Early in the morning of Thursday, March 15th, the Federal Communications Commision (FCC), along with 8 U.S. Marshalls, 3 local cops, and other
agents arrived with a search warrant, battering ram, and drawn guns to search and seize the long running micro-power station, Radio Free Cascadia (RFC) 98.5 FM.
Early in the morning of Thursday, March 15th, the Federal Communications Commision (FCC), along with 8 U.S. Marshalls, 3 local cops, and other
agents arrived with a search warrant, battering ram, and drawn guns to search and seize the long running micro-power station, Radio Free Cascadia (RFC) 98.5 FM.
People living at the Whiteaker neighborhood residence were awoken and questioned individually as to the operations of the station and people involved. All broadcasting equipment was taken into custody.
Radio Free Cascadia has been providing an alternative to corporate radio for over three years to the Eugene community. This was an obvious attack on free speech and autonomy.
RFC claims “We will be back on the air!” Stay tuned for more information.
The following is taken from the Evolutionary Statement of RFC 98.5FM:
” The capitalist marketplace has put a price on the earth and the very thoughts of citizens, as if these were products to be owned and traded
by faceless economic machines. Huge multinational conglomerates, facilitated by the industrial governments of the world, use their
profits to control more and more public space, from national forests and city parks to television, print and radio media. Following this global trend of consolidating private ownership of public
resources, channels of mass communication have become less and less accessible to individuals and local communities.
“This commercialization of culture is a massive obstacle to the emergence of the creative social interaction and artistic expression that is vital to confront the diverse problems facing civilization. Citizens around the globe have chosen to respond to this domination of public discourse nonviolently and pro-actively, by simply reclaiming these public spaces, even in the face of violent government repression. Micro-power or “pirate” radio is one such response.
“Like the water, air and soil, radio airwaves are a public resource, and as such should be utilized for the greatest common good. RFC believes that the public freedoms expressed by the First Amendment of the Constitution should
apply equally to micro-power radio, Internet web sites and your local community bulletin board.
“RFC believes that to allow profit-driven corporate entities to elbow out grass roots media channels is to mock the notion of free speech, and suppress the possibility of deeper social interations in our daily lives. RFC is prepared to confront this threat to the survival of our civil liberties through continued nonviolent direct action and constitutionally-based legal defense.”
CONTACT: Steve Bouton at 242-0943
email: radio985@efn.org
PO Box 12200 Eugene, OR 97440
Author: Steve Bouton
News Service: The A-Infos News Service
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