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Community radio manager urges restoration of $205,000 grant for emergency broadcasting
Summary
A Bellows Falls community radio manager asked the committee to restore a one‑time $205,000 community radio grant (section 9 of H.397 as introduced) to upgrade transmitters and emergency gear after the appropriation was removed by Appropriations. Manager described stations' role during recent floods.
Lou Mulvaney Stanek, station manager for multiple Vermont community radio stations, told the Government Operations committee that low‑power community stations served as first-line information sources in recent floods and urged restoration of a one‑time $205,000 grant that had been removed from the House Appropriations version of H.397.
Stanek said community stations pivoted to emergency coverage during the 2023 and 2024 floods when cell service and internet were degraded, providing listeners with localized safety messaging, mutual-aid notices, guidance on FEMA and SBA resources, and live call-in help. "When the cell phones stopped working, when the Internet went out, when the power went out, people could still listen to their radio," Stanek told senators. "These stations reach nearly every county and cover most of rural Vermont."
What was requested and where it would go
Stanek described the request as a small, one-time capital package: roughly $205,000 total, allocated as about $25,000 each for seven existing stations and $10,000 each for three stations that are expected to come on air. The money would be used for long-lived equipment upgrades — transmitters, relocation of antennas to non‑flood sites, backup power and generators — items Stanek described as infrastructure that remains in place for decades.
Why supporters say it matters
Stanek said community stations are nimble and trusted: volunteers and staff can switch programing at a moment’s notice and focus air time on local road closures, boil-water notices, how to apply for federal assistance and contacts for mutual aid. He told the committee stations received dozens of listener thank-yous after recent floods and that the requested investment would yield capabilities that serve communities for years.
Committee response and next steps
Senators asked clarifying questions about the dollar amounts per station and about the status of efforts to identify an appropriations vehicle. Stanek said the Senate Appropriations chair had signaled willingness to find a vehicle if the committee wanted to restore the section. The discussion did not produce a vote; the committee requested follow-up on whether an appropriations vehicle could be identified and whether funding could be split across years.
Ending
Stanek asked committee members to reconsider adding the one‑time grant back to H.397 or to identify another mechanism to fund community radio resiliency upgrades. He noted the relatively small per‑station cost compared with the public-safety payoff in widespread emergencies.
