Micropower Broadcasting, the Internet and the WTO Protests

A proposal for direct media action

An incredible opportunity exists to show the synergistic power of micropower broadcasting combined with the internet. At the end of November and first of December the World Trade Organization meets for the first time in the United States. Seattle is where it will be happening. Massive protests are planned from a broad coalition of organizations are being planned. For details, check out the Global exchange web site; www.globalexchange.org. I propose the following response from the micropower broadcasting community.

First, a day long series of workshops and presentations on every aspect of micropower broadcasting to take place on Sunday, November 28 in Seattle following the WTO teach-in on Saturday. This will expose hundreds of politically active people to micropower broadcasting. And for the duration of the event (until Dec. 1 or 2) a daily presentation lasting 1-2 hours.

Second, setting up a media center which would provide a live 24 hour feed to the net of all the events taking place along with pre-recorded music, interviews, and spoken word. Micropower and community radio stations could then take this feed for rebroadcast to their communities. It is possible that a satellite feed will happen as well. This center would have one on-air broadcast studio with at least two more production studios. Arrangements would be made with other folks who have studios in their workplace or home to use these as well for production of material by radio journalists who will be encouraged to take part. Portable micropower transmitters would be set up at different places in Seattle. Their transmissions would be picked up and fed back to the media center. One micropower station would be set-up as a 24 hour information central for folks attending the festivities. A pool of radio journalists, reporters, engineers, techies, etc. would be created to make the media center happen. Hopefully some live webcams can be set up as well.

Third, a micropower emporium where folks could buy fully assembled micropower broadcasting station packages to take home and set up.

Yes, this is ambitious but we can do it. It is going to take some money, resources and technology. If we agree to do this we can flesh out the details. I am willing to meet with folks in Seattle to work on the advance planning. You might say this is the opportunity of the century since the organizers are billing it as the protest of the century. People from around the world are planning to attend. If we can pull this off it will garner the micropower movement a lot of support and publicity not to mention a whole new batch of micropower stations.

Stephen Dunifer
Free Radio Berkeley IRATE