILOKA
22      LIVE & UPPITY - SAFFIRE - ALLIGATOR
23      TIME HAS COME - THE LAST POETS - MERCURY        
24      LENORE - RENEE DE MARCO - RD RECORDS
25      BABES IN ARMS - MC5 - REACHOUT INT'L
26      DUALITY - LISA GERRARD & PIETER BOURKE - 4 A D          
27      I CAN'T COMPLAIN - PHOEBE SNOW - HOUSE OF BLUES
28      TIGER BEAT - BANGS - KILL ROCK STARS            
29      WHICH WAY IS UP - CROOKED PATH - DOGDAY
30      OBSTRUCT THE DOORS...  - NIGHT TRAINS - ACID JAZZ       
31      HIGHER THAN THE FUNK - SHANTEL - STUDIO K7              
32      GET ON UP! - VARIOUS ARTISTS - TROJAN
33      7 DAYS A WEEK - DON CARLOS - RAS        
34      HENCHO EN MEXICO - PLASTILINA - CAPITOL 
35      PERFECT NIGHT LIVE... - LOU REED - REPRISE              
36      R.U.O.K.? - R.U.O.K.? - QUANTUM LOOP
37      TOURING JAPAN - VARIOUS ARTISTS - SLOWDIME      
38      THRILLS - ANDREW BIRD'S BOWL OF FIRE - RYKODISC
39      TAFADZWA - PATIENCE MUDEKA - ZIMBOB
40       COLMA - BUCKETHEAD - CYBEROCTAVE

 From:  Alice in Reality
WE ARE BACK!!!!!
  After six weeks being off the air because the FCC threatened to raid the
Lower East Side Community Micro-broadcasting Radio Station. STEAL THIS 
RADIO
88.7fm switched ON it's transmitter at noon today, April 15, at a public
press conference held at the George Wasington statue in front of the
Federal Building on Wall Street, across from the Stock Exchange. There was
street theater, speaches and great joy.  A suit was filed this morning in
the second district federal court against the FCC, Janet Reno and the
Justice Department for violation of the STR Collective's constitutional
rights.  Starting at 5 pm there is a marathon 2 day 1/2 hour programing of
all the STEAL THIS RADIO shows to give the public an ear of what is
produced.  Starting Friday regular broadcasting will resume.  The FCC's
move to shut down STEAL THIS RADIO is part of a natiowide
crackdown on micropower radio in an attempt to silence community groups
accessing the airwaves for non-commercial cultural, social, and civic
purposes.  The number of unlicensed radio stations has steadily increased
since the FCC abolished the low-watt license category in 1978.  More than
1,000 micro-broadcasting stations are currently on the air nationwide, and
are
active in a movement to enable community groups to access the
publicly-owned airwaves without fear of harrassment, fines or imprisonment.
 In solidarity
with the movement four stations which the FCC has recently harrassed are
back on the air tonight!  STEAL THIS RADIO in NYC, Radio Free Allston in
Allston,
Mass., 87x in Tampa, Fla. and  Radio BOB in Texas. 
   It is indeed a pleasure to be back on the air keeping our community
informed with the very latest neighborhood info, artists, poety, music,
news and more.  Thank you for all your support and hope you enjoy our
multicultural brand of Free Speech in broadcasting!

