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robertsez

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I heard an interesting new signal on the Houston airwaves this afternoon. The music seemed to be a classic rock mix, with alternating "Joe FM" Non-IDs, PSAs, and a humorous, but probably slanderous, Roy Henderson parody. The station was throwing a good signal as far east as Baytown and as far south as Clear Lake City, so it must have a combination of antenna height and high power. Full stereo with good processing. I listened for quite some time, and never heard a legal ID or any sort of call sign. Just "Joe FM."

The frequency was 87.9 MHz, also known as FM Channel 200. Part 73 states that 87.9 is only available for displaced Class D NCE stations, which are the now-obsolete 10-watt stations. Ten watts will not cover a lot of real estate, yet here this station is, covering all of Houston and surrounding areas.

Perhaps someone should inform Joe Donalson that someone is co-opting his Internet feed of Joe FM and broadcasting it using a high-powered transmitter, on an unauthorized frequency as a pirate station.
 
The audio sounds like crap sounds like it is super muffled maybe mono. 10 watts with a decent height antenna could cover 10 to 15 miles maybe more no problem.
 
87.9 is the old Beaumont aural frequency ?, it should in my opinion be available to legit non profit lpfm applicants who have no place else to go. 10 watts 200 ft max
reuse through out the area.
 
Channel 6 aural frequency is 87.75MHz. 87.9 is no longer available for new stations. It's actually below the FM band (which starts at 88MHz).
 
"It's actually below the FM band (which starts at 88MHz)."

Not true. It is a recognized FM Broadcast channel. 87.9 MHz is FM Channel 200. However, as I stated above, only displaced Class D stations are currently eligible. Class D stations are 10 watts. The station that is rebroadcasting Joe FM is operating at far greater than 10 watts, and appears not to be licensed.
 
robertsez said:
The station that is rebroadcasting Joe FM is operating at far greater than 10 watts, and appears not to be licensed.
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It's all about height, and he's got enough with his tower. There's a new antenna sticking straight up from the top of the old girl, and it's in excess of 250 feet in total. It was running 7 watts, but that was when it was broadcasting on 94-9 last week. I've been so inundated this entire week, I haven't checked it in the move to 87-9.

It is not a high rise, it's a free standing tower, probably 40 or 50 years old by now, that had nearly 200 feet twisted off of the top of it in 1983, during Hurricane Alicia. It's located a few ticks south of Crosstimbers, bordered by Fulton, I-45, and Neyland. Basically across Crosstimbers from the old Northline Mall. I live within a couple of minutes northwest of the tower. All of the programming on 87-9 has come from the same place, whether it was Infowars programming or Joe FM, and there has been no difference in the signal from this close proximity. It was strong when he turned it on, and has remained so since.

Let me say this, Joe. That's a pack of nonsense that you are running liners like "playing classic hits, and giving Roy Henderson butt chap, this is 87-9 Joe FM." You're a Christian minister, what are you thinking? Slander aside, that's just tacky and cheap. I thought you were better than that. We all know what kind of individual he is from many, many stories over the years, but this really has no place in what you're doing. You're providing classic hits to Houston, and good for you, but this? This is pure ignorance, man. If you want to stay on the air for long, grabbing that kind of attention isn't the way to do it. I wonder how many Houstonians have happened on it, heard one of the liners, and wondered who the hell Roy Henderson and why this new station way down at the end of the dial is taking shots at him? I wonder how many more are ticked that you're covering up one of the only spots on the dial available to operate a portable FM transmitter to get a phone's music library on the car radio?

On a personal note, I find it real peculiar that Joe lights up this thing and everyone wants to line up and jump all over him, but when another operator has a translator operating without a license (K254BZ) and has done so for months now, or has a sister translator (K287BQ) that IS fully licensed yet remains off the air to this day, no one bats an eyelash. Where's the uproar and quick calls to the FCC on those?
 
"You're providing classic hits to Houston, and good for you,"

Except that he is (allegedly) a pirate broadcaster. Airing commercials for Eric Dick in a segment of the FM band that is reserved for NCE stations. But I really don't suppose that makes much difference, does it?

"On a personal note, I find it real peculiar that Joe lights up this thing and everyone wants to line up and jump all over him"

Because he is breaking the law. Plain and simple. It matters not who else is breaking the law. That is not the issue. Joe FM, operating on 87.9 MHz with a city-grade signal covering most of Houston, is.
 
Okay Joe, I expected this. Let's get one thing straight, you're a damned pirate! You're not legal, you don't have a license, you don't have an STA, you're a fricking pirate! Now if you're a Christian as you claim remember what Jesus said. Give to God what is God but give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Caesar in this case is the Federal Communications Commission and the US government. You're operating illegally under their laws and rules. 87.85 is not a legitimate frequency. Low powers and full power stations must operate on the same audio carrier which is 87.75 megahertz. Steve Lee has already had a letter mailed to him and I am calling Jim Wells of the Dallas FCC office tomorrow. Good luck in defending it against them!
As a legal and legitimate broadcaster, I hate Pirates and I hate hypocrites who call themselves Christians and then act like this. You are not a Christian, you're a hypocrite and a liar. And you deserve to be fined for operating like this.
 
