Well, my guess is that they have at least until Tuesday because of Veterans Day. I get off work in about an hour, so I'm going to swing through there with my little transistor radio and video camera to document their (final?) weekend on air. I sent an email to the operators last week warning them about the penalties for what they're doing and they have obviously disregarded it. I wonder if anyone has called in a complaint yet, I definitely wouldn't want to mess around with the Kenneth City police, they're notorious for looking for something to do...
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Pirate station on 102.1 in Pinellas County
- Thread starter coolaid213
- Start date
I seem to recall reading a post on this board from someone who claimed the FCC won't respond to complaints of pirates, unless the signal interferes with a licensed station. Perhaps that's what these guys are hoping?
R
R
Here's some video from today's pirate hunting expedition...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AGyMsBtHbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AGyMsBtHbo
This is a somewhat realistic statement. Pirate Radio 102.1 FM didn't get messed with until they showed up in the Ratings. Of course, that was 15 or so years ago.
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SarasotaJim
Guest
I haven't heard anyone say they're splattering across three adjacent channels. Are the police and air traffic control complaining about interference from harmonics? They're operating in the commercial band so selling ads, per se, isn't illegal.
Personally, I have less of a problem with people like this since the FCC has thoroughly screwed up the LPFM potential. So far, it seems they've done only the equivalent of fixing somebody's plumbing without a license. In reality, "no harm, no foul" seems a reasonable response to the situation.
Personally, I have less of a problem with people like this since the FCC has thoroughly screwed up the LPFM potential. So far, it seems they've done only the equivalent of fixing somebody's plumbing without a license. In reality, "no harm, no foul" seems a reasonable response to the situation.
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I am not against pirate radio. I have provided technical assistance for a couple of pirates in the past, and I used to do it myself for awhile. To me, what these guys are doing is not cool. They're off frequency and their signal is drifting all over the place. They are screwing their advertisers, because they aren't going to be able to hold up their part of the bargain. All they are doing is making pirate radio look bad. To me they deserve everything they have coming.
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ok walters
Guest
"Making pirate radio look bad"? Really? Unbelieveable all of the discussion that there is anything redeeming about pirate radio - it is freaking illegal - period.
@ok walters
Lot's of things are illegal. Just because something is illegal, that doesn't make it bad or immoral. Most pirates put up a station because they want to provide a service to the community. A lot of pirates are discrete, and run a clean station that doesn't cause interference or bother anyone. Most pirates also have a healthy respect for the illegality of what they're doing. This station is off frequency, sounds bad, is too powerful... and to top it off they're trying to make money off it. So yeah these guys make pirate radio look bad. Pirate radio is interesting, you may not like it, but it still is interesting.
Lot's of things are illegal. Just because something is illegal, that doesn't make it bad or immoral. Most pirates put up a station because they want to provide a service to the community. A lot of pirates are discrete, and run a clean station that doesn't cause interference or bother anyone. Most pirates also have a healthy respect for the illegality of what they're doing. This station is off frequency, sounds bad, is too powerful... and to top it off they're trying to make money off it. So yeah these guys make pirate radio look bad. Pirate radio is interesting, you may not like it, but it still is interesting.
Not to mention they're likely broadcasting less than about four blocks (I believe) around the corner from the KC PD station according to the map I looked at. I'm not sure if it's not a question of when they get caught, but more, how bad will it be for them when they get caught. I am reminded of the 95Live/Raw 94 and the 93 Dance pirate operations back in Orlando a decade ago. They got so brazen and invested into the operation to the point where it seemed like they didn't care, and they were leasing office space in a high-rise just off the 436/I-4 interchange!
Byron
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SarasotaJim
Guest
OK, 'nuff said. If you're running under 100 watts and can't keep your technical plant clean, you deserve to be shut down.
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SarasotaJim
Guest
So is driving up I-75 at 73 mph. The penalties are different, of course, as they should be, if you're rolling up the highway at 101. If someone is running a clean operation and causing harm to none, the penalty should be the same as driving 73 up the interstate.
Who knows? Maybe they did try to go the legal route and were denied. Don't get me wrong, they should be shut down and prosecuted. If you don't have the connections, good luck getting a legal station started. I tried years and years ago and kept being denied by the FCC even though there were THREE frequencies available in my area that would not have caused any interference with adjacent signals but the FCC denied it. Yet a religious outfit comes in and files for a station license and is approved first time out on one of the frequencies that I was trying for and at a higher wattage then I had proposed....and to boot, naming the town I used to live in as the COL even though the tower was 15 miles away from it. ARGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!
9 times out of 10, pirate radio is more entertaining than the garbage on commercial radio... especially on the FM side. My problem with this pirate isn't that they're running a pirate station, it's HOW they're running it. Let me describe the kind of pirate station that I wouldn't report, or even mention on this site.... it would have a clean signal, be on frequency, have a range of LESS than a few miles, not be running 24/7, not be airing profane content, and not be soliciting advertisers.
Anyone who has their eyes open knows what the FCC is doing... they're a bunch of fascists in the purist sense of the word. They're protecting the big corporate stations from any sort of competition. Almost any pirate station has the potential to be more entertaining than anything on Cox or Clear Channel. Look, I really wish amateur radio operators such as myself were allowed to legally experiment with broadcasting... but since we're not, I find it a little more than insulting that these bozos think they can get away with what they're doing. When I was running an FM pirate here in St. Pete, I intentionally limited my TX power and broadcast times... and guess what, I never got busted. These guys have been on about a month, and they're well on their way to doing some prison time. I have no compassion for this pirate, I personally warned them, but they think they know better. Oh well...
