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THE AMHERST DECLARATION
Adopted September 17, 1998
In Amherst, Massachusetts,
United States of America
We are current broadcasters, future broadcasters and
simply concerned
citizens. We stand for the proposition that the airwaves of America
should reflect the breadth of American life --not simply the boardrooms
of less than a dozen megacorporations.
We believe that the fruits of broadened airwaves access will include:
Greater diversity in radio ownership;
Greater diversity in radio programming;
Increased innovation, in the arts and sciences alike;
Expanded opportunity for upward mobility;
Larger pools of skilled, trained broadcasting personnel;
More locally based, locally owned radio stations,
offering more
coverage of community affairs;
AND
A step toward restoration of the letter and spirit of
the
United States Constitution.
We are not of one mind on every issue, but we are
united in our determination
to open the airwaves to small companies, small non-profit organizations
and individual citizens.
Whatever our other differences may be, these are the
core principles
which we firmly stand behind:
FIRST, small radio stations, which
broadcast at 100 watts or less, were legal until
banned by the Federal Communications Commission in 1978. Similar small
stations must be made legal again -- in both commercial and non-commercial
forms. This should be done with the greatest speed that is reasonably possible.
SECOND, such stations must be
reserved solely for small businesses, small
non-profits and individual citizens. Licenses for such radio stations should not be
awarded automatically to the highest bidders: instead, whether this is done through
Commission or Congressional action, such stations should be exempt from any
otherwise applicable mandate for radio license auctions. In addition, the law should
state clearly that only small businesses, small non-profit organizations and individual
citizens are eligible by law to establish or acquire these radio stations.
THIRD, whatever wattage
and tower height limitations are applied to such radio
stations, these power ceilings must be high enough to permit the attraction of
a meaningful audience. Full time stations, whether their revenues come from
advertisements, donations or a mixture of the two, require and deserve power
ceilings which provide a clear opportunity to become financially self-sustaining.
Part time stations, if authorized, require and deserve power ceilings which
permit effective community service to an urban neighborhood, a small town,
a small suburb or the rural population equivalent.
FOURTH, room must be left, in this corner of the radio spectrum, for:
Totally commercial radio stations;
Non-profit radio stations, including stations at
educational institutions,
which air commercials solely to cover costs;
AND
Totally non-commercial stations, including stations at educational institutions.
All three of these groups have contributions to make,
albeit in different ways.
We support, unequivocally, the availability of radio station licenses for members
of all three groups. We oppose, unequivocally, all efforts to limit licensing to
only one or two of these groups.
In addition to the core principles we have related,
we call for suspension of
the current prosecutions of unlicensed broadcasters, except in cases where a
knowing refusal to remediate interference problems can be demonstrated.
We also call for retroactive amnesty, except in cases of demonstrable and
knowing interference, when radio stations of this nature are re-legalized.
For our part, we may or may not choose, as
individuals, to conduct
unlicensed broadcasting from the privacy of our own homes and/or
facilities. However, we will not engage in public acts of civil disobedience,
or other confrontational behavior, for as long as the Federal Communications
Commission is progressing with reasonable speed toward a meaningful,
viable andsustainable expansion of access to the public airwaves.
The battles for liberty, opportunity and justice, in
America and elsewhere, are
not limited to the wars or crises of the past. Each generation must invoke
again-- in the terms, symbols and context which it finds meaningful -- the
same spirit that has established America, maintained America and protected
America, along with much of the world, from the designs of madmen and tyrants.
The time has come to stand again, respectfully but
firmly, for the values
which make America America.
We urge all who agree with us to stand with us.