FREE SPEECH VS. THE FCC
In defense of First Amendment rights, an organization called FREE SPEECH,
composed of members and listeners of STEAL THIS RADIO, is filing a suit
against the FCC for violations of the First Amendment. "We want the world
to know that the first amendment is not rhetorical, but real. We want the
world to know that free
speech and the FCC are at odds with one another, and if this country is
still about democracy, that FREE SPEECH will win," says Robert Perry, the
group's attorney.
On Thursday, March 5th, an agent of the FCC visited the
neighborhood of STEAL THIS RADIO and threatened to raid the station with
Federal Marshals if the station was not "brought into code," which means
broadcasting no more than 200 feet. The agent claimed that he was
responding to a signal interference complaint made by Hofstra University's
radio station, WRHU. When WRHU was contacted to verify the FCC's claim,
station manager Bruce Avery stated that no formal complaint had been made
on behalf of the station, nor was he aware of any signal interference.
Moreover, he said, the Lower East Side is not part of WRHU's "primary or
secondary signal contour". The FCC's move to shut down Steal this Radio is
part of a nationwide crackdown on micropower radio in an attempt to silence
community groups accessing the airwaves for non-commercial cultural,
social, and civic purposes. Despite recent statements by FCC Chairman
Kennard that express interest in diversifying the airwaves via micropower
radio, and his concern over the increasing concentration of corporate
ownership of radio stations, in practice the FCC has stepped up its attack
on unlicensed stations. The number of unlicensed radio stations has
steadily increased since the FCC abolished the low-watt license category in
1978. More than 1,000 micro-broadcasting stations are currently on the air
nationwide, and are active in a movement to enable community groups to
access the publicly-owned airwaves without fear of harassment, fines or
imprisonment. In solidarity with the movement, three stations which the FCC
has recently harassed are going back on the air on April 15: Steal This
Radio, Radio Free
Allston in Allston, Massachusetts, and 87x in Tampa, Florida. "Corporate
consolidation trends in media have greatly narrowed the scope of what kind
of news and music is available on the FM dial," said DJ Chrome. "As ever
more New Yorkers become frustrated with this corporate homogenization, the
need for community radio stations which reflect the diversity and culture
of our neighborhoods increases. This is about civil rights, about a growing
movement to challenge the injustice of the Federal government. The case is
clear. This is about Free Speech versus the FCC."

From:Pete triDish 
 Radio Mutiny returns to the Air  in front of the Liberty Bell- dares FCC
Chairman and Commissioners to arrest them in public
Wednesday night, April 15th, as Americans across the land rushed off their
hard earned  money to the federal government, yet another instance of the
frivolous squandering of our tax dollars played itself out on a 
porch in West Philly. Agents from the FCC crawled out of their little holes
to try to scare West Philly's radio pirates off the air. Threatening fines,
equipment confiscation, and jail time, the feds made their second attempt
to terrorize the community broadcasters out of exercising their first
Amendment rights. " I shut down for the evening so we could rally our
troops, but I told those FCC agents that they could kiss my Bill of
Rights!" said Jeannie LeFitte, a Radio Mutiny DJ. "Radio Mutiny's response
will be threefold"  said Bertha Venus, a Mutiny 
DJ. First, we brought our co-conspirator Ben Franklin into the battle by 
upgrading his 18th century free speech tool- his famous printing press- 
into a twentieth century free speech tool- a pirate transmitter, just like
ours. As Ben says, "Necessity knows no Law." (photos of guerrilla  statue
alteration outside of City Hall available on request) Second, we will
continue our campaign to meet every instance of FCC harassment with ten new
transmitters, ten new micro-stations. Third, and most importantly, we will
return our voices to the air on 
Wednesday, April 22in front of the Liberty Bell. At High Noon, we have
challenged the FCC to bust us in front of the American people and this
symbol of liberty. 
"Our lawyer, Stephan Presser, legal director of the ACLU, wrote Chairman
Kennard and requested that all correspondence regarding our case be
directed through him as our counsel. Instead, they came like storm troopers
in the night to harass and intimidate people. If Kennard thinks that his
policy of censorship of microradio is doing anything for the American
people, let him come out from his fancy office in Washington and explain
himself as he leads us out to the paddy wagon."said DJ Buster Moon.
West Philly has become a flashpoint in the nationwide struggle to free the
airwaves from corporate and government domination. The two sides, which
have been mildly sparring for years,  have upped the ante to a 
ferocious pitched battle in the past two weeks. Just last week Radio Mutiny
hosted a gathering of pirates from the entire eastern United  States, and
sponsored  the first of two national debates between  the corporoate foes
of Free Radio and the ordinary people of this land, 
who are fighting to take back a piece of the public airwaves. Radio
Mutiny's Condom Lady took on Richard Lee, the FCC's chief enforcement
agent. Two days later, attorney for Free Radio Berkeley, Luke Hiken duked
it out with the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las
Vegas. On the first day of the NAB convention, the FCC issued 5 ten
thousand dollar fines to pirates and shut down two stations in Tampa as 
a token gesture of their slavish indulgence of the NAB's commercial  interests. 
 At 12:30pm on  the 15th,  pirate stations in Milwaukee, New York, Boston,
Iowa city, and Tampa  that had been harassed by the FCC and had temporarily
stopped broadcasting defiantly returned to the airwaves 
together in a joint act of Electronic civil disobedience. In addition, 
Radio Mutiny's recent 25 city tour helped jump start a number of new free
radio stations. "We've made good on our promise to the FCC that for every
station harassed, ten more will be started until the FCC cries 
uncle." said Anne Tenna.

