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97.9 Pirate on the air ! ! !

While in Alpharetta,Midway area on yesterday I noticed a pirate station at 97.9 fm.
Station has a great coverage area,along with a decent format. No top of hour, nor bottom of hour, just music.. Lets see what happens with this one .
 
Can you provide any more information (specifically on the coverage area) of this pirate station? I am the PD of a class-A station on 97.9 in AL that gets a decent signal into west Georgia, and I definitely don't want them affecting our coverage.
 
I highly doubt the pirate is putting out enough power to interfere with your Class A signal.
 
What's the format on this pirate?

And which 97.9 do you run, Whit? WVOK, 97.9 Jamz in Wetumpka, or that country station whose calls I don't remember? All three could be affected by an ATL pirate in their protected contours if the tropo was blowing just right.
 
During tropo or eskip, interference wouldnt theoretically count...
 
With a pirate it does...doesn't matter what type of interference it sends out...whether sent out by the tx in terms of harmonics or by mother nature in the terms of tropo or e-skip.

I don't *think* there would be much of a problem to any stations out in eastern AL even if this pirate was firing off 1kW. More than likely the antenna is only 60' off the ground at most.

If anything else comes up, let us know...

Radio-X
 
Looks like someone better pull the plug.

When it comes to breaking the law, you can do iit or you can talk about it. But,
you can't do both for very long.

You do not want to get caught running a pirate station in GA, FL, or TX.
 
clichemoth said:
What's the format on this pirate?

And which 97.9 do you run, Whit? WVOK, 97.9 Jamz in Wetumpka, or that country station whose calls I don't remember? All three could be affected by an ATL pirate in their protected contours if the tropo was blowing just right.

WVOK in Oxford.
 
PaulBWalkerJr said:
During tropo or eskip, interference wouldnt theoretically count...

If a pirate interferes with a licensed station, that station can file a complaint. It wouldn't matter if the pirate was in New York and the licensed station was in San Francisco and there was ultra-mad skip on that'll only happen once per century.

Of course, licensed stations can't complain about other licensed stations causing the same problems, because that comes with the territory.
 
The FCC might have allowed an FM translator to be licensed on this frequency at this site.

But current FCC spacing requirements, would not allow an LPFM or Class A.

This station is on the 3rd adjacent channel of Atlanta's WSB.

FCC enforcement is not the same all over the US. In New England and the midwest
they might be real nice, just hand you a citation and leave. In the South, can you
spell SWAT Team? I would have trouble sleeping if I was involved in a pirate station
in Georgia, Texas, or Florida.

New rules are comming that may allow you guys to get a license.

Please, turn it off before it's too late!
 
Timewarp said:
The FCC might have allowed an FM translator to be licensed on this frequency at this site.

But current FCC spacing requirements, would not allow an LPFM or Class A.

This station is on the 3rd adjacent channel of Atlanta's WSB.

FCC enforcement is not the same all over the US. In New England and the midwest
they might be real nice, just hand you a citation and leave. In the South, can you
spell SWAT Team? I would have trouble sleeping if I was involved in a pirate station
in Georgia, Texas, or Florida.

New rules are comming that may allow you guys to get a license.

Please, turn it off before it's too late!

What "new laws" are u talking?
thanks
 
A pirate in Nevada is what he's referring to.

The guy was 20 miles south of Tonopah, Nevada.. I think the town was Goldfield. [EDIT]

This guy statrted a pirate station and moved his frequency when a new station signed on... the FCC came to visit and told him to shut down, which he readily did without argument.

His local senator got involved, wrote the FCC.. and he's been issued an STA (Special Temporary Authority) to remain on the air till the FCC processes his request for an LPFM license.

[EDIT-profanity]
 
deadman said:
I broadcast my XM on 97.9. Do you think it might be someone's satellite radio?

Wouldn't that be hilarious? You're driving along, checking out the new 'pirate' station, keeping pretty close to the car ahead of you (or behind, or to the side) and all the time it's his (or her) XM radio transmitter!

Didja notice any abrupt (maybe even mid-song - "Man, I hate this song - click") and widely variable format changes - Country to Urban, or Comedy to 80s, etc?

LMAO!!
 
This was a ""Pirate"" for sure. Computer rotating music, playing alot of hits, indie music, blues, Classic Rock, E.T.C. Pretty good music, and good signal.. Wonder how long this one will last? According to a friend of mine who lived in the area for about 1 year said he or she was on the air then, when he lived there.
 
I don't advocate piracy on the airwaves... BUT..

if the station isn't interfering with the PROTECTED Contour of any FM station, has clean audio, language, etc.. the FCC has alot bigger fish to fry.

(Protected contour is like 60dbu, coverage beyond that.. is gravy....)
 
lilburncommunityradio said:
This was a ""Pirate"" for sure. Computer rotating music, playing alot of hits, indie music, blues, Classic Rock, E.T.C. Pretty good music, and good signal.. Wonder how long this one will last? According to a friend of mine who lived in the area for about 1 year said he or she was on the air then, when he lived there.
Maybe not an XM transmitter then - how about an Ipod user with really good tastes?? :)
 
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