Anyone who has their eyes open knows what the FCC is doing... they're a bunch of fascists in the purist sense of the word. They're protecting the big corporate stations from any sort of competition. Almost any pirate station has the potential to be more entertaining than anything on Cox or Clear Channel. Look, I really wish amateur radio operators such as myself were allowed to legally experiment with broadcasting... but since we're not, I find it a little more than insulting that these bozos think they can get away with what they're doing. When I was running an FM pirate here in St. Pete, I intentionally limited my TX power and broadcast times... and guess what, I never got busted. These guys have been on about a month, and they're well on their way to doing some prison time. I have no compassion for this pirate, I personally warned them, but they think they know better. Oh well...
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In my experience, the fact that they are close to Kenneth City PD means nothing... KCPD doesn't investigate things like this, the FCC does. Those guys come in suits if you play nice and SWAT teams if you don't. I've been on both sides, playing nice (99.9 FM St Pete) and playing rough (Pirate Radio 102.1 Tampa/ Temple Terrace). If they haven't been served with papers, the instant they get a Cease and Desist order they better shut it down that day or they will have a big problem. You only get one warning, or chance to "play dumb".
The solution is to allow LPFM but I personally think the holdup on that isnt really Clear Channel or religion or whatever, but the fact that an agency has to be started (AND FUNDED) to police these LPFM's from growing too big to threaten the establishment.
The solution is to allow LPFM but I personally think the holdup on that isnt really Clear Channel or religion or whatever, but the fact that an agency has to be started (AND FUNDED) to police these LPFM's from growing too big to threaten the establishment.
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SarasotaJim
Guest
I mostly agree with you. One point of disagreement relates to 24/7 operation. If they're not a problem at 3 in the afternoon, they won't be a problem at 3 in the morning. I don't understand the rationale involved here. A second point relates to commercials. The small neighborhood station might be a very real service to a small neighborhood pizza shop, for instance, that doesn't even have dreams of being able to afford CC or Cox and doesn't care that the signal goes out 60 miles.
As far as limiting coverage is concerned, simply limit the pole the antenna is mounted on to a standard 20-foot pipe available anywhere and the curvature of the earth will take care of the rest.
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SarasotaJim
Guest
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run.....
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ok walters
Guest
This is pretty comical - it's okay as long as they don't interfere with anyone, don't run ads, don't run profane content, and have a range of only a few miles - sounds like LPFM to me. The rules are there to protect those who have licenses and large investments from being interfered with by some pirate with bad equipment.
Put the shoe on the other foot for a minute - you spend millions getting legal and building a station and some pirate comes in and causes interference - how mad are you now? There is no "good' pirate station - period.
Put the shoe on the other foot for a minute - you spend millions getting legal and building a station and some pirate comes in and causes interference - how mad are you now? There is no "good' pirate station - period.
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SarasotaJim
Guest
Wrong. The rules are there to control who is able to get a license. A VERY big difference.
You're ranting. I haven't seen anyone even suggest they should be allowed to cause interference. You want something to chew on? More interference has been caused by the social engineering of Docket 80-90 than all the Pirates on the air.
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ok walters
Guest
Wrong. The rules are there to control a very limited number of frequencies and to be sure they are all run as permitted, and that no unauhorized/unlicensed use causes issues for those that are properly licensed. There is little regulation of who can get a license - just regulation of how many licenses can fit into the available frequencies. There are regulations prohibiting felons from owning stations and what type of person or group can own whcih type of station (non-comms and LPFMs), but other than that you can pretty much buy whatever you want from whoever wants to sell it to you.
No ranting here - you are the one talking out of both sides of your mouth. You say you agree that as long as they don't cause problems they should be okay and shouldn't be reported, but in another post you still think they should be prosecuted. I guess you would rather have the Wild West on the dial than actually have some stations that are professionally run, programmed, and are financially viable. I wouldn't want a kid listening to that dial but to each his own.
The reason I recommend against 24/7 operation is because it's a lot easier to stay under the radar when you're not on all the time. Many of the pirates I know only operate on Friday/Saturday nights specifically because it's less likely the feds will notice.
I need to mention something here that I think keeps getting lost in the debate here. In the state of Florida, the FCC doesn't have to come to your house anymore, and the don't have to give you a warning anymore. Since 2005 local police departments are authorized to make raids, because it is now a felony to operate a pirate station. If you called in a complaint to the Pinellas Park police or the county police, they can and probably would come out and raid this station.
@ok walters... no this doesn't sound like LPFM... LPFM is an enigma. It is not possible in this market, or any other market with a substantial audience... specifically because if there's money to be made with big mega corporate stations, they're not going to let a little guy in to drain any of the audience from the big boys. Besides, there isn't any room for an LPFM here, that's why you aren't going to find any of them popping up on the dial here... now I'm not using this as an excuse for pirate radio... I'm just pointing out that LPFM isn't an option for anyone in this area, period.
I need to mention something here that I think keeps getting lost in the debate here. In the state of Florida, the FCC doesn't have to come to your house anymore, and the don't have to give you a warning anymore. Since 2005 local police departments are authorized to make raids, because it is now a felony to operate a pirate station. If you called in a complaint to the Pinellas Park police or the county police, they can and probably would come out and raid this station.
@ok walters... no this doesn't sound like LPFM... LPFM is an enigma. It is not possible in this market, or any other market with a substantial audience... specifically because if there's money to be made with big mega corporate stations, they're not going to let a little guy in to drain any of the audience from the big boys. Besides, there isn't any room for an LPFM here, that's why you aren't going to find any of them popping up on the dial here... now I'm not using this as an excuse for pirate radio... I'm just pointing out that LPFM isn't an option for anyone in this area, period.
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