WIUS seeks frequency

In mid-December, Congress curtailed the Federal Communication Commission's initiative to create a system of low-powered FM stations to diversify the airwaves.\nSeveral Bloomington groups were vying for FM wavelengths based on the FCC plan. The FCC had named Bloomington one of the initiative's flagship cities.\nUnder pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters and National Public Radio, Congress made it "all but impossible for licenses to be issued in cities of even modest size," according to the New York Times. The association opposes the initiative, which it says will infringe on frequencies of existing stations.\nThis act begins to transfer the independent FCC's regulating powers to Congress.\n"(The Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000) effectively killed 80 percent of LPFM," said WIUS station manager Cody Leitholt. While two prospective Bloomington stations were turned down, WIUS is still in the running for an FM slot.\nFrequencies sought by the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., the Church of the Good Shepherd, 850 E. Winslow Rd., and Center for Sustainable Living, 116 1/2 S. College Ave., were only three channels from 98.1, used by WFHB Community Radio. Although it meets the FCC's requirements, Congress requires that frequencies be further apart so they do not interfere.\nFCC president William E. Kennard proposed the LPFM plan last year to create 10- or 100-watt stations, with a listening area of about a mile or three and a half miles. More than 1,000 organizations applied last year. Only 255 have been accepted. Competing frequency proposals have not been decided upon yet.\nStudent-run WIUS is one of the stations awaiting a determination on its license proposal. Although meeting all requirements, it applied for 100.3, as did Cultural and Community Radio of Bloomington.\nCurrently broadcasting on 1570 AM, residence hall cable television and the Internet, the FM station would make WIUS more readily available to students living off campus and to the Bloomington community, Leitholt said. \nRegardless of whether the FM station comes through, Lietholt said WIUS is continually looking for ways to expand and improve its coverage and is now working to improve Internet transmission. He said he is focused on making the station accessible and a "real value."\nAlthough the LPFM plan was severely reduced, telecommunications associate professor Herbert Terry said it might not be that big of a loss. \nTerry said what Congress has done is not the most important issue, and that the FCC's operations will change markedly with President-elect George W. Bush's appointments. He said he feels that with Clinton-appointee Kennard leaving his position, the LPFM issue will go away.\n"Congress put a nail in the coffin," Terry said. "(Its future) will be much affected by the outcome of the election."\nTerry said he expects a smoother running of the FCC after Bush's administration. He said he also feels there are better alternatives to LPFM, such as wireless Webcast and Internet transmission. Terry said he believes local stations would benefit from working with cable television as WIUS has.\nFor the future of noncommercial broadcasting, Terry said "there are so many ways"