Happy World Radio Day!
World Radio Day was celebrated around the world last week in acknowledgment of the impact and importance of radio. We're late to the party but couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the importance of radio than with a torque heatmap of Low Power FM radio stations going on the air - tracking the expansion of LPFM service from 2000 - March 2011 with data provided by the FCC.
In what ways is Low Power FM radio otherwise known as independent or community radio so important?
Jason Sigal who has been involved in independent radio since 2002 most recently at WFMU emphasizes how important it is to have "centralized places to broadcast local ideas local music and local news" in a time when "we have so much choice in what we could spend time listening to."
Jason got involved with independent radio in high school "because there were these other kids who were my age who knew about all this amazing music and cultural things and they learned about it by hanging out at the radio station." Low Power FM radio stations fill a void building community and sharing local news.
