My Findings on the History of Radio with an emphasis on Low Power FM (LPFM) Radio

In order to begin researching the Low Power FM radio I felt that I needed a better understanding on the history of the radio to be able to follow the evolution of the Low Power FM radio. To do so I used Google's advanced search option because it helps to better narrow down my search to the exact topic I desire. On Google advanced search I entered the term "radio history," upon doing so I came across my first website: http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/acott.radio.industry.history . To ensure that this website was credible I analyzed it and found out that it is an online encyclopedia that is owned and operated by the Economic History Association and is funded through the, "support of other sponsoring organizations." The specific entry I found is titled "The History of the Radio Industry in the United States to 1940" and is written by Carole E. Scott who is a professor at the Sate University of West Georgia; it was written with intentions of educating those interested on the subject. This entry also features a detailed works cited which makes for a reliable source! Moreover, it was posted about a year ago which makes the information reasonably up to date and since we are dealing with history anyway it doesn't matter that it is not totally current. However, what is missing from this site is more than a brief introduction of LPFM.


Now, to find more history on Low Power FM radio I had to alter my search term. Again, I used Google advanced search with the term "Low Power FM history," this time I was directed to the site: http://www.diymedia.net/feature/fhistlpfm18.htm. Normally, I would not have used a link like the one above because the web name indicates that it is posts from various people such as is wikipedia. However, after seeing that it was highly recommended by the Christian Community Broadcasters association I decided to take a look and noted the credibility of the website, it came full of citations and useful quotes, it is fairly current and has a full 18 pages of history on the lpfm and its impact on the U.S. Ultimatley, I was convinced of the validity and usefulness of this website despite its lack of author/organization and formal webpage. However, something that could be missing from this source is some more structure to how the history is presented.

Below are notes from each of the sites:
1. The History of the Radio Industry in the United States to 1940

• radio's existence is thanks to the discovery of electromagnetic waves in 1877 by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
• 8 years later, Edison took out patent for discontinuous radio waves
• later, marconi ultimately put the waves to send morse code messages
• thus, the idea of radio and its emergence began
• after 1920, large corporations dominate industry
• emergence of RCA (radio corporation of america) was govt owned and a radio monopoly
• radio was cheapest form of broadcasting
• populately grew between 1920-1930
• in 1920: 5 radio stations; 1940: 765

2. What is LPFM?

• LPFM=Low Power FM radio broadcasting
• LPFM is a term used to define an FM station that starts its own programming and has power of a translator/booster
• it is not legal to operate an LPFM
• FCC regulates its usage through licenses (class D [eventually fails & disappears], class C)
• Dunifer (from berkeley) fought against the FCC  to have an lpfm and rights to use the airwaves
• again people decided to fight back in '98, hundreds of microradios stations emerged
• FCC closed more than 250 that year ('98)
• '90 FCC faced budget setbacks and forced to consolidate
• increased growth of microradio
• eventually FCC to re-establish LPFM licenses
• high-power broadcasters were not fans of microradio users
• 99-25 petitions established to take best qualities of both petitions filed to reconstruct LPFM
• FCC Legalizes LPFM january of 2000
• then congress hopes to terminate LPFM
• large broadcast station convinced congress to "eviscerate the LPFM plan"
• today, Prometheus Radio Project emerged which helps those interested to apply for LPFM stations

All in all, the websites proved to be full of information!