Thank you for your interesting and provocative explanation of the reason this new broadcast signal has appeared on 87.9 MHz, also known as FM Channel 200. As Samuel L. Jackson stated on Pulp Fiction, “Allow me to retort.”

You are using an FCC type-accepted analog television transmitter.
You are broadcasting on television channel 6.
You have turned the video modulation all the way down.
You are operating under the call sign KJIB-LP.
You assert you have a local management agreement with the licensee of KJIB-LP.
KJIB-LP authorized operation on Channel 5.
The licensee of KJIB-LP was Roy Henderson.
The license was submitted for cancellation by the licensee.
The license is no longer valid, and will not be reinstated.

In light of this, you assert that you have a local management agreement with Roy Henderson, and on the basis of this (phantom) agreement, you believe you have official authority to operate a low-power television station using a cancelled license on an entirely different channel than was originally authorized, and operate this station inconsistent with 47 CFR Part 73.501(a), footnote 1.

I just want to make absolutely certain that what you stated and what I understood are identical. Do you feel me, Joe?

Your station also fails to meet the minimum distance separation to protect the first adjacent KFTG (Pasadena), and removal of your video carrier modulation may cause spurious interference from your audio subcarrier, especially when used with a processor. However, in all fairness, you may feel that since KJIB-LP isn’t a valid license, you are exempt from any requirements imposed by Part 73, and therefore good engineering practices don’t apply.
 
The illegal and imaginary JoeFM. Why don't you just do internet broadcasting, Joe, and save all the potential FCC headaches?
 

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JoeFM said:
Frank, I know you discourage religious discussion, but CW brought it into the mix here and I have to respond. Here, we have a non-Christian -- or at least not a very knowledgeable one -- misquoting scripture about paying taxes. America's founding father's took matters into their own hands, reviling and revolting against the higher powers. The overthrow of British rule by America's founding father's violates the philosophy of nearly every pastor and Bible-scholar today, who teach that Christians ought to unquestioningly submit to government. Hypocritically, these same religious leaders heartily enjoy freedoms which were secured only through bloodshed inflicted by rebellion and revolt against the abuse and tyranny of the higher powers (i.e., England). Freedom isn't free!!!

Rendering to Caesar has nothing to do with the situation. Quite opposite, the government has enacted laws -- e.g., the Local Community Radio Act -- that specifically allow nonprofits such as us to obtain an LPFM license. Our 2013 application for 106.1 still sits in the CDBS with pending status. Unscrupulous broadcasters who coveted the frequency for their translator convinced us to not file the app with the promise of use of dark LPTV licenses, then surrendered the licenses to our detriment once they had what they wanted. And now the uncaring government refuses to do anything about it, other than to tell us to sue someone who has cleverly hidden all his assets.

And CW, as you say "legal and legitimate broadcaster." Only because the owner of a dying AM all but gave you a station he couldn't sell because he owed more in property taxes than the station was worth. Was it a really a blessing? How are YOU going to render to Caesar all those back taxes?
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Non-Christian? I went to Catholic School. And I've never set buildings on fire almost causing deaths, much less causing massive dollars in damage or putting firefighters lives at risk. As far as my AM station I paid for it in cash and it was worth much more than what I paid for it. In fact the taxes are all paid up! This year only owe normal property taxes which are very low so you obviously don't know the real facts Joe! I have a call into Jim Wells at the FCC Dallas office and I know one big group is getting involved as well. You stepped way over the line this time and all I can say is prepare to go down in flames
 
In the absents of law enforcement, You have a wild west situation, The FCC has officially closed a large number of field offices in the US including the Houston office, although some employees may still be there on a day by day basic, told to not do any thing unless they are told to by Washington / Gettysburg .
For years the local FCC agents have had their hands tied by the political correct folks in DC, who selectively enforce some of the rules some of the time.
and agents must ask for permission to do any type of investigation or take any form of action, unless it is real time interference, to law enforcement and Public safety communications, Jamming, unauthorized transmissions, with profanity, racial slurs, heckling, ect. and that's gets as much attention as Your going to get on any matter from the FCC, In a society built on laws, volunteer compliance is required to avoid a free for all, but it must be backed by reasonable enforcement actions, which has not been a FCC high note either, a $25,000 fine for failure to change a STL transmitter location, $15,000 for non conforming underwriting and the lsit goes on what ever is their HOT button at the present. If there were no fines for running a red light, many drivers would not stop, even though it is the law and it may save a life. and as for Pirates they live by the sword and they die by the sword, but have a hell of a lot of fun in the meantime.
 
LibertyNT said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but don't applications have to be approved before you operate under the apps guidelines?
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Only in the real world.
 
Forget FCC enforcement. If you want the pirate gone, send ASCAP and BMI after him. Roll tape so they have a record of all recordings that have been infringed.

They chase down non-paying bar and restaurant owners for much smaller royalty payments than the average Houston FM incurs.

And they have real attorneys.
 
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