Low Power FM Broadcasting: A Survey Snapshot of the Field

Philip Goetz did an excellent survey of LPFM applicants in 2006 for UT Austin masters thesis that gives good insights into who is operating stations, how they make programming decisions and the general state of LPFM. This is some of the first quantitative work we know that has been done studying the LPFM phenomenon. Full text attached here.

Abstract:

This study focuses on the current activities of licensed low power FM (LPFM) radio stations. Drawing attention to these stations reveals their struggles, successes and hopefully, adds listeners to their audience. It discusses the initiation of LPFM
broadcasting in 2000 from two perspectives: regulatory and activist. A presentation of general station characteristics follows using evidence from a questionnaire delivered to seven hundred seventeen (717) stations. Two specific focuses of the questionnaire are listener feedback and localism. This study argues for expanded licensing by describing LPFM stations as an accessible community media that adds diversity to the marketplace of ideas.