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Pirate Radio 1250 on FM

E

ECRadioGuy

Guest
I was driving through Greenville tonight at was flipping through the FM band and stopped on 97.9 FM and I heard Pirate Radio loud and clear. I am assuming this was on a translator even though I can't seem to find anything about it online. Does anyone have any information on it?
 
So the Bear is now 98.9 only and now has no New Bern presence??? I thought someone out of Virginia owned 97.9/98.9
 
It's just a translator here in Greenville. The signal absolutely blows and it's because of 97.9 The Bear trying to break through.
 
I'm happy for the guys at 1250..They do good work but I hope they can get the FM deal sounding better. Its very flat sounding..At this point it sounds much better on AM and I guess the FM deal will help them because of night signal but there are times I have no problem getting them at night and other times its iffy..Weather conditions play havoc with AM sometimes. Its a tight squeeze between Pirate and the Bear on 97.9.
 
They should have purchased 98.3 when it was available.

I assume the issue is money, although they have some VERY deep pockets backing the station.
 
98.3 has a horrible signal. I could not get it in Greenville all that well the other night and once you head North of Greenville it pretty much gets killed by WDLZ.
 
98.3 was never great but it was not as bad as it is now. I don't think the new owners are keeping up with maintenance. Also, last time I browsed by the station they were running a stereo pilot.

The reason I say they should have bought 98.3 is the price... it would have gone for cheaaaaaaap!

I don't think that this new 97.9 is actually coming from Winterville yet. It may be on the original CP in Grifton. Next time I drive by the WECU tower (the new CP location) I will check for FM bays.
 
Benefield owns several Translators I think including 97.9. It will be interesting over the next few years to see if these translators become the thing for AM's to do or not.
 
Speaking of Benfield

Why does a doctor from Statesville own a bunch of low budget stations on the other end of the state? Does anyone here know the man and know the method to his madness?
 
Well, if you thought it sounded flat before... that was nothing. They are now taking an off-air feed of 1250 (or, more precisely, sounds like 1245 kHz if not even more variance). Complete with a 60Hz hum in the background. It's just like the real AM experience brought straight to FM.
 
Ron Benfield is from New Bern. His mother still lives (if she hasn't died) there. He once told me that radio had always been a hobby with him. He is a great guy with $$$ to spend I guess. I think he's kinda like Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, he can't keep his hands out of his stations, he needs to hire good people and let them run his properties and concentrate on replacing hips and knees.
 
97.9 does sound pretty rough. At this point the station sounds alot better on 1250..Hopefully they will get the tech problems worked out. I'm sure they will. If Bill Cope still helps them he'll get it right. He is a sharp guy.
 
97.9 is now simulcasting 1570, which itself has changed its name to "The Promise"

The old home of "The Promise" 98.3 FM is now playing Christmas music by Contemporary Christian artists and going by 98.3 "The Bridge"

I guess the 1250 simulcast wasn't permanent. Personally, I think the Pirate Radio guys should buy 98.3 and simulcast there.
 
98.3 is now run by Johnny Jones of Southpoint Community Church and is running a Praise and Worship and Contemporary Christian format. He is actually spending time and money to develop it in to something. Other than signal limitations I think they actually have a pretty good sound and actually have a good format. The Promise has actually gone bankrupt on every station they have been on 98.3 and on the 107.3 WBOB (which is now run by Victory FM).
 
I didn't know this was the same Promise that was previously on 107.3. That explains why I heard ads for Rocky Mount businesses on a Greenville AM.

98.3 needs to step up the sound quality. Though, I suspect at this point after so many years of neglect it needs a total overhaul of equipment.
 
w00t said:
I didn't know this was the same Promise that was previously on 107.3. That explains why I heard ads for Rocky Mount businesses on a Greenville AM.

98.3 needs to step up the sound quality. Though, I suspect at this point after so many years of neglect it needs a total overhaul of equipment.
Click to expand...
Its Wikipedia article is also in pretty bad shape. I did what I could but it requires a specialist. Probably a teaching hospital too.
 
allenv said:
97.9 does sound pretty rough. At this point the station sounds alot better on 1250..Hopefully they will get the tech problems worked out. I'm sure they will. If Bill Cope still helps them he'll get it right. He is a sharp guy.
Click to expand...

Bill Cope was indeed a sharp electronics guy.

Sad to say, however, he became a silent key on Monday, about 2PM, passing quietly, I was told.
 
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