There aren't enough media outlets for voices like his, says Parker, or for the people protesting this weekend's police shooting. So, he and others are trying to do something about it. Parker and a group of Nova students and teachers, along with members of the Hugo House, Channel 29 Public Access, and community activist groups, are trying to make their voices heard by starting a low-power radio station. The problem is, they only have a week to do it.
June 15 is the Federal Communication Commission's deadline for applications from community groups interested in starting a low-power radio station in Seattle. And here's the catch--the FCC won't allow anyone to base low-power radio stations in Seattle proper. Last year, Congress, with the help of the National Association of Broadcasters and National Public Radio, killed legislation that would have opened up the radio dial for low-power stations in cities all over the country. Although the FCC's own tests showed that it was technically feasible, low-power radio's opponents won out, claiming the spectrum is just too crowded to allow any more transmitters in heavily populated cities like Seattle. The FCC will allow a transmitter to broadcast over the area's only available low-power frequency--104.5 FM--but it's in an area in the far east side of King County. However, according to Brian Allen, one of the main organizers behind the drive for a low-power station, all is not lost.
Allen, who is also involved with the Independent Media Center, points out that the east King County location is merely where the transmitter will be located. "With the help of the Internet, the studio where the actual content is created can be anywhere," says Allen. Whether from Nova High School, the Hugo House, or from someone's bathroom, the broadcast will be sent via an Internet connection to the transmitter in east King County, then rebroadcasted seconds later. Though the station would be low power, people in Seattle would be able to pick the signal up on their radios.
Technical issues aside, the main barrier now is time. Allen has been planning for months, but he was waiting on the FCC to announce the station application deadline. In some cities, that wait has been years. Finally, the FCC announced the window of opportunity for filing the station application in Seattle just eight weeks before the deadline. Though Allen and the rest are scrambling, the possibility of having a station in a city with a shortage of voices is worth it.
"What do we really have here in Seattle?" complains Allen. "We have KUOW, which does some local news, and that's cool. Then we have KEXP, and I would hardly call them a community radio station anymore," he says, referring to KEXP's recent integration with the Experience Music Project. Former Green party candidate for Congress and Nova teacher Joe Szwaja is idealistic about the possibilities. "It might be a good chance to interface with the African American community that surrounds Nova a little bit," he says. Szwaja and Nova English teacher Terrance McKittrick also want the station to showcase student talent and teach the students technical skills. "The kids could learn a lot about recording and the use of microphones and things like that," says McKittrick.
With only a week left, the groups have a lot to do. Though the east King County spectrum is available, a location to store the transmitter is still needed. "We're talking to some of the labor unions and maybe the YMCA," says Szwaja. Money is also needed to buy equipment, but according to Allen, the costs will be minimal. "Getting into low-power radio is pretty cheap," he says. "We just need a microphone, a computer, and an Internet connection, for the most part. And time--I wish we could buy more time."
