Community Radio: It all comes down to Alabama~edit

It's the media. Until and unless we (liberals/progressives/democrats) can counter the right wing talking chatter heads Alabama will continue to be the reddest of the red states. I am forwarding the following action alert from Color of Change.org ~Redeye

The United States Senate is on the verge of passing landmark legislation that would put the power of radio into the hands of thousands of local communities like yours — giving them power to create and broadcast the content they care about and generate.

But your senator, Jeff Sessions, may be the one lawmaker blocking this bill.

Can you place a quick call to Sen. Sessions, and tell him to stop blocking the Local Community Radio Act?

Here's his number:


(202) 224-4124, or (251) 414-3083 after 5pm EST
And here's a sample script you can use:

I'm calling to ask Senator Sessions to stop blocking the Local Community Radio Act. We need more local radio stations in Alabama, covering the issues that matter to our towns and cities."

Then can you send us a quick email at radio@colorofchange.org to let us know that you called?

Radio matters: Twice as many people get their news from talk radio as from the TV evening news — on ABC, NBC, and CBS combined.2 That's why the big broadcasters are paying top dollar to protect their radio monopoly and keep real people off the air.

But for Black and other minority communities, the corporate takeover of radio has meant less ability to represent ourselves — even as big media companies that own dozens or even hundreds of radio stations have free rein to smear people of color and sow racial division.

The low-power FM radio bill has passed the House and has bipartisan backing in the Senate, but corporate broadcasters are fighting to kill this bill.3They've lined up a tiny group of politicians to block it4 — and this session of Congress could be our last chance to win a crop of new radio licenses available to minority communities.

Sen. Sessions probably thinks no one is paying attention. Your phone call can help change that.

Please join us in sending a message to Sen. Sessions at (202) 224-4124. Then email us at calls@colorofchange.org to let us know that you called.

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
December 14th, 2010