I usually dislike pirate radio, but this is an exception. This pirate station at 99.7 FM holds a mix of Caribbean and 10s CHR tracks. It's actually a great variety of songs, and helps me remember songs that don't play on NYC radio no more, like Blow by Kesha. It once did go off-air, but has since returned.
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Pirate at 99.7 FM in NY
- Thread starter Mykel the Radio Guy
- Start date
WBAI had tower maintenance at a few different intervals the last few weeks that was conducted "during business hours" which was odd but it is WBAI so it kind of fit the them. So they have been off the air or at reduced power over the last few weeks and so the pirate probably gained from their intermittent maintenance. I don't want to make this about Pirate's but making your own rules while the other stations play by the rules is just ... Ugh!
to be fair though, the majority of pirates would literally have no way to "play by the rules" because of the insane cost of applying for an fcc license, music licensing and so on. these pirates are just for their small communities who aren't served by the major market stations.
and the only reason they stay afloat for so long as they probably dont pay their announcers, dont have to have an EAS and a bunch of other stuff
Sure but NO excuse... file during an open window (whenever that may happen again) and follow the same path that the "legal stations" followed. I'm all for having a voice OTA but pirate radio is not my personal approach to accomplish that!
As far as compensation, I wouldn't be so sure. Many of them run full blown ads for clubs, products, services, events etc. They are raking in some decent coin in cases and probably running a more lucrative "business" than many heritage stations in today's economic climate.
and their business is more lucrative because theyre not paying staff, attorneys, engineers, buying all the equipment required (EAS, etc), probably buying cheaper transmtiters and antennas....
That certainly goes without saying 1000%! If enforcement is ever a priority again, I think it's great that they are also holding the property owners responsible for what is happening across every inch of their property...
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Harvey_Dogg
Guest
I've read that NYC area has more pirate stations than licensed FM stations. How can this be? The FM dial is packed full of legal stations. Radio Stations in New York, New York.
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Harvey_Dogg
Guest
Yet I found this Pirate link https://map.pirateradiomap.com/#
Operating unlicensed pirate stations on top of licensed stations is very bad. I hope most of these are at this time internet only. Are they now??????
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I don't really like that cover of Passenger's Let Her Go. I find the original better. I'm going to take a listen to the pirate on my phone radio.
I'm listening to the pirate, and it's currently playing Why So Much Wickedness.
I don't see how they could shoehorn a pirate station in anywhere near NYC without stomping on a legit signal. I remember driving north of NYC years ago on the way to Maine and dialing across the radio there was a station on every single frequency both AM & FM, sometimes more than one station with overlapping signals.
Most cover very limited areas, so there can, ike LPFMs, be many on a single channel in the metro area.
Then you haven’t been to NYC in quite a long time where some of these knuckleheads are putting out some serious power thanks to the ability to purchase high power transmitters and simple 1 bay antennas from just about anywhere, namely the online “bidding” site without naming names. Do the adjacent full power signals erode their coverage? Sure, but therein lies the reason to put out more power…
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Harvey_Dogg
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Engineers for legal stations use eBay too. I've bought cell phones, power supplies, and computer parts there.
However there are also cheap illegal FM transmitters for sale. Many of today's pirates are not engineer types. They don't know about spurs and harmonics. Interfering with aircraft can cause a lot of problems.
However there are also cheap illegal FM transmitters for sale. Many of today's pirates are not engineer types. They don't know about spurs and harmonics. Interfering with aircraft can cause a lot of problems.
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Harvey_Dogg
Guest
I've read that Florida has the most pirates of any state in the USA.
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Harvey_Dogg
Guest
FCC podcast on pirate radio. Pirate Radio
The Pirate on 106.3 operates from Flatbush but kills WKMK 106.3 in Southwestern Brooklyn.The FCC has done nothing.
Yet there’s W292DV on 106.3 that has a worse signal than the pirate. And it’s silent most of the time. Perhaps the translator could apply to move to the location of the pirate station. Then sell the license to the owner of the pirate, and make it legal.
It’s happened in another market. A pirate station had been on for a while. Then a new translator got a permit for the pirate’s frequency. The translator owner modified it to operate from the transmitter site of the pirate. Made a deal to sell the license to the pirate station. The pirate was able to use the same facilities, and just had to lease an HD2 to feed it.
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