from Lonnie Kobres:
Keith Perry, a  low power FM radio satallite re-broadcaster out of Leander,
Texas, is being threatened with penalties, seizure and forfeiture by a
federal agency that is not supposed to have any authority over activities
within the boundaries of a state.  Keith's rebroadcasting is pretty small,
using less energy to rebroadcast than
that used by a 100-watt lightbulb.  What is Keith doing that the FCC
doesn't want people to hear? He rebroadcasts shortwave and satellite-based
shows: not only the talk shows, but also alternative health and technology
shows.  He also covers localexas events that the"traditional" media totally
ignores. onsidering the current state of >affairs with the federal
government wanting to control every aspect of >our daily lives, and the
fact that Keith's rebroadcast is reaching a >small part of the uninformed
masses - we begin to see why what he is doing is considered dangerous by
the federal government. What's most important right now is this:
Information from various reliable sources have informed Keith that he IS IN
DANGER OF BODILY HARM IF HE DOES NOT STOP RE-BROADCASTING. Fearing
>for his life, not to mention threat of possible penalties, destruction and/or
>loss of his radio equipment, Keith ceased re-broadcasting as of midnight this
>past Sunday.
More details follow below, but it is extremely important, that we contact
the FCC (contact info at end of this note) and ask them to stop
theirharassment, threats and intimidations.  If we are to remain a free
nation, WE MUST SUPPORT free speech over the airwaves.  This means that we
must support Keith Perry by contacting the FCC and by letting them >know
that they have no legal ground to harass this brave man and they have no
business acting as a federal government censor whenever someone legally
tries to inform some small section of the American population of >all the
alternative information which is not available through the goverment
"sanctioned" media. We will all lose our freedom of speech and our freedom
to hear >alternative viewpoints and news by letting the intimidation and
fear tactics of the FCC shut down these small rebroadcasters.   If you
believe in freedom and liberty, then you have the duty to help preserve
freedom and liberty.  Contact the FCC, a lot of people calling could make a
difference.  Keith Perry has put everything on the line to help us, even
his life.  Let's live by his example and help support him. Please contact
the FCC Chairman and Commissioners using the addresses and numbers at the
end of this note.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-New Haven) is standing up for the FCC in the
ongoing fight over unlicensed "La Nueva Radio Musicale." In an op-ed piece
in the New Haven Register this week, DeLauro said she understands the need
for a station like the 104.5 pirate, but she says the FCC's duty to keep
the spectrum well-policed for legal stations takes priority.  The 104.5
folks (who are back on the air after a third FCC visit last week) had
presented DeLauro with a petition
supporting their cause.

