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Now For The Latest From My Travels Through Shelby County

R

R.D.P.

WBYE in Calera is still standing.  Tuned in for a second today and all I heard was static. The power line in front of their building was still cut.  Even saw a small mini U-Haul type of trailer on the right side of the building.  I still didn't see anyone at the building.  It continues to looks like a ghost town there.

Caught wind of The Valley at 106.5 FM in Pelham today.  It was coming in real clear and was catering to world class rock, from the greatest to the newest tunes in mainstream rock. Heard a few ads on there too but none for the local businesses in that area.  Wanted to hear their calls but they never gave any.

WQCR is indeed a full blown spanish musical radio station. Tuned in for a few minutes and changed it fast. I don't speak spanish and didn't even bother to see if I knew the songs they were playing.

R.D.P. <><
 
Well then, I heard a pirate radio station for my first time ever.

Read about them in the other parts of this site but didn't think Alabama would ever have one in operation.

Oh well, there's a first time for everything.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. For those wondering, I was checking them out from Highway 31 North in Pelham. 

B.T.W. How much power does this pirate station have?  Where do they broadcast it from?  Just curious.
 
They're definitely not the first pirate to operate in Alabama. I think there was one up in N Alabama somewhere years ago, and Birmingham had one on 100.1 that played some really great dance music once a week. It covered from downtown all the way to the airport. I actually fox hunted the TX site down and found some young guys outside a commercial building in southside congregating by the turntables or CD players outside for everyone to see. The antenna was on the roof. It must have been 25 watts or more. But I didn't have the nerve to go up to them and say hello.

There was another on 100.1 in the Helena area but it was flea powered, maybe even part 15. Don't know much about it but it came and went without much fanfare. Then there's this Valley that is newer. Who knows what else.
 
Zach said:
They're definitely not the first pirate to operate in Alabama. I think there was one up in N Alabama somewhere years ago, and Birmingham had one on 100.1 that played some really great dance music once a week. It covered from downtown all the way to the airport. I actually fox hunted the TX site down and found some young guys outside a commercial building in southside congregating by the turntables or CD players outside for everyone to see. The antenna was on the roof. It must have been 25 watts or more. But I didn't have the nerve to go up to them and say hello.

There was another on 100.1 in the Helena area but it was flea powered, maybe even part 15. Don't know much about it but it came and went without much fanfare. Then there's this Valley that is newer. Who knows what else.
Click to expand...

I recall hearing a pirate on I-65 somewhere around Decatur on 102.7 playing death metal a few years ago (before WWFA signed on). And there is, or was a 107.1 in northwest Madison county that claims to be part 15, but had a signal booming for 10 miles.
 
If WBYE goes on the air now, it will be the pirate. They lost their license.
 
Zach said:
They're definitely not the first pirate to operate in Alabama. I think there was one up in N Alabama somewhere years ago...
Click to expand...

There was 102.7 over near Priceville. They were warned by an engineer for a local Classic Country station and I believe they heeded the warning.

Then, there was an unlicensed community broadcaster (sounds nicer than pirate ;D) known as "B-93 WBGR," operating on 93.1 in NW Cullman County with 40 watts of power at 40' above ground level. That was my hobby back in high school, and even receieved a first place award in Alabama FFA for Agricultural Communications... That same engineer contacted me in late 2009 and warned me that a local radio station owner had caught wind of it, so I pulled the plug and B93 has been silent ever since - lesson learned.

Oh, how I wish I could plug that transmitter in for old times sake from this hill I live atop of at my current home in Winston County just to see how my coverage area would be, haha... ;)

-Travis
 
106.5 FM The Valley was still booming real good in Pelham today.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse at WBYE.  The place looked like a ghost town.  The top light, on the tower, was flashing.

R.D.P. <><
 
If WBYE is gone for good, why is the building and tower still standing?

If WBYE is gone for good, why does the lights continue to shine and flash, on their tower.

I'm also wondering if they still have anything of value inside the building. (You know, like CD's, Broadcasting Equipment and/or Computers)

Just curious.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. The power line, from the telephone pole facing Highway 25, was still cut.  Tuned in for a second and heard static.  And yes the food was great at Ezelles.  Eat there today and enjoyed it.  Was thinking about you Passtheword, as I was getting my grub on.

B.T.W. So sad to see what that facility has become.  It's just sitting there going to waste now. 
 
R.D.P. said:
If WBYE is gone for good, why is the building and tower still standing?

If WBYE is gone for good, why does the lights continue to shine and flash, on their tower.

I'm also wondering if they still have anything of value inside the building. (You know, like CD's, Broadcasting Equipment and/or Computers)

Just curious.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. The power line, from the telephone pole facing Highway 25, was still cut. Tuned in for a second and heard static. And yes the food was great at Ezelles. Eat there today and enjoyed it. Was thinking about you Passtheword, as I was getting my grub on.

B.T.W. So sad to see what that facility has become. It's just sitting there going to waste now.
Click to expand...

Hi RDP,

Yes, it is sad to see WBYE fall by the wayside. It is finally gone for good, I'm afraid. I agree...their building and property are in bad repair. My Dad made the WBYE sign for the station (he is a "jack-of-all-trades"; he worked at WBYE as a DJ during the early 70's and also has a background in sign painting). :) After 10+ years, the sign looks horrible, from all the years of lack of upkeep by the owners.

I doubt you'll find anyone there at the station these days. The building has been vacant for quite some time now. My Dad used to know some of the people who owned the station in the past, but he is not really acquainted with many of them who worked there since Progressive United Communications took over in 2000. My dad has met their current (or is it now, "former") GM and did have his cell #; he did attempt to contact the GM about what had happened to the station. The cell # had been disconnected, and of course, the local office # for WBYE has been disconnected since the station went off the air. About a month ago, I tried to contact a local ministry here in Calera which had a weekly program on WBYE to see if they knew of what had happened to the station, but I received no response. Since WBYE's license is now canceled, the only property that would be available for sale at this point would be the building, tower, and the building's contents. My guess is, given Calera's growth, the station property will be sold at some point, and the building and tower will be torn down to make way for some new business...or the high school might buy the property, as they are always expanding and inching closer and closer to the back of the station's property. There could be some property inside the building they may be wiling to sale. Have you tried to contact Progressive United Communication's main office in FL to see if they were interested in selling any of it to you?

My wife and I have eaten at Ezelle's. Although I have heard the food is great, I wasn't too impressed with it, myself. The prices were reasonable, but the food was fair. Maybe I just hit it on a "bad day"...

If you want to discuss WBYE some time, send me an email. I have my email listed on my station website...would enjoy talking with you about it further if you're interested. :)
 
To make a long story short, if my LPFM thing works out, I'm going to get all new stuff and build from the ground up.

Have no intentions of buying anything used, unless its some of the songs I want to play.

May get to display some of my written works inside their business.

(Bible Tracts I create under the People for Jesus branding.)

Shared some of them, with their manager Thursday.

He took them and said he would check them out.

I gave him permission to run off extra copies and display them if he wanted.

Even told him, if he wanted to get copies of my other Tracts and/or get something started to contact me at the address on the back page.

People for Jesus may soon be expanding to that business real soon, if things work out.

You'll be seeing much more of me anyway, since my brother has to go to the UAB Hospital to get his teeth cleaned.

Hence the reason why I've been making so many trips by WBYE.

R.D.P. <><
 
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