For several months, The Austin Chronicle has covered the ongoing turmoil at Free Radio Austin, the East Austin microradio station that was raided twice by Federal Communications Commission officers in the past two months and cited for operating without a federal license. The FCC increased pressure on the station, which operated most recently at 97.1 FM, in October, when it raided the station and confiscated its broadcasting equipment. The FCC cracked down on the station a second time in November when it again seized Free Radio's equipment, backed this time by an injunction from a federal judge forbidding the station's operators from broadcasting without a license from the FCC. This time, as this letter from the Free Radio collective attests, the FCC's efforts were successful: Free Radio Austin is shutting down for good.
Open letter from the Free Radio Austin Collective:
It is with great disappointment that we announce Free Radio Austin's decision to disband. We do this in accordance with a federal injunction, filed subsequent to the November 6 seizure of FRA's equipment by the Federal Communications Commission, which bars the collective as a whole from broadcast activity. The injunction also names three individuals who, by virtue of the fact that their identities are known, risk contempt of court charges and imprisonment should any part of the injunction be violated by anyone. To protect these individuals, and to show good faith to the court, the collective has unanimously agreed to cease operations.
This decision is made all the more difficult for us by our steadfast conviction that our only "crime" has been the use of a public resource for the purpose of generating and supporting an inclusive community. Community involvement is, in our view, essential to a free and democratic way of life. The monopolization of the public airwaves by commercial interests is an intentional barrier to community empowerment, and the Federal Communications Commission's regulation of those airwaves is blatantly protective of commercial interests.
The diversity of opinion and creativity of expression which characterized Free Radio Austin were not exclusive to its members. Our neighborhoods are all comprised of a variety of viewpoints, and each deserves a public voice. This voice will not be given to us by the National Association of Broadcasters or by National Public Radio, both of which oppose legalization of micro-power broadcasting. It is up to us, in all our various communities, to create our own ways to exercise our rights to freedom of speech and access to the public airwaves.
This is Free Radio Austin's final statement as a collective. Friends and supporters of FRA are encouraged to investigate the micro-radio movement and empower themselves. FREE RADIO FOR FREE PEOPLE! -- The Free Radio Austin Collective
