Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to support HR. 1147, the ``Local Community Radio Act,'' a bipartisan measure to revitalize the local, public interest radio programming that is so important to communities nationwide.
The broadcast spectrum, after all, belongs first and foremost to the American people. I continue to believe that public access to these resources and quality, local programming should be readily available to all. In the 106th Congress, we established the bipartisan Public Broadcasting Caucus to highlight the unique and invaluable contributions of public radio and television stations and programs. Public Broadcasters provide valuable commercial-free educational, informational, and cultural programming for communities all across the country, as well as emergency alerts.
Complementing these efforts are our country's local, low-power FM radio stations. These stations, whose signals only operate in a three-to-five mile radius, serve as vibrant community resources. These small operators include all manner of local politicians, clergy, civil rights, and community leaders. In times of crisis, like public radio stations, they may also provide essential emergency services. I am pleased Congress is acting to strengthen the ability of these stations to operate responsibly.
This bill is the result of years of negotiations between commercial broadcasters, public broadcasters, and Congress. I appreciate the efforts of all, including National Public Radio (NPR) and the National Association of Broadcasters, NAB, to work together to craft this product. The result is a bill that balances the needs of incumbent stations to protect their signals with an opening up of the airwaves to smaller, more diverse operators.
I look forward to moving this compromise forward, and to strengthened programming in our communities.