Low Power FM or LPFM -- stations are community-based, nonprofit radio stations that broadcast at the local level, to neighborhoods and small towns throughout the country.
Run by non-profits like colleges, churches, schools, labor unions and other community groups, LPFM stations provide local coverage, information and perspectives that are not available anywhere else. These non-commercial stations are uniquely positioned to meet local needs by:
Giving a voice to local groups and people who otherwise lack access to the media.
- Offering a platform for discussing local issues.
- Providing news, information and viewpoints ignored by traditional media.
- Offering a training ground for students and others looking for a start in the radio business.
- Strengthening neighborhood and community identity.
- Issuing vital safety information during local emergencies.
- It creates an outlet for amateur musicians to get their music heard.
- It creates diversity on the air because women and racial minorities are represented.
- It provides farmers with up to date agricultural information.