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Pirate on 99.9 Fm in McKinney?

radioguy2013 said:
I've heard a station on 99.9 fm in McKinney a while back. The station IDed as Q100 with calls KQRO. I've searched the FCC database and radio-locator.com and found nothing for "KQRO". They have a website, www.q100rocks.com and a facebook page www.facebook.com/q100rocks. Does anyone have any info about this station?

I just did a google search and came across this:

http://www.part15.us/blogs/mighty1650/kqro-scam-letters


Also....I googled their phone number and it came back as "Green Broadcast Media". All the addresses listed say:

Serving in
Mckinney, TX 75071


There are no licensees listed with the FCC using the name "Green Broadcast Media"


Sounds just like what that website described. Complete scam.
 
Could this station be a low power part 15/internet station? With part 15 you don't need a license.
 
Corey973 said:
Could this station be a low power part 15/internet station? With part 15 you don't need a license.

Yeah that's was it appears to be. A part 15 station. It's affiliated with mighty1650.

www.mighty1650.tk

There is a "Green Broadcast Media" logo on their website.

Definitely not a real licensed radio station.


This is on the about us section:

99.9 FM Operates Legally under part 15 of the FCC Rules And Regulations.

FM Part 15 Rules Limit The Range Of The Station to about 300 feet or so. However, listeners with better radios will be able to receive The Crow up to 1,000 feet.

99.9 FM Broadcasts from a resonated antenna with a HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) of 6 1/2 feet.

99.9 FM uses a FCC Certified Transmitter. C Crane FM Transmitter. FCC ID:BYG006

The Crow Primarily plays music from 1955 to 1979

99.9's Coverage area is 84 Households with an estimated 252 people if each house has 3 people residing in it.

1560 AM Operates Legally under part 15 of the FCC rules an regulations

1560 AM Operates using an FCC Compliant SSTran Transmitter utilizing a 10 foot non directional antenna including the ground lead With a total Input power of 100 mW.

1560 AM operates as a specialty daytime service for listeners with older radios that may be AM only and unable to tune to the higher AM Band (1610-1700) or the FM band (88.1-107.9)

1560 AM operates soley during the Daytime hours. These hours are specified below the Format Information.

1560 AM Also operates under Pre Sunrise Authority (PSRA) and Post Sunset Authority (PSSA). This allows 1560 AM to operate outside the usual Daytime hours of operation. With Broadcasts beginning at 6 AM and Concluding at two hours past local sunset.

99.9 FM & 1560 AM are Owned And Operated By Green Broadcast Media.



Looks like they are legit but there are scammers out there using their name.
 
Oh nice they stream! http://64.20.42.58:8016/

But this is for Q100, not 1650.

And I wonder how much of an area these stations cover - probably not very much if they're part 15 compliant.
 
Go over to the Dallas-Fort Worth board and page LibertyNT. The stations belong to him; this was his signature from a while back:

Through The Static. Through The Noise. There's a station somewhere.
Q100 - Texas Best Rock & Roll
http://www.Q100Rocks.com
Mighty 1650 - Classic Hits and Talk
http://www.Mighty1650.tk
 
Maybe this station was part 15 at one time but I don't believe it still is. I picked up the station in McKinney and was still getting a strong clear signal in Fairview, Texas just south of McKinney. Not to mention the signal was able to be heard all over McKinney. How is the a part 15 operation? If it's a part 15 then why are they charging for advertising. Here is a link I've found on the station's facebook page. https://docs.google.com/file/d/1G5IQ-1QzmnlAdohDD3uTD6g494UEgL0Ajkjm-7qkf8l0oIDk_ZiWeAZP8lyB/edit

According to the FCC's website:
On FM frequencies, these devices are limited to an effective service range of approximately 200 feet (61 meters). See 47 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Section 15.239, and the July 24, 1991 Public Notice.
 
radioguy2013 said:
How is the a part 15 operation? If it's a part 15 then why are they charging for advertising. Here is a link I've found on the station's facebook page. https://docs.google.com/file/d/1G5IQ-1QzmnlAdohDD3uTD6g494UEgL0Ajkjm-7qkf8l0oIDk_ZiWeAZP8lyB/edit

Part 15's are allowed to sell advertising. Nothing in the law requires them to be non-commercial operations. Most of them, however, don't because they don't want to risk ruffling the feathers of the licensed broadcast operators.
 