Signatories:
1. Don Schellhardt of CONNECTICUT
2. Don Hawks of VIRGINIA
3. Joseph D’Alessandro of DELAWARE
4. Mrs. Joseph D’Alessandro of DELAWARE
5. Kevin Lange of INDIANA
6. Scott A. Todd of MINNESOTA
7. John Benjamin of PENNSYLVANIA
8. Charles Coplien of PENNSYLVANIA
9. Rob Rogers of ALABAMA
10. Bill Doerner of TEXAS
11. Maryjane "Mj" Stelmach Honner of MICHIGAN
12. Andy Lausted of MINNESOTA
13. Urbain Bernier of MICHIGAN
14. Linda C. Bernier of MICHIGAN
15. Richard Borrell of MINNESOTA
16. Hipolito Cuevas of CONNECTICUT
17. Thomas Lowenhaupt of NEW YORK
18. AMERICANS FOR RADIO DIVERSITY:
a group that is headquartered in MINNESOTA -- by UNANIMOUS vote19. Jerry Szoka of OHIO
20. Claude Stevens of MISSOURI
21. Glenn Austin of MINNESOTA
22. Teri Davis of MICHIGAN
23. John Lentz of WISCONSIN
24. Mike Malone of MASSACHUSETTS
25. Alan Freed of MINNESOTA
26. Adrian Kohn of WASHINGTON, DC
27. Reilly M. Leibhard of MINNESOTA
28. Tom Ness of MICHIGAN
29. Sue Ness of MICHIGAN
30. John Anderson of WISCONSIN
31. Bob duRivage of MICHIGAN
32. Thomas S. Desmond of TEXAS
33. Pedro Luis Jimenez of CONNECTICUT
34. Sharon McHugh of OHIO
35. Heather Summers of OHIO
36. George Pantazopoulus of MASSACHUSETTS
37. Ron Gutzeit of MICHIGAN
38. Jed Cousin of MINNESOTA
39. Kevin Hegg of MINNESOTA
40. Thomas Kluis of MINNESOTA
41. John Aramini of NEW YORK
42. Richard D. Demorest of MICHIGAN
43. Brian Jack of MICHIGAN
44. Jeremy Jack of MICHIGAN
45. Matthew J. Mitruka of MICHIGAN
46. Sandra Dziedziula of MICHIGAN
47. Gordon Roudebush of MICHIGAN
48. Todd Breen of MICHIGAN
49. Adam Steinman of MICHIGAN
50. James J. DeMates of MICHIGAN
51. Jeff J. Woods of MICHIGAN
52. Brian Mauro of MICHIGAN
53. Daniel T. Harper of MICHIGAN
54. April Schmidt of MICHIGAN
55. Aaron Tucker of MICHIGAN
56. Robert Cukr, Jr. of MICHIGAN
57. Christopher Frankonis of OREGON
58. Jolie Wolfe of OREGON
59. Brad Lovelace of MINNESOTA
60. Tamara Hayes of OREGON
61. Robert Lentz of PENNSYLVANIA
62. Steven A. Antonio of CONNECTICUT
63. Bill Spry of OHIO
64. Robert L. Hormell of COLORADO
65. Jesse G. Kudler of CONNECTICUT
66. Christopher T. Bydalek of ALASKA
67. Mike Fabio of MINNESOTA
68. Carmen Williams of ALASKA
69. Daniel M. Geislinger of MINNESOTA
70. William M. Stapleton, Jr. of CONNECTICUT
71. Steve James of CONNECTICUT
72. Chris DiPaola of RHODE ISLAND
73. Kenneth Atkinson of RHODE ISLAND
74. Brendan Kredell of NEW JERSEY
75. Erica Piserchia of CONNECTICUT
76. Jennifer Kob of NEW YORK
77. Lillian Teng of MARYLAND
78. Mayumi Grigsby of TEXAS
79. Thomas Donatelli of PENNSYLVANIA
80. Miguel Banuelos of TEXAS
81. Timothy Lunardi of PENNSYLVANIA
82. Eric Weiss of MISSISSIPPI
83. "Barney Gumble" Anderson of IOWA
84. Steven H. Macek of MINNESOTA
85. Ami Abou-Bakr of IDAHO
86. Halah Al-Jubeir of WASHINGTON, DC
87. John Cain of NEW YORK
88. Nancy Calabrese of CALIFORNIA
89. Reed Cary of MARYLAND
