SouthEast Assoc. of Microbroadcasters (SEAM) forms March 1999
As a result of the gathering of south eastern microradio operators in Asheville, NC from February 19-21st, 1999, an association of microradio stations was formed. The association's name is the Southeastern Association of Microbroadcasters or S.E.A.M.
The group has scheduled a Day of Action on April 16th, 1999 at Federal Communications Commission (FCC) field offices across the Southeast to protest the federal goverments raids, seizures and harrassment of microradio stations and operators. The operators have vowed to continue operating despite the FCC's call for microradio operators to cease broadcasting after the release of the Notice of Proposed Rule-Making.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
SEAM, a SouthEast Association of Microbrodcasters, organizations and individuals are dedicated to creating a self-regulating, non-commercial radio service that meets the needs of our communities which is not already being satisfied by existing establishment media. We will achieve these goals through exercising our free speech right to broadcast, direct action, continued public outreach and education, shared resources, and knowledge to give voice to the voiceless.
SEAM response to FCCs Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
We call for:
An Immediate moritorium to the FCC raids and seizures!!
Amnesty for existing microradio stations; further compensation of time, money and equipment, and once FCC rulemaking is in place, already existing micro stations will be licensed/grandfathered upon request.
A one watt to one-hundred watt, non-commercial service that can occupy any frequency on the FM dial (between 87.9 - 107.9) and receive primary status.
The studio facilities must be located within the primary contour of the transmitting facilities.
Local license holding; no absentee ownership
Only one station per owning organization and that organization cannot have controlling members in common with other stations
A majority of locally relevant programming; programming not available on any other local broadcast media source
Equipment shall be type accepted which will meet basic technical criteria in respect to stability, filtering, and modulation control; the standard for compliance shall be noninterference.
Licensing preference given to racial minorities and the economically
disadvantaged
Support to the previous proposal to simulcast digital content on another band aka cube proposal and the eureka--that micro broadcasters will be included in the transition to digital media
Exemption from EAS (Emergency Alert System)
That licensees be unincorporated not-for-profit associations, or non-profit organizations
That problems, whether technical or otherwise, shall be first refered to the local or regional voluntary micropower organization for technical assitance or voluntary mediation. The FCC shall be the forum of last resort.
That licensing fees shall not exceed $25
New spectrum space shall be allocated for continued expansion of microradio broadcasters by relaxation of current 2nd and 3rd adjancency interference requirements and that these new resulting licenses are restricted to the new LPFM (low-power FM) class of licenses. Further, all manufacturers of consumer radio receivers for sale in the United States shall be required to conform to increased sensitivity and selectivity performance standards to allow effective receptions of single adjacent spaced LPFM stations.
[
] 
