LYNN WOOLSEY
6TH DISTFIICT, CALIFORNIA
COMMITTEES:
EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
RANKING MEMBER, SUBCOMMITIEE ON
WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS
SUBCOMMITIEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD,
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY
AND ENVIRONMENT
([Congress of tue Wntteb~tates
~)ouseof l\epresentatibes
Wmlazbington, i!\<IL 20515-0506
May 9,2011
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Mr. Julius Genachowski, Chair
Federal Communications Commission
445 12
th
Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Re: Lower Power FM - KWMR pending permit application
FCC File No. BNPFT-20030314ACM
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I am writing to urge the Federal Communications Commission to consider KWMR's
pennit application for a LPFM translator, pending since 2003.
KWMR is a small, public station serving the rural communities ofWest Marin County,
Califomia, from local ranches to the villages ofMuir Beach, hlVerness, Inverness Park,
Olema, Point Reyes Station, Marshall, Tomales, Stinson Beach, and Bolinas (roughly
10,000 people altogether). This is a remote area whose hilly topography prevents the
existing KWMR signal from reaching some communities.
In 2003, the station applied for a translator pennit for Mt. Bamabe, which would enable it
to rebroadcast to over 4000 people in the remaining West Marin towns ofLagunitas,
Forest Knolls, San Geronil'no, and Woodacre, as well as additional areas ofInvemess
Park. The station is a singleton applicant for the 90.5 slot on the FM spectrum.
KWMR provides high-quality local progranuning with over 100 volunteer programmers,
and it is also the only place to hIm for local emergency infonnation in both English and
Spanish. Cell phone coverage is spotty in West Marin, and the region is beyond the
purview ofany other Bay Area radio station in emergencies. Without a translator station
for KWMR, a broad swath ofWest Marin is effectively discOlU1ected from critical
conununity and public-safety infonnation.
KWMR's emergency services are ofpaliicular impOliance in an area prone to flooding,
earthquakes, fires, and tsunamis, but isolated from the resources ofa more densely
populated area. Seasonal wildfires and severe rainstonns with resultant flooding are a
regular occurence, and the region is bisected by the active San Andreas Fault.
KWMR has continually updated its emergency response services. For example, its
capabilities include:
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II A generator that enables it to provide up-to-the-minute infonnation in an area
where power outages are frequent.
II An emergency phone in the broadcast studio with a telephone number issued only
to local and county emergency personnel. This system has allowed crucial
information to be put on the air instantly and has strengthened KWMR's
relationship with emergency personnel.
II Equipment to set up a completely redundant station to allow broadcast ifthe
cunent studio becomes damaged or uninhabitable.
II Leadership in emergency programming. The KWMR Chief Operator and
Transmitter Engineer, Richard Dillman, was recently named an American Red
Cross hero for his work in developing the emergency radio plan for the West
Marin Disaster council. He has also been recognized as an author with the
National Federation ofConU11Unity Broadcasters and the Station Action for
Emergency Readiness (SAFER), a joint project ofNFCB and NPR.
Several recent emergencies highlight the impOliance ofthese capabilities:
o In March 2011, KWMR was the "turn to" location for emergency infonnation
during the heavy rainfall and stornl conditions which knocked out power,
damaged homes and cars, and blocked roadways throughout West Marin.
o On March 11, 2011, after the Sendai Eatihquake, KWMR was on the air from 1
am to provide tsunami infornlation when the tsunami alert and tsunami waming
were issued. Statiing at 6 am, KWMR provided bilingual (Spanish and English)
broadcasting until the tsunami alerts were cancelled.
o The station provided essential, up-to-date repOlts on conditions and evacuation
orders during the Vision Fire of 1995.
Mr. Chainnan, in the interest ofconnecting our rural COlllil1Unities and ensuring public
safety, I believe it is urgent for KWMR to secure approval for a Mt. Barnabe translator as
soon as possible. Funding has been secured for the installation, and a pennit from FCC
would enable the work to proceed.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
of~uJ~
Lynn Woolsey
Member ofCongress
Cc: Commissioner Michael Copps
Commissioner Robert McDowell
COlmnissioner Mignon Clyburn
Commissioner Meredith Baker