 From: Stewart Port
 BIG turnout for the East coast conf., maybe 150-200 over the weekend. I
Some of the stuff touched on in the study groups  was:
-Free speech or Activism?
-Need for a better national network (The possibility of submitting an East
Coast page for publication in your AMPB report was raised); A minister for
solidarity at each station? -Emergency response network -4/27 deadline for
comments to petitions re: LPFM service now 
before FCC -Need for local and regional brainstorms
-The coming of digital radio To become an organization or no? Some New
yorkers had a proposal to establish a regulatory structure of our own to
deal with frequency allotment and to avoid interference, and to show the 
Feds that it could be done. -A National legal/defense committee -A second
East Coast conf. in the fall. I missed most of the workshops but did attend
one about micro-radio and community organizing led by Lorenzo Ervin. He's
pretty fantastic.

  From: Frederic Noyes
I went with the hope and intention of trying to solidify a
stronger national movement, but there wasn't a good opportunity to do that.
It was more focused on starting and improving stations which is
undisputedly important, but frustrating if there is no energy directed
toward protecting each other from federal harrassment that will
inevitably be a part of the next wave of station openings. There were a few
other disturbing things, but alot of positives as well. They did include a
survey for everyone to fill out so hopefully it will lead to more focused
work on strengthening the movement. The Radio Mutiny folks did a great job
taking care of all off us and we had a pretty good time. Last night's party
(complete with "pirate sea
Shanties") and Daylight Savings have done me in. Hope more of the national
organizing can be discussed in Vegas.
Regards, Frederic

From: Lonnie Kobres
Defenders of the 1st Amendment,
I have just been notified that my sentencing has been postponed due to the
illness of the prosecutor's mother.
The judge will have to set a new sentencing date and we will have to wait
until that information is available.
At least this will allow some additional opportunity to organize further. 
Lonnie 
http://home1.gte.net/lkobres
http://www.trail.com/~ami/tampa_radio_bust.htm

From: Kelly Kombat
Yesterday, April 13th, 1998 Two more unlicensed micro radio stations were
shut down in Tampa by Federal Marshalls accompanied by FCC and local
police. Reverand Alberto Acosta who broadcasted Radio Amore (90.1 FM) from
a Baptist Church on Nebraska & Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard  was served
the warrant along with Ester Nievas and Carlos Camacho who broadcasted La
Primerisima salsa and merengue (89.3 FM) from the Ybor City area. Federal
Agents seized transmitters and equipment but not music as was the case in
the November raids on the Tampa 3, 87X 102.1, and Lutz Radio 96.7 FM. [I
guess now we're the Tampa 5] These seizures occured around 5:30 in the
afternoon, Monday.
*A press conference and protest is planned at the New Sam Gibbons Federal
Courthouse in Downtown Tampa at noon on Friday, April 17th. *In accordance
with the emergency network discussed at the East Coast 
Micro-radio Conference: WE NEED TO ALL SHOW THAT WE ARE PISSED OFF OVER 
THIS IN REM FORFEITURE CRAP THAT THE FEDS USE TO SHUT DOWN FREE RADIO
HERE!! *Two stations, 87X & 102.1 fm have returned to the air in defiance
of the federal crack down since the raids.More news as it becomes
available...

