Big City FM

[ciao99]

Love me some Big City FM. FM 101.3, that's all I listen to now.
At this point, even I'm not caring that Boston doesn't have an Urban AC. The Caribbean sounds on Big City are very refreshing. Not so commercial as today's R&B. Love the local talent, the calypso, soca, reggae, reggaeton.

 

[mgpt6]

And it is a pirate......

 

[raccoonradio]

Breaking the law.

 

[ciao99]

And it is a pirate......

Yes, big deal. There's a mismatch between what the corporate out of town radio conglomerates program and the reality of who truly lives in Boston. Big City is filling a void. And putting on a quality product.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

And it is a pirate......

Yes, big deal. There's a mismatch between what the corporate out of town radio conglomerates program and the reality of who truly lives in Boston. Big City is filling a void. And putting on a quality product.

Not for long, thanks to you. I know for a fact that FCC personnel read this board.

 

[radiotony]

The revolution won't be televised ... it will be broadcast! ;D

 

[mgpt6]

Big City FM signal is loud and clear to Stoneham on 93 They are putting out more power than a liscensed LPFM station would put out. In fact, Big City goes as far in Stone ham as WMFO 91.5

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Big City FM signal is loud and clear to Stoneham on 93 They are putting out more power than a liscensed LPFM station would put out. In fact, Big City goes as far in Stone ham as WMFO 91.5

Considering WMFO's directional 125 watt signal is partially nulled to the north and the fact that 1700 watt WUML Lowell cuts them out halfway through Stoneham, that analogy doesn't do the Big City signal justice.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

There is no justification for pirates - ever. It is always wrong, always illegal -
and a slap in the face of legitimate stations and those people trying to make a living
working in the 'biz. Make the pirates walk the plank - and alert immigration along the
way, just in case... Pirates are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

 

[jlehmann]

This pirate is not new news to the FCC. WFNX's engineer has posted on here that they've tried contacting the FCC to get them shut down. They have already received a notice of unlicensed operation from the FCC. These things never do any good.

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-275728A1.html

 

[mgpt6]

Entercomm may have done well to have had 97.7 do R&B/ Raggae/ Hip HOP. they would have owned the BIg City. Big City was stupid to crank out so much power, they just asking to get nailed by the FCC. One thing I will say ,staying mono does give them more coverage area. I give BUR credit for being in mono. Less chance of mulitpath which is less hiden when talk is broadcast on FM with stereo generator still on.

 

[rapking]

Love me some Big City FM. FM 101.3, that's all I listen to now.
At this point, even I'm not caring that Boston doesn't have an Urban AC. The Caribbean sounds on Big City are very refreshing. Not so commercial as today's R&B. Love the local talent, the calypso, soca, reggae, reggaeton.

Big City is a Great Station ! Its to bad that these Out of Town Radio Station Owners , dont have the balls to put a great Radio station on , in Boston . Pirate or Non-Pirate , Local Ownership RULES !

 

[ciao99]

And it is a pirate......

Yes, big deal. There's a mismatch between what the corporate out of town radio conglomerates program and the reality of who truly lives in Boston. Big City is filling a void. And putting on a quality product.

Not for long, thanks to you. I know for a fact that FCC personnel read this board.

Fine, let the FCC read it. And remind the FCC that the stations need to serve the public interest, not just the public interest of suburban white male radio listeners. The FCC is not allocating licenses to broadcasters interested in the demographics of Boston.

In response to JLehman, does it matter that WFNX's engineer reported the station? Hasn't Choice-FM been reported too? Choice FM hasn't gone away.

And to the GM, what makes you think all of your programmers and their assistants have their immigration papers in order? I fully support enforcement of immigration laws, but don't be naive enough to think you don't have illegals in your midst. This illegal immigration thing is huge, thanks to the Bush administration looking the other way while millions cross the border in the dark of night and/or let their visas expire. What makes you think the government would enforce the airwaves if this is how they handle immigration?

 

[ciao99]

Love me some Big City FM. FM 101.3, that's all I listen to now.
At this point, even I'm not caring that Boston doesn't have an Urban AC. The Caribbean sounds on Big City are very refreshing. Not so commercial as today's R&B. Love the local talent, the calypso, soca, reggae, reggaeton.

Big City is a Great Station ! Its to bad that these Out of Town Radio Station Owners , dont have the balls to put a great Radio station on , in Boston . Pirate or Non-Pirate , Local Ownership RULES !

Rapking, I agree, Big City FM is a great station.

Note how the pirates aren't playing hip hop, or if they do, very little of it. They are playing Caribbean sounds. As I've said before, radio owners look at the "black" percentage in Boston and assume it's all African American. Truth is Boston has a huge Caribbean population with tastes that differ slightly. An "Urban" broadcaster must consider that. Even Radio One couldn't get it right. Who's to say their numbers wouldn't have been better if they added some Caribbean beats.

