Too many pirate stations in Boston

[MickeyD]

It's possible with E-skip, tropo, whatever it's called, some people may be getting distant stations and you think they're a pirate but who knows; I was picking up a Spanish-language station at 98.3 yesterday and the presentation was so slick I thought maybe it was some station from Florida coming up here but who knows.

The thing about pirates: yes, it may seem charming, oh look, someone is setting up their own little station
and maybe they're quirky and have interesting programming but they are not legal. For one thing, they are
getting away with broadcasting but not having to pay fees, follow FCC regs, etc. For another, they may
infringe on a legit station's frequency, causing problems--I'm reminded of a co-worker from Methuen who
loves listening to Lost and Found on WMBR but there was a pirate on their freq so he was denied that show.
He called or wrote the FCC (he isn't into computers/e-mail) to complain and they were thrown off.

The dial is crowded enough. Add to this the people who _legally_ want to use a mini-FM transmitter to
re-broadcast either satellite radio just to their car, or an mp3 player just to their car. Legally since it only
goes a few feet. But they have a tough time finding a freq because of all the pirates.

Add to this the aircraft communications that can be disturbed because of pirates.

And so on. And you may say, well these folks are serving the community with a unique format. In some
cases it may be true but many pirates are redundant--they offer stuff other stations already have.
More than too many foreign language stations--there aren't enough already on the dial? WNSH just down
the street from me is now foreign, too. Why don't these pirates go to a legit station and try to put
these things on LEGALLY, and more powerfully? There are slots that can be filled. And look at the 87.9
up in Boxford or whatever it is...I was picking them up around Rt 1 in Saugus and Peabody yesterday.
Yeah, nice oldies, etc. But nothing new, nothing that isn't already on the dial. What if you live in
Boxford right next to them and want to pick up WMBR, a legit station?

I have come across some legit stations, LPFMs like WVEW-LP 107.7 in Brattleboro VT which had some
really different and unique programming. They are doing it LEGALLY.

For me pirate stations are no different than a guy who sets up shop as a doctor or dentist without having gone through medical school, and without getting a license. Or a 13 yr old kid who takes his parents'
car for a spin. NO LICENSE! We have rules and regulations in our society and they must be followed.

In Boxford? Which legitimate station would tha be WBMT? That's a pirate station with a license (not for long). WMBR's contour map doesn't include Boxford looks to me like it ends around Saugus.

 

[scottwmro]

94.9 - Caribbean
96.5 - Religious in another language
97.3 - Spanish
100.3 - Urban AC
101.3 - Big City, hip hop and reggae
102.1 - Caribbean
102.9 - Choice, Caribbean
103.7 - Hip hop
104.7 - Reggae
106.1 - Touch, urban AC
107.5 - Mexican

That's enough pirate stations to fill up rapking's presets.
101.3 was the strongest, followed by 106.1 and 102.9. 97.3 seemed to go the furthest west from Boston, almost to Worcester, but was weak in Boston.
Next year, I bet I will find the same pirate stations still on the air, and many more new ones.

They all need to get OFF the FM Band and go to AM. To run a Legal "Part 15" good sounding AM station is simple. They need to be in the X-Band, and buy a Rangemaster 1000. With a good am audio processor, they kick!

Right now, there are too many "part 15" stuff being sold at Wal-Mart and Wal-Greens to clober the FM Band. This Pirate Stuff on FM needs to stop now!

 

[raccoonradio]

Did you see this --teen w/ a pirate station in Ontario...

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/broadcaster+riles+regulators/2296673/story.html

Could be facing fines or jail (but with respect to his age maybe he can just shovel a bunch of
driveways instead?) Oh and one line says "He plays beautiful music"

Beautiful music? Wow, Percy Faith...Mantovani...Ferrante and Teicher

"Ding ding! Ding ding! Ding!..." (that old WJIB ship's clock...)

 

[DavidZ]

Beautiful music? Wow, Percy Faith...Mantovani...Ferrante and Teicher

"Ding ding! Ding ding! Ding!..." (that old WJIB ship's clock...)

I wish the Beautiful Music format would make a comeback!

 

[MickeyD]

Did you see this --teen w/ a pirate station in Ontario...

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/broadcaster+riles+regulators/2296673/story.html

Could be facing fines or jail (but with respect to his age maybe he can just shovel a bunch of
driveways instead?) Oh and one line says "He plays beautiful music"

Beautiful music? Wow, Percy Faith...Mantovani...Ferrante and Teicher

"Ding ding! Ding ding! Ding!..." (that old WJIB ship's clock...)

Now see no one told me we became part of Canada. Did Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried slip this one through? Personally I would liketo know what many people on this list have a problem with 87.9. I have not heard a peep from any of you regarding any of the other pirate stations. The ones with a KW or more they must be okay and on target.

This reminds me of NAB logic. An LPFM statio at 100 watts has to be three channels away from another station but a Translator with the potential for 250 watts only has to be two channels away. The very same technology and no one can explain what the difference is because here isn't any! he damned fools even commissioned a study on it. Why?

So using the same logic, 87.9 allegedly blocks WMBR but WBMT on 88.3 at 660 Watts does not. That is if you can even hear WBMT over Nashua's 5KW signal on 88.3.

 

[raccoonradio]

Well, just saying the CRTC has regulations too (or Industry Canada or whatever)

 

[MickeyD]

Well, just saying the CRTC has regulations too (or Industry Canada or whatever)

Well of course. I don't know of any place you can just go on the air.

 

[nd2023]

Well, just saying the CRTC has regulations too (or Industry Canada or whatever)

Well of course. I don't know of any place you can just go on the air.

Newark, Brooklyn, Boston, Miami, and any of the other places infested by pirate stations that have been on for years.

 

[MickeyD]

Well, just saying the CRTC has regulations too (or Industry Canada or whatever)

Well of course. I don't know of any place you can just go on the air.

Newark, Brooklyn, Boston, Miami, and any of the other places infested by pirate stations that have been on for years.

No I meant countries that had no regulations.

 

[carmen]

the real pirates are the large commercial statoins that stole a freq above and below their existing ones with HD..

 

[carmen]

when 88.5 going to get action??

 

[Eli Polonsky]

So using the same logic, 87.9 allegedly blocks WMBR but WBMT on