"Microradio Proposals at FCC Opposed by NPR and NAB"
PUBLIC BROADCASTING REPORT
May 8, 1998
Citing crowded spectrum and possible adoption of In-Band, On-Channel (IBOC)
digital radio, broadcasters such as NPR and NAB opposed 2 petitions for
rulemaking at FCC. Petitions promote microradio and low-power radio,
respectively, but both involve low-watt broadcasting that might cover mile
or so of ground. FCC
Chmn. Kennard has expressed enthusiasm for idea and is seen by some to be
promoting it as way to increase diversity in mass media. That position was
echoed by many who filed in favor of petitions, but NPR challenged notion
that microradio automatically would mean increase in diversity. NPR and its
stations support "fostering a diversity of broadcast voices," it said in
April 27 filing. However, it said "it is neither self-evident nor
established" in 2 petitions that "diversity of media voices" will result
from low-power radio.
What is clear, NPR argued, is that "the broadcast spectrum in many portions
of the country is now severely congested," and squeezing in microradio
broadcasters undoubtedly would cause even more interference than already
occurs. Problem would be exacerbated with adoption of IBOC, it said, and
would "undermine
the transition to digital radio broadcasting." Microbroadcasters would be
occupying very spectrum radio licensees would need to provide their IBOC
digital signal, it said. FCC also would also be undertaking burdensome
regulatory duty with microradio, NPR
said. FCC not only would have to register untold numbers of licensees, then
monitor how those licenses changed hands, but microradio would have
"profound implications" for agency's content regulations. Content
regulation would be required for every microbroadcaster, it said, as "it
makes no practical difference to the listener whether the source of the
content is a low-power station transmitting from a mile away or a
full-service station transmitting from 5 or 10 miles away." Filing
suggested
that if goal is to provide means for broadcasting diverse
content, that function already is being served by Internet. NAB argued in
filing that FCC has "firmly established" that low-power radio isn't
efficient use of spectrum and that microradio would "create small islands
of usable coverage in an ocean of interference." Assn. said that allocating
"hundreds -- or even
thousands -- of new low-power stations" would undermine digital transition.
Another drawback, it said, is that microradio wouldn't be available in most
instances to mobile audiences, and, "more importantly, the FCC should not
establish a new service...in order to curb the proliferation of pirate
broadcasters." At NAB conference last month, FCC Comr. Furchtgott-Roth said
that while
pirate radio "is simply illegal and must be dealt with,"
microradio rulemaking "does not in any way, shape or form compromise"
rights of licensees. Kennard made similar remarks there: "Let's not confuse
pirate radio with microbroadcasting... We are going to... make sure that
anything we do does not undermine the technical integrity of the broadcast
airwaves." Some 2 dozen individuals filed comments, all but 2 in favor of
microradio proposals. Some cited consolidation in commercial radio
following Telecom Act as reason to promote microradio, with many echoing
diversity arguments. InterNet Assn. said outdated interference protections
for full-power stations no longer are needed because of technical advances.
Joint filing by 42 state
broadcaster associations and P.R. said microradio "is so
technically inferior that the proposed service makes a mockery of the word
broadcast... This 'CB-ization' of radio broadcasting stands the
Communications Act on its head." States also cited enforcement problems,
which would be "catastrophic for the FCC and the nation's courts."

  From:          Pete triDish,
petetridish@hotmail.com,Internet
  yo ho ho, y'all!
     An idea put forward at the east coast conference was a pledge among
stations of mutual support in the face of busts. Here's a draft, send
comments or sign on and reply to me via email. Anyone want to help organize
this thing? 
     I wanted to start small, with a phone zap, and take it from there to
more dramatic measures once we prove we have the system working. This is
modeled on the late 80's Pledge of Resistance to the US War in Central
America- or alternately, it's kind of like NATO- if the fcc attacks one of
the member stations, there is a response from all of us.. I know that phone
calls are not enough, and are a little expensive, but my feeling from my
contacts with the fcc is that this sort of thing can be pretty effective
with them. Possible future directions might be concerted phonecalls to key
congress people who control their budget.. Perhaps this could end up
triggering a demonstration as well.
     -Pete triDish

     Micropower Bust Response Network (please someone- a clever name or acronym)

     I, __________, and or my station, _______, sign on to the Micropower
Bust Response network. This means that if the FCC takes any action against
any member of this network, including myself,  I commit to placing a
phonecall of protest to the chairman's office the following Monday between
11 am and 1 pm. This network will be activated at the 
discretion of the victim of whatever fcc action takes place- it can be set
off by a warning letter, a visit, a Notice of Apparent Liability, or a
raid.

     My contact information is:

     phone_______________

     email_______________


	***A-INFOS DISCLAIMER - IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE***

A-Infos disclaims responsibility for the information in this message.


			********
		The A-Infos News Service
			********
		COMMANDS: majordomo@tao.ca
		REPLIES: a-infos-d@tao.ca
		HELP: a-infos-org@tao.ca
		WWW: http://www.ainfos.ca/
		INFO: http://www.ainfos.ca/org