Pirate Radio in Central Mississippi?

[Gearshift Gary]

You can read the story about pirate radio here, but notice there is a "2" circled in Mississippi.

https://radioink.com/2018/03/28/fed...ston+Pirates&utm_campaign=Thursday+-+03/29/18

 

[tomservo]

I never heard any pirate activity when I lived in central MS, but it certainly wouldn't be usual for someone to be doing it in a place like Jackson or Southaven or the gulf coast. The way I see it, if some person fired up a 100 watt transmitter and a decent antenna in some podunk part of the state like the rural parts of the Delta, they could probably broadcast for years without anyone ratting them out. There's just not a lot of other broadcasters there to blow any whistles.

 

[Phil Harmonic]

Back when I was a teen, I had a pirate station in Vaiden, MS... WRFV, Radio Free Vaiden. "Illegal as Hell, on your radio dial" was our slogan! Played lots of Rolling Stones, Lovin' Spoonful, Byrds.... it was about 1965... My big break thru moment came when I hooked the x-mitter antenna to one of the telephone wires, this simple action added Hiway 35 to my listening area! Fun times!

 

[Lee_NWGA]

The map in the above article does not represent the current known pirates...the article is very misleading. The "2" in Mississippi, for the current map, refers to the number of unlicensed "actions" taken by the FCC in Mississippi between 1-8-2003 and 4-25-2018. There were two actions by the FCC during that time period. The first action was a $4000 NAL issued to Ace Broadcasting Inc. WQST-AM on 12-13-2006 for operating after their license expired. The second action was a $4000 Forfeiture Order issued to Ace Broadcasting Inc. WQST-AM on 12-13-2006 for operating after their license expired. So, it was one case that involved two actions. The NAL said they operated without a license and gave them them time to respond. The second action, FO, was the final action concluding they were liable for the $4000 fine. So there does not appear to have been any pirate actions in Mississippi since 2006.

 

[Pat3]

I drove past WQST recently and the building has been torn down and the towers were twisted and lying on ground. Sad to see so many of these small town stations bite the dust.

 

[rfburns]

I drove past WQST recently and the building has been torn down and the towers were twisted and lying on ground. Sad to see so many of these small town stations bite the dust.

There was one tower - 3 of the towers for the original 10kw daytime directional array were torn down in early 2000. They filed a construction permit for 500w daytime operation only, but due to human error, didn't file a license application after the modifications. The building was a wreck when it finally went off the air - the roof had several leaks that had destroyed the inside of the building. The last visit I made to the building, there was a blue tarp stretched above the transmitter to keep dripping rainwater out of it. It would have taken a fortune to rebuild it.

 

[Pat3]

Were they able to salvage any of the equipment? or did they bulldoze everything. I walked out there and the only thing remaining was the twisted tower and an old intercom speaker lying on the ground.

 

[rfburns]

Were they able to salvage any of the equipment? or did they bulldoze everything. I walked out there and the only thing remaining was the twisted tower and an old intercom speaker lying on the ground.

Nothing worth salvaging that I knew of. The last operator that was leasing the station removed his equipment when the station went dark. Everything else was complete junk.

 

[Dr. Bob]

I know of another Mississippi station in the same shape - WSAO in Senatobia. I was by there on May 6th and it appears nothing has changed in several years. The tower has vines growing up it but it is still lit. 42 years ago I was a high school student working six days a week on WSAO. Sad to see the small town AMs that were once a viable business dying but, as Tracy Lawrence sang, "Time Marches On."

 

[rfburns]

I know of another Mississippi station in the same shape - WSAO in Senatobia. I was by there on May 6th and it appears nothing has changed in several years. The tower has vines growing up it but it is still lit. 42 years ago I was a high school student working six days a week on WSAO. Sad to see the small town AMs that were once a viable business dying but, as Tracy Lawrence sang, "Time Marches On."

If WSAO is still on the air, it is running illegally. FCC cancelled the license a year ago.

 

[Pat3]

. .

 

[Pat3]

If WSAO is still on the air, it is running illegally. FCC cancelled the license a year ago.

What about WQBC in Vicksburg? It's been off the air for years, and it's the oldest station in the state with the original call letters 1928. It's still listed on the Radio-Locator website. Wikipedia says it lost its tower site. It looks like they could have rented space on the 1490 AM tower if they'd let them. It's a shame to see something that old die.

 

[rfburns]

What about WQBC in Vicksburg? It's been off the air for years, and it's the oldest station in the state with the original call letters 1928. It's still listed on the Radio-Locator website. Wikipedia says it lost its tower site. It looks like they could have rented space on the 1490 AM tower if they'd let them. It's a shame to see something that old die.

WQBC is still listed on R-L because they have a valid license and aren't behind on regulatory fees with the FCC. They had a STA in 2012 to operate with a temporary long wire antenna, but I haven't heard them on the air in years. If enough people filed a complaint with the FCC, they might look into it, but don't expect any quick action. I suspect the FCC will eventually look into it and end up cancelling the license.

 

[Dr. Bob]

If WSAO is still on the air, it is running illegally. FCC cancelled the license a year ago.

They have not been on any of the times in the past few years that I have been there. The license was cancelled because the station was inspected some years ago, no proper EAS equipment was found, and a $21,000 fine levied.

The FCC won’t renew the license of a station with an outstanding forfeiture so the license was cancelled.

Bob

 

[stephend2]

WQBC had to vacate the old site due to land being sold. The license was given to a Mike Davis, that, as far as I know, lives in the Chicago area and doesn't give a damn about Vicksburg. He did cobble up a makeshift transmitter site with a wire antenna. It was on the air briefly, then just turned off, owner nowhere to be found. Next thing I know, I'm being questioned by Sheriff dept about a stolen transmitter, since I had keys at one time. Word out there is, he didn't pay someone for it and they went to the site and took it back.

He has stated to me multiple times he isn't going to put it back on air, and he wants to sell it, for $100k with no facilities...was hard to hold back laughter on that one.

WVBG was approached about collocation, I even worked out the details on how to diplex 1490 and 1420...glad we didn't get into that mess once we found out what the owner is about.

Mike Corley gave the license to Mike Davis on the assumption that he was a "good christian man" and was going to put a religious station on, which Corley had already failed at.

 

[Groove1670]

Ahh...the list of of AMs with no STAs. There are many, but not worth being a tattle tale.

 

[rbc]

Mike Corley gave the license to Mike Davis on the assumption that he was a "good christian man" and was going to put a religious station on, which Corley had already failed at.

Too bad. I wish there was some way that 1420 could be used for a digital-only broadcast of MPB Music Radio. I'm a fan.

 

[Pat3]

Shame about WQBC. It was one of the oldest stations in the state. I think the original calls were the oldest still in use. I stood for We Quote Better Cotton, when the station was in Utica and gave out information on the air for the cotton farmers in the area.