Whereas more than 20,000,000 listeners in the United States tune in weekly to local noncommercial radio stations to discover, learn about, and enjoy music selections, artists, and genres that are, in many cases, available only on public radio; Whereas some 734 public radio music stations serve rural and urban communities alike in all 50 States plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam; Whereas these local music stations celebrate a broad collection of sounds and styles, including jazz, blues, classical, Americana, alternative, folk, roots, bluegrass, and other regional and eclectic genres; Whereas 97 percent of over-the-air broadcasts of classical music in the United States comes from local public radio stations; Whereas local, noncommercial, not-for-profit, public radio music stations are an essential and indispensable force in sustaining music and performers, developing artists and audiences, and educating and enriching their communities; Whereas local public radio music stations are nonprofit, locally staffed and programmed, and share core values of music discovery, curation, preservation, performance, and community; Whereas knowledgeable local hosts, live announcers, and expert curation on public radio music stations have a proven track record of helping audiences discover new and emerging musicians and providing deep explorations into music’s history and cultural impact; Whereas public radio music stations tailor their content and programming to reflect regional tastes and talent, and make music more accessible through local performances, studio sessions, artist interviews, and music journalism and by broadcasting news and information about the local music industry; Whereas public radio music stations offer audiences, musicians, and artists numerous platforms for innovative music programming on air, online, on video, on stage, and on-the-go