Our friends at the Prometheus Radio Project (who were involved with Radio Re-volt last summer) are taking their fight for lower-power, community FM into a place where it’s needed most, the survivor’s camp at the Houston Astrodome. Prometheus has petitioned the FCC--and been granted, with almost unprecedented speed--the right to build a 30-watt radio station in the dome to provide critical information to people displaced in the area. An audio bulletin board, of sorts, it’ll broadcast news and logistical information about finding resources and reuniting with family members, etc. One stumbling block: a Harris County official is requiring that volunteers provide 10,000 radio recievers before they are allowed to begin setup of the station equipment. Click here to learn about donating radios or to donate funds.
Hear Prometheus’ Hannah Sassaman discuss the project on Democracy Now!
Update: BoingBoing reports that somebody, possibly a government agency, is scrambling radio frequencies inside the Astrodome. I wonder why…