 

[rapking]

Love me some Big City FM. FM 101.3, that's all I listen to now.
At this point, even I'm not caring that Boston doesn't have an Urban AC. The Caribbean sounds on Big City are very refreshing. Not so commercial as today's R&B. Love the local talent, the calypso, soca, reggae, reggaeton.

Big City is a Great Station ! Its to bad that these Out of Town Radio Station Owners , dont have the balls to put a great Radio station on , in Boston . Pirate or Non-Pirate , Local Ownership RULES !

Rapking, I agree, Big City FM is a great station.

Note how the pirates aren't playing hip hop, or if they do, very little of it. They are playing Caribbean sounds. As I've said before, radio owners look at the "black" percentage in Boston and assume it's all African American. Truth is Boston has a huge Caribbean population with tastes that differ slightly. An "Urban" broadcaster must consider that. Even Radio One couldn't get it right. Who's to say their numbers wouldn't have been better if they added some Caribbean beats.

That why local Ownership Rules . When WILD was owned by Nash , they had alot of Caribbean beats on there playlist and WILD has a caribbean show . Radio One came in and started Flipping WILD all over the place ( Urban,CHR/R,Urban A/C,Urban Oldies,Gospel,Black Talk ) , and mess it up .

 

[jlehmann]

In response to JLehman, does it matter that WFNX's engineer reported the station? Hasn't Choice-FM been reported too? Choice FM hasn't gone away.

Not at all. The FCC will send them these notices, and then give up, so they keep broadcasting. If they really want them to go away, then they're going to have to do like what they do in Florida, actually go in, seize equipment and arrest people. I'm not saying that should or shouldn't happen here.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

Fine, let the FCC read it. And remind the FCC that the stations need to serve the public interest, not just the public interest of suburban white male radio listeners. The FCC is not allocating licenses to broadcasters interested in the demographics of Boston.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but "Leave It To Beaver" and "Father Knows Best" were cancelled decades ago. Your naïveté is entertaining, at least. Thinking that radio stations serve the "public interest" is laughable and ignores the reality of the last 30 years. The law currently states: How radio stations serve the public interest is up to them. They can define it on their own terms and pick the programming that fits it. That's the reality here, not some high and mighty ideal of "public interest."

And speaking of the FCC, you apparently need to be reminded (WLYNgm's reminder was obviously insufficient) that a person's dislike of the programming on licensed stations does not confer any right to light up a transmitter whenever and wherever he or she damn well pleases. "Their programming sucks" is a lame and childish excuse for breaking the law, and is merely the adult version of throwing a temper tantrum in the sandbox. There are plenty of licensed, time-brokered stations just begging for programming, and a few are even for sale on occasion, so the bozos who run Big City have plenty of places to ply their wares. They have no need to break the law. They chose to, and will now have to live with the consequences.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

I wonder how the government would respond to these same pirates if they pulled this crap back in their own country...Funny, I don't recall ever hearing of an American citizen boarding a leaky boat trying to leave the US... You can't have it both ways...

The "local ownership" that was so concerned to serve their community - they folded like a house of cards as soon as a few bucks were dangled in front of them. As a third generation Boston area guy, I still remember when the area that these pirates "serve" was actually a decent place to live, full of law-abiding, hard working people. If there are problems there now, they come from within... The REAL enemy is not out-of-town corporations. Look in the mirror - there's the REAL enemy...

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

what makes you think all of your programmers and their assistants have their immigration papers in order? I fully support enforcement of immigration laws, but don't be naive enough to think you don't have illegals in your midst. This illegal immigration thing is huge, thanks to the Bush administration looking the other way while millions cross the border in the dark of night and/or let their visas expire. What makes you think the government would enforce the airwaves if this is how they handle immigration?

Apparently you've never had to hire someone, or else you would be aware of USCIS Form I-9, which a new employee and his/her employer must complete before hiring. The employee must prove eligibility for lawful work in the United States, and the employer must certify that the proper documentation has been examined and is valid. Any employer in a federally regulated industry like broadcasting who hires illegals or who doesn't check the documentation runs the huge risk of having the FCC declare that employer unfit to be a licensee, and then it's good-bye to his business.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf

Broadcasting is not the same as farming, house painting or seal-coating someone's driveway. The risk of hiring illegals is huge and the potential consequences devastating.

 

[ciao99]

For that handful of malcontents,misfits and troublemakers - good riddance.
They can save a seat for you...and feel free to take that rap/hiphop junk with you.

Dude, pay attention. We were talking about Big City FM. It doesn't play hip hop. It plays reggae. I don't know, maybe because it's audience is Black, you think "it's all the same thing". Furthermore, hip hop is uniquely American. Reggae comes from the Caribbean. Telling immigrants to take that "rap/hiphop junk with you" shows just how out of touch you are with reality. And we all know it's white suburbanites who are pushing the ratings of hip hop radio and hip hop record sales.