Are these pirate stations?

[ChrisInMI]

I just got back from an overnight trip to Schaumburg to visit my sister and her family and noticed, in my hotel room, two new stations I hadn't heard before, and I'm thinking both may be pirates as I can't find anything about any legitimate stations on these frequencies.

* 101.5 FM: Last night when I listened in my hotel room, it was playing some kind of death metal music. This late morning/early afternoon though, the music mix was Oldies (one song heard was "The Mountain's High" by Dick & Deedee). The female DJ identified the station as "Z-Com Radio" or something that sounded like it.
* 104.7 FM: Seems to be an oldies station. First noted in the hotel room interfering with WCFL. Last night the music mix was '70s/80s and there was a jingle singing "The music's on us..." (sounded like a vintage '70s or early '80s jingle) with calls that sounded like "WLOS." This morning the music mix was pre-Beatles oldies.

Can anyone help me identify what these stations are and where they are from?

Thanks in advance.

 

[scanman1]

Possibly low power FM modulators or transmitters broadcasting programming from a webstream.

 

[exradio]

In the 70's I used to listen to WABC and WLS which had the same format and formula although they each had their own sound.

I remember hearing a jingle that went "The music's on us at W-ABC"..... And here's a link to it on the musicradio77.com website:
http://www.musicradio77.com/jingles/series44/jgmsonus.wav.

I don't remember a WLS version, but there easily could have been one... and at other stations... the WABC jingles were syndicated all over the place.

 

[CADXER]

The 101.5 FM station calls itself WZCM and broadcasts from Schaumburg and is being run by Zecom Radio. Information on Zecom can be found here: http://www.zecomradio.com/ however there are no mentions of 101.5 FM.

I hear the station frequently on that frequency on my drive home on Rt. 53 near Woodfield Mall. Their signal has fairly good coverage.

 

[w9wi]

The 101.5 FM station calls itself WZCM and broadcasts from Schaumburg and is being run by Zecom Radio. Information on Zecom can be found here: http://www.zecomradio.com/ however there are no mentions of 101.5 FM.

Yikes, WZCM is still on the air???

Last time I spent a night in Schaumburg, I heard them. Pretty decent music mix, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

But that was 15 years ago!

 

[Mid West Clubber]

I heard this same station on 101.5 in the late 90s also in that area.. Is it still the same one?

 

[secondchoice]

The 101.5 FM station calls itself WZCM and broadcasts from Schaumburg and is being run by Zecom Radio. Information on Zecom can be found here: http://www.zecomradio.com/ however there are no mentions of 101.5 FM.

I hear the station frequently on that frequency on my drive home on Rt. 53 near Woodfield Mall. Their signal has fairly good coverage.

According to Radio Locator:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=schaumburg&state=IL&x=7&y=3

This is either a Part 15 or a Pirate.

 

[DToTheJ]

I believe Zecom is a Part 15. I've been in contact with them recently to carry my "Cellar" program.

 

[w9wi]

I believe Zecom is a Part 15. I've been in contact with them recently to carry my "Cellar" program.

If they were a Part 15 when I heard them, then they were in the next-door room in the motel I was staying in. There is essentially zero chance they were compliant with Part 15 when I heard them. I was hearing them pretty well driving around the area on a car radio as well. I seem to recall estimating their ERP on the order of 50 watts at the time, based on signal strength in the car.

I haven't checked the dial in Schaumburg for a LONG time, it's possible they're compliant today.

 

[Tom Wells]

I believe Zecom is a Part 15. I've been in contact with them recently to carry my "Cellar" program.

If they were a Part 15 when I heard them, then they were in the next-door room in the motel I was staying in. There is essentially zero chance they were compliant with Part 15 when I heard them. I was hearing them pretty well driving around the area on a car radio as well. I seem to recall estimating their ERP on the order of 50 watts at the time, based on signal strength in the car.

I haven't checked the dial in Schaumburg for a LONG time, it's possible they're compliant today.

Maybe the wind was just right that day... :