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Pirate On 99.7 Harms WCRB, Irritates Its One Listener

I hope I am not the last WCRB listener but it is next to impossible to pick up its signal past 11 PM.

Where is the God forsaken FCC ?

Maybe, if Laura Carlo would describe Mozart as that "F'ing Mozart" on her program the FCC would pay attention.

Nassau Broadcasting wake up and do someting !
 
raccoonradio said:
Notice there are some other stations that are right next to legit ones, like a couple at 98.9
and stations at 93.5, 103.1 and 107.1
Click to expand...

Some of these are no longer on the air. 93.5 and 107.1 in Boston are gone, as well as 98.9 and 103.1 in Brockton.
 
raccoonradio said:
The low power/unlicensed list page, via a link on BostonRadioBlog is:
http://members.aol.com/baconti/bostonLP.htm
Click to expand...

That list is a little out of date. It doesn't include the powerful Caribbean out of Dorchester or Mattapan on 88.5, and the 88.5 listed as Radio Free Cambridge/Radio Pandemonium is now calling themselves "Off-Coast Radio" and is still occasionally broadcasting from somewhere in the Somerville area. I also recently heard yet another 88.5 in the west suburbs with ethnic music on a mono signal.

jlehmann said:
Some of these are no longer on the air. 93.5 and 107.1 in Boston are gone, as well as 98.9 and 103.1 in Brockton.
Click to expand...

I still often hear a 98.9 pirate from around inner city Boston somewhere, and perhaps another one just north of Boston maybe in the East Boston/Everett/Chelsea area. They cut out the extremely fringe signal of oldies WORC-FM Webster (Worcester) that I could barely hear anyway.
 
I know I've asked this question once already....but:

"Is the FCC primarily in business to monitor pirate radio stations...or to collect fines from the ones who are illegally operating?

I'd really like an answer to this? ???

argytunes
 
argytunes said:
I know I've asked this question once already....but:

"Is the FCC primarily in business to monitor pirate radio stations...or to collect fines from the ones who are illegally operating?
Click to expand...

If the latter, then they would have less interest in actually shutting them down, confiscating equipment, etc... if they stay on the air and they can keep lining their pockets with repeated fines. It appears that many remain on the air after they are "served" fines, even repeatedly... is the FCC even actually collecting these?
 
The FCC only has the power to assess fines, not collect on them. Plus any fines they do collect go straight into the general US Treasury (not into the FCC's budget) so there's no fiscal incentive for the FCC to assess, or not assess, fines.

Similarly, the FCC cannot enforce a shutdown, they can only collect information. The US Marshals have to enforce an actual arrest or confiscation of equipment. As you might imagine, the Marshals are mighty busy ever since 9/11, so it's harder for the FCC to get them to go make an arrest or seizure.

There's also an unspoken mandate that the FCC is not a proactive agency. They are primarily a reactive agency...meaning they have to receive a legitimate complaint before they'll act. Legitimate complaints are those from stations directly interfered with by the pirate (as defined by contour overlap) and from listeners living within the interference area. Everyone else is not exactly ignored, but much less weight is given to their complaints. In addition, all complaints must be made via snail mail as described here:
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/broadcast/interference.html

I'm not saying that to dissuade anyone from making a complaint. By all means, please write to the FCC...even if you're not "legitimate" as described above. You never know if your complaint will be the one that tips the scales into action...I've seen it before. Plus if dozens or hundreds of people complain, even if many of them are not "legitimate", the FCC will still take notice. Godcaster WSMA 90.5 was forced to install a main studio and actually staff it according to the rules after the Boston Phoenix helped champion a letter-writing campaign that generated over 200 complaints to the FCC about WSMA's request for a main studio waiver. Unfortunately it was a symbolic victory at best, but it still proves the point.

There is also the unfortunate reality that the FCC has to decide what issues are a priority for them every year...and pirate broadcasters consistently rank low on the priority "list". This "list" is determined largely by what Congress is breathing down the FCC's neck about. Also by whatever political leanings are coming out of the White House on the five head Commissioners. Usually it's more about wireless communications (cellphone/wifi) because there's a lot more money at stake, and therefore a lot more lobbying of Congress about it. When it comes to AM & FM, usually Congress & the WH are a lot more "concerned" (one could call it "pandering") about obscenity and indecency.
 
If I came on the air with skinhead radio tonight,does anyone think I would be allowed to broadcast long enough to sell adverts and set up a website?
I believe the FCC's inaction is partly due to Politically correctness!

Also didn't State Troopers down in Florida shut down some pirates,how did they acquire this power?
I know that won't happen up here with the present Gov,but just curious.
 
argytunes said:
I know I've asked this question once already....but:

"Is the FCC primarily in business to monitor pirate radio stations...or to collect fines from the ones who are illegally operating?

I'd really like an answer to this? ???
Click to expand...

Nah, their agents are too busy handing out big fines to legit broadcasters for such important things as improper EAS logs or public file violations.
 
freqlost said:
If I came on the air with skinhead radio tonight,does anyone think I would be allowed to broadcast long enough to sell adverts and set up a website?
I believe the FCC's inaction is partly due to Politically correctness!

Also didn't State Troopers down in Florida shut down some pirates,how did they acquire this power?
I know that won't happen up here with the present Gov,but just curious.
Click to expand...

non-racist skinhead punk? Yes, it exists...
 
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