Problem: Local Community Radio Act had been pending for almost 10 years. Advocates for the LCRA were running out of time–the Federal Communications Commission was going to release spectrum that would be used for local community radio.
- Cheryl successfully helped to bring the Local Community Radio Act across the goal line after 10 years of advocacy.
- Cheryl led weekly coalition meetings for two years, handling the agenda and distributing detailed notes that enabled a wide range of groups to collaborate with one another.
- Cheryl was able to combine advice on grassroots legislative advocacy–identifying the type of local advocacy that could be most effective–with detailed legal knowledge to draft legislative language and negotiate with the bills opponents.
- Cheryl represented the coalition in her testimony before the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, energizing legislative supporters and painting a clear vision of the low power radio service.
- Cheryl’s legislative strategy enabled the grassroots champion, Prometheus Radio Project, navigate a gridlocked Congress so that the LCRA obtained unanimous consent in a sharply divided Senate.
Solution: The coalition effort obtained bipartisan and exceptionally widespread public interest support for legislation, and the Local Community Radio Act became law in December 2010.
Learn more: See and read Cheryl’s presentation describing the elements of the successful campaign.