There is a debate taking place in Washington, and its effects will be long-lasting and far-reaching.

Last month, the FCC paved the way for media expansion, ruling that media conglomerates could reach up to 45 percent of the national market, instead of the previous 35 percent limit.

Congress has recently reacted, and in a move of good judgment, moved to impose the old limits again. But the issue is far from over, and there will be a lot of fierce political arguments before the dust is settled, which will have many effects on local media.

Take Columbus radio for example.

Clear Channel communications owns WNCI, WCOL, and WTVN among others – the two FM stations with the highest ratings, and one of the most popular AM stations. Companies like Clear Channel expand at the expense of smaller stations, and as a result, it is growing more difficult for smaller, independent stations to survive.

But Columbus has one thriving local treasure in CD101, one of the last independent, locally-owned and operated radio stations in the country.

CD101 was bought by Columbus-native Roger Vaughn in the early ’90s. A disc jockey at his college radio station, he wanted to bring to Columbus his vision of what radio should be. Vaughn found it imperative that the station give back to the community that supports it, a belief that can be found everywhere. CD101 regularly supports local charities and organizations, ranging from the American Cancer Society to the Ronald McDonald House. Whenever they donate to national organizations, they make sure to donate to the local branches or versions of it, keeping the funds in central Ohio.

Each year, the station holds a 48-hour fundraiser specifically geared towards children’s foundations. CD101 also started the “Green Team,” a group of listeners and station employees who regularly engage in environmental cleanup activities throughout central Ohio. They have adopted and cleaned streets, alleys, rivers, parks and freeways, among other places.

The commitment to community extends to music as well. Randy Malloy, director of operations for the station, said they believe it’s part of the duty of a radio station to promote new and local music. CD101 is one of the few radio stations to play local music as part of their regular rotation. They recently released an album of in-station performances – with the proceeds going to children’s charities – showcasing local bands alongside national acts.

Another way they feature local music is through “Front Stage Live,” a nightly program featuring three songs from a local act. The station frequently brings in Columbus-area bands to play “The Big Room, ” the station’s own acoustic performance venue.

Most stations have a playlist – given to them by owners or parent companies – that they are forced to repeat at a mind-numbing pace. As a result, you can listen to some stations for an hour, and still hear songs repeated. Because CD101 is independent, they have complete and total control over what they play. Although CD101 does have a playlist, they decide what it is, and make it a point to avoid repetition. Every week, they have “No Repeat Thursdays,” where they play each song only once between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fan feedback is critical to CD101’s mantra. Whereas many corporate stations have a board of directors (normally in a different city) to report to, CD101 makes their listeners the board of directors. Each week, the station has a sounding board where listeners can rate the songs the station plays, and indicate whether they are tired of it or not. The station also recently started a new lunch hour program, where listeners vote online for the next song to be played.

CD101 is different because its top priorities are quality- and community-oriented, not profit-driven. This is what separates it from corporate radio stations. Media giants would not have the same interest in the central Ohio community, nor do they care about supporting local music.

CD101’s independence allows it to play a wide range of new and diverse music that might otherwise be unavailable to listeners. As media conglomerates expand, they do so at the expense of CD101s everywhere, and it is radio listeners and music fans who ultimately suffer.

David Lawrence is a senior in computer and information systems. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].