90. Emilie Dishongh of GEORGIA
91. Neale Fisher of GEORGIA
92. Andrew Goodrich of MASSACHUSETTS
93. Alan Greene of CALIFORNIA
94. Matthew Hammer of PENNSYLVANIA
95. Claudine Holt of WASHINGTON, DC
96. Sarah James of WISCONSIN
97. William Jordan of OHIO
98. Baxter Lee of TENNESSEE
99. Anthony Liberatoscioli of NEW YORK
100. Joseph LiCastro of PENNSYLVANIA
101. James Lister of NEW HAMPSHIRE
102. Jason Madhosingh of FLORIDA
103. Michael O’Shea of NEW JERSEY
104. Elizabeth Ripotolo of NEW YORK
105. Neil Roy of ALABAMA
106. Andrew Soodek of ILLINOIS
107. Lee Stafford of MARYLAND
108. Sean Tirrell of MASSACHUSETTS
109. Marcus Williams of WASHINGTON, DC
110. Dean Fiora of CONNECTICUT
111. Yael Nimon of MASSACHUSETTS
112. Matthew Hayes of CALIFORNIA
113. Wesle AnneMarie Dymoke of RHODE ISLAND
114. Christian Davin of NEW YORK
115. Danielle Enage of CALIFORNIA
116. Richard Kentz of NEW JERSEY
117. Lacy Martin of TEXAS
118. Crystal Morgan of NEW YORK
119. William W. Tinsley III of NEW YORK
120. Aaron Childs of MICHIGAN
121. Christopher Bletsch of NEW YORK
122. Rosa Gonzalez of FLORIDA
123. Kathleen Hosie of THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
124. Collin West of GEORGIA
125. Spencer Clark of PENNSYLVANIA
126. Wes Brown of CALIFORNIA
127. Michael Diamant of PENNSYLVANIA
128. Jeffrey Glasheen of PENNSYLVANIA
129. Scott Bowen of TEXAS
130. Eric Draven of NEW YORK
131. Benton Owsley of CALIFORNIA
132. Nancy Doerner of TEXAS
133. Norm Andresen of MICHIGAN
134. Kimberlie Swift of MICHIGAN
135. Larry Skwarczynski of MICHIGAN
136. MICHIGAN MUSIC IS WORLD CLASS (MMWC) Campaign,
"A Pro-Active Music and Low Power Broadcasting Campaign" in MICHIGAN137. Anita Louise McCormick of WEST VIRGINIA
138. Howard N. Lute of CALIFORNIA
139. Joseph Rocha of CALIFORNIA
140. Lacretia C. Balance of OREGON
141. Kim Breton of CONNECTICUT
142. Ciatta Baysah of NEW YORK
143. Richard Bisso of NEW YORK
144. Sonya Chawla of MARYLAND
145. Melissa Conradi of WASHINGTON STATE
146. Jay Homa of MARYLAND
147. Adam Kaplan of WASHINGTON, DC
148. Stephane Lautner of NEW YORK
149. Adam Murray of MICHIGAN
150. Nhan Nguyen of VIRGINIA
151. Lynn Poss of CALIFORNIA
152. Reagan Roth of VERMONT
153. Carlo Santos of CALIFORNIA
154. Vanessa Waldref of WASHINGTON STATE
155. Kenneth Fisher of NEW JERSEY
156. Jan Owsley of CALIFORNIA
157. The Reverend Gail Dillen Packard of CALIFORNIA
158. Rebecca Bogart of MARYLAND
159. Hope Michelson of ILLINOIS
160. Christine Rice of NEW YORK
161. Scott Hicks of MICHIGAN
162. Leroy F. Schellhardt of CONNECTICUT
163. Lori Abel of OHIO
164. Scott Weingartner of KANSAS
165. Gene Karl of GEORGIA
IF you wish to be recorded as a signatory of THE AMHERST DECLARATION
in our INTERNATIONAL ROSTER OF SIGNATORIES Click Here.
Or please contact:Don Schellhardt
45 Bracewood Road
Waterbury, CT U.S.A. 06706
203/591-9177
e-mail: capistrano@earthlink.net