I'm curious how the FCC feels about Part 15 broadcasters just assigning themselves call letters.
 
Lazy J said:
I'm curious how the FCC feels about Part 15 broadcasters just assigning themselves call letters.

I can't speak for the FCC, but it probably doesn't care much about what part 15 broadcasters call themselves. I have, however, heard of a part 15 getting a C&D for using call letters another station 500 miles away was using.
 
This could easily be a legal part 15 station if they have a good antenna location and decent equipment. I have chatted with the guy before and doubt he'd do anything to draw attention from the FCC.
 
Ahem,
Well I guess I can chime in better than anyone else here ;)

This isn't the first time my little station cluster has gotten noticed in these parts!
The first time back when I was playing classic hits.

The station has been running on 99.9 more or less since 2009, with its beginnings going back to 2008 on 1650.

Oddly enough, as oldies my station NEVER got noticed, yet the second I go 70s 80s rock, bam there's the attention I wanted.

About my call letters,
I've been using KQRO since 2009, about once I month the use the FCC's own call letter search query to make sure these calls are still open for use, they were originally picked because they sound like "Crow" (the original station name) I've since kept them since Q is in them, and KTXQ is out.

Now my coverage,
I'm actually a bit surprised my coverage hits Fairview with any amount of usable signal, hell my McKinney coverage isn't good all in itself. I always assumed it died east of 75 pretty quick.
I admittedly run slightly more power than what part 15 calls for on my FM side, but I do my damn best to make sure my emissions are in order, that I don't step on anyone's toes, no over modulation, no cursing, ect. I'm by no means a high powered "Pirate" I've got a pretty wimpy transmitter with a decent antenna mounted in my attic, not really a great setup, hence my surprise in coverage! Hell by listening you could never tell I wasn't licensed. And over the air I never mention KQRO. Our Top of the hour ID is "Q100 is 99.9 FM McKinney Texas, A Green Broadcast Media Station" So I'm not impersonating a legal licensed station.
Like tested said, I'd never do anything to draw attention from the FCC, I figure with my pretty limited coverage, no interference to legal licensed stations, Im well within reason here :)

If anyone wants, Id be more than happy to give them a tour.

I'm not particularly hiding, as to the guy calling it a scam, that was a post I made myself, about spam mail I got via the station email, Nigerian scammers.
As for my phone number not giving an address, While I'm not hiding, I don't really want people knocking on my door either thinking I'm some walk in business
 
LibertyNT said:
I'm not particularly hiding, as to the guy calling it a scam, that was a post I made myself, about spam mail I got via the station email, Nigerian scammers.
As for my phone number not giving an address, While I'm not hiding, I don't really want people knocking on my door either thinking I'm some walk in business

Yeah sorry about that. I just did a quick google search and saw that posting on the scam. I read through it pretty fast and misunderstood the posting then posted back on here but then after going back and reading through it better and visiting your website I posted back saying "Looks like they are legit but there are scammers out there using their name." I should have read it thoroughly before posting. Apologies.
 
I was in McKinney this morning and tried to find it, but tropo was a little strong and K-MOO was booming out of the Tyler area. (Actually, it was a fight between K-MOO, a religious station, a modern country station, and static.)

Anyway, I thought I got a piece of some AC/DC somewhere around the post office, but then I lost it. Finally, I got a good signal just after I crossed 75 and got on Eldorado, but it only came in between Hardin and Ridge Road and I lost it totally before Alma.

Next time I swing by, I'll try to find a city-grade signal. You might see me parked on your curb.
 
radioguy2013 said:
How is the a part 15 operation?

It is possible by using a network of linked transmitters. I've seen info on this online. IIRC, Rangemaster includes instructions/information on how to do this in their literature.
 
Upon further review, the religious station I referenced was a KDKR translator out of Irving and the other country station (besides KMOO) was KLUR out of Wichita Falls. So dump the translator and 99.9 is truly open territory. No wonder it's so popular with Christmas displays in DFW. It's the only FM frequency left without a first adjacent.
 
Sorry to see the posts on Facebook and Twitter that this station was told to stop broadcasting by the FCC.
I always listen online, but even that was shut off.
 
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