Too many pirate stations in Boston

[MarcB]

While I don't advocate or condone people running Pirate Radio Stations I understand why people do it. It's very expensive to buy airtime on a brokered radio station. I just got a quote from an AM station in Hartford and they want $3600/week for the 6AM-10AM time slot Monday-Saturday and $900/week for 12AM-6AM when they're on nite power and their signal only goes out 5 miles.

 

[robotique]

What about 99.9? Would 99.9 work for a Boston pirate? Throughout most of the hub today, didn't hear much on that frequency.

I noticed yesterday that there's another pirate on 99.7 (different from the gospel one of a couple years ago), and also 103.7. Both were the typical over modulated Caribbean stuff.

the 99.7 pirate is funny. the guy was taking phone calls and kept hanging up on some chicks who were calling repeatedly. i was dying laughing rolling down columbia road to blue hill ave.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Gee, I think that Walmart should pay their employees $5 an hour,
and I should be able to buy a brand new car for $500. That's fair, right?

 

[nd2023]

Gee, I think that Walmart should pay their employees $5 an hour,
and I should be able to buy a brand new car for $500. That's fair, right?

A few decades ago, $5 an hour was a lot of money and cars used to cost $500. At that time, FM was deemed "worthless" and the FCC was handing out FM licenses left and right.

 

[chrisradioanimal]

Check This Video Out Its The Sign Off Of A Weekend Pirate In Billerica, MA. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipaqheCGqfY. It's In Portuguese But I Love The Sign Off.

 

[MarcB]

Gee, I think that Walmart should pay their employees $5 an hour,

Jeff, I ought to go up to Woburn, Mass with a Super-Sized Water gun and get you soaking wet for that comment. <smirk>

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Just trying to make a point...

I would say that the rate that you were quoted was a bit on the
high side, but was not outrageous...If you ever decide you want
to roll the dice with some leased time of your own, call me!

 

[beantownradio25]

There's a pirate in Worcester that no one on here seems to know about on 102.9, "Blazin' 102.9", from what it sounds like the few times I have heard them driving through the area, mainly hip hop and carribean music is what they play.

There is no web prescense on this pirate, but I've heard them before and there was some club event in Worcester being promoted on the comment list of my friends myspace and it said "Appearence by Blazin' 102.9 street team". That's all I can find online on them though.

 

[MarcB]

If you ever decide you want to roll the dice with some leased time of your own, call me!

Thanks, Jeff. Even if I did have the equipment in my home to do a show, I shudder at the thought of pounding on the doors of businesses in and around Woburn particularly since I know nothing about the area since I'm a Connecticut boy born and raised.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

There's a pirate in Worcester that no one on here seems to know about on 102.9, "Blazin' 102.9", from what it sounds like the few times I have heard them driving through the area, mainly hip hop and carribean music is what they play.

I've heard it when I've been out by Worcester. I knew I was too far west for it to be "Choice" from Boston, which I have heard as far west as Natick.

 

[carmen]

90.1 Dorchester or Mattapan?? - Haitian talk (weak)

i don't think this is Mattapan. found it coming in great @ Braintree T station. brockton perhaps?

the stream is
mms://energylive.no-ip.info/Gerlens

also noticed _really_ weak compas on 91.7 . definitely out of town. providence perhaps?

 

[rapking]

Pirate Stations RULES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jlehmann]

There are fairly new pirates on 90.1 and 91.7. Both are confirmed to be located in Brockton.

 

[MickeyD]

I'd love to see these pirates walk the plank.....

They are friggen radio stations. To the public (and apparently the FCC) they don't give a rat's ass. Whatever you do though don't start an AM pirate station or the FCC will be all over you!

 

[MickeyD]

Isn't 87.7 now the perfect pirate frequency?

Nobody (legally, anyway) on 87.9, and no channel 6 anymore from R.I.

87.9 is my second choice, but not too close to Cambridge (WMBR 88.1) please.

Both are in use. 87.7 is putting out some power

 

[MickeyD]

i'm listening to the 88.5 pirate out of the somerville area right now. he's playing some jefferson airplane album in its entirety and babbling about having to go downstairs to release liquids from his body.

That's the transmitter of the former so-called "Radio Free Cambridge", which was busted a few years ago in its former Inman Square art gallery location, but their equipment was not confiscated and someone involved took it home to their own location near the top of Winter Hill in Somerville, and throws it on the air when they feel like it.



I zeroed their location to near Broadway around the top of Winter Hill because only in that spot it was strong enough to wipe out my car FM transponder, which I also set to 88.5.

[/quote

Tried listening to my Sirius radio today and was unable to listen due to interference on 88.5 FM. Today he was playing Led Zeppelin. I wonder if he is broadcasting from 425 Broadway or near there since that would be the top of Winter Hill.

I have heard this before and I cannot believe that a transmitter right next to the receiver cannot over power any FM radio station. So much for the capture effect.

 

[jlehmann]

They are friggen radio stations. To the public (and apparently the FCC) they don't give a rat's ass. Whatever you do though don't start an AM pirate station or the FCC will be all over you!

There are dozens of AM pirates all over the Boston/Brockton area. Most have been around for longer than the FMs.

 

[MickeyD]

I visited my cousin in Dorchester about a month ago. I didn't know Boston had all of these Urban and Urban AC pirates. I was miserable listening to the watered down crossover stuff on Jamn 94.5.

I will have this list ready for my next trip to Boston.

It is a felony in NJ to have an unlicensed radio station, any kind, in NJ. The State and local cops can bust you it's like Florida.

 

[MickeyD]

87.9 is my second choice, but not too close to Cambridge (WMBR 88.1) please.

Speaking of which, coming back from CT two Sunday nights ago, WCHC 88.1 from Holy Cross College in Worcester was broadcasting a dead carrier - transmitter on, nobody home - causing interference to WMBR from central MA to around Framingham. This was around 11 PM.

College kids just that aren't into radio anymore. I know of a station that got a fine when the FCC said turn off the carrier, I am going to check the antenna, so they turned off the programming and left the transmitter on! They were a big hit with the FCC inspector

 

[MickeyD]

Stations right next to legit stations (104.3, 105.5)...kind of like if some criminals moved next to your home
(and started stealing from your house...) Hopefully the FCC will swoop down on these folks especially, who
are causing real interference.

When they get around to it, these are the stations that they usually do go after.

I led an effort last year to go after transmitter manufacturers and got one fined $40,000 by the FCC (THANK YOU VERY MUCH) for marketing and selling illegal transmitters yet they are still in business.
Stop the transmitters and you stop the pirates. You know they aren't going to build them themselves!