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Add 96.5 to the Caribbean/Reggae pirate list

E

Eli Polonsky

I've been hearing yet another new Caribbean/Reggae pirate on 96.5 off and on for the past few weeks. A very weak signal in the Boston west suburbs, but just strong enough to interfere with my fringe reception of 96.5 WMLL "The Mill" Manchester, NH (Classic Rock).

Add that to 89.3, 91.3, 98.9, 99.7, 102.1, 102.9, 105.3, 107.1 and wherever else on the FM band these have been popping up in the greater Boston area lately.
 
I heard this last week as well around the South Shore Plaza. Is this the same station that used to play rock down around the Brockton / Easton area?

The 102.9 pirate has to be running 1KW or more with decent processing, it booms into the city and doesn't get crushed by the PRU stations. NOT TO MENTION, these Caribbean/Reggae pirates are doing full blown remotes from clubs and also do a great deal of advertising.

On a personal note; I get a kick out of listening to most pirates due to the unique nature of their programming (as long as there're not interfering with a licensed station) Most of these Caribbean/Reggae pirates are REALLY pushing it with their power and covering multiple cities/towns. I guess gone are the days of the 1 or 2 watt pirates playing their favorite tunes for their neighbors.
 
> I heard this last week as well around the South Shore
> Plaza. Is this the same station that used to play rock down
> around the Brockton / Easton area?

I don't think so because this one is all Reggae/Caribbean, no rock.
 
Speaking Of Pirates

I was recently in Billerica and heard a real strong signal on 99.9 playing some classic hits and disco calling itself "power 99.9". I used to live in that town about 10 years ago and heard the same kinda sounding station with same name on 96.5 before WMLL then WAEF in Bedford, NH signed on round 1996. It's signal still seems the strongest right around the high school. They don't seem to throw to much power though but enough to round 1-3 miles from their strong point. Anyone else ever heard of this one?

> > I heard this last week as well around the South Shore
> > Plaza. Is this the same station that used to play rock
> down
> > around the Brockton / Easton area?
>
> I don't think so because this one is all Reggae/Caribbean,
> no rock.
>
 
Re: Speaking Of Pirates

> I was recently in Billerica and heard a real strong signal
> on 99.9 playing some classic hits and disco calling itself
> "power 99.9". I used to live in that town about 10 years ago
> and heard the same kinda sounding station with same name on
> 96.5 before WMLL then WAEF in Bedford, NH signed on round
> 1996. It's signal still seems the strongest right around the
> high school. They don't seem to throw to much power though
> but enough to round 1-3 miles from their strong point.
> Anyone else ever heard of this one?

Don't know that one, but 96.5 was a popular pirate frequency around the Boston area in the early 90's before 96.5 in Bedford (Manchester) NH came on the air. These were English language pirates playing rock'n'roll, dance/techno and eclectic musical programming. There were a couple around the Allston area, and one somewhere around the Everett/Malden area.

One of the Allston ones was curious because it used to rebroadcast other stations at times, usually weak-signaled stations that the operator must've thought could use a "boost" around Boston such as college stations WMFO or WBRS, or WADN 1120 AM Concord back when it was a commercial folk music station (now WBNW, business news).

Also, it sometimes rebroadcast tapes of previously aired WHRB "Orgies". (A WHRB "Orgy" is a lengthy special program featuring one particular artist, style of music, or composer. The WHRB "Orgy Periods" when they air those programs is the last month of the Harvard semesters before winter and summer vacations. How they still legally do those and stream them on the web with the new Digital Milennium Copyright Act restrictions is beyond me).
 
> I've been hearing yet another new Caribbean/Reggae pirate on
> 96.5 off and on for the past few weeks. A very weak signal
> in the Boston west suburbs, but just strong enough to
> interfere with my fringe reception of 96.5 WMLL "The Mill"
> Manchester, NH (Classic Rock).
>
> Add that to 89.3, 91.3, 98.9, 99.7, 102.1, 102.9, 105.3,
> 107.1 and wherever else on the FM band these have been
> popping up in the greater Boston area lately.
>
Well clearly there's a mismatch between what the licensed stations are offering in terms of programming and what there's an audience for. Not to play the race card but Boston is asleep at the wheel when it comes to serving minority audiences.

BTW did you see that WILD beat WBCN in the ratings? Need I say more.
 
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