You've made a good point regarding bad pirate transmitters.
I still contend that public-access radio ought to be a thing. It can be a certified station in the same way that cable-access in the 1980's was not "pirate cable".
That's funny! I just mentioned that further down in the thread at about the same time as your post.
I think NZ started on FM later than many countries, so they saw the wisdom in reserving some frequencies specifically for that use. Unfortunately that wisdom was gained after the US (and most other countries) already allocated everything.
Ah, during the 80s and 90s, they only allocated 89.0 to 101mhz for FM radio due to previous allocations.
When users of of those bands were moved elsewhere (to mobile phones) they expanded to the standard 88.0mhz to 108mhz range in 2000. Looks like they reserved the 1mhz "guardband" of the expanded range for these unlicensed, low power stations.
Maybe LPFM fits your definition? Community FM radio authorized by the FCC. The restriction is that the range is limited, but then again, a tiny community of is not likely to be blasting a kilowatt anyway.
I do think, since electronics have become cheaper and the AM/FM dial is becoming emptier these days, that we ought to look into what you're saying as a way to revitalize radio.
Although at this point I think it's on a one way path to being more bandwidth for the Internet (in one form or another).
The FCC has visited a friend because some hardware in their house was causing the cable TV signal to leak into the air and it was causing interference on some aircraft-related frequency.
Limited to a 1w transmitter, so it can only cover a small area. And only a few subranges within the FM band.
But no registration is required, you just need to use pre-approved equipment and anounce your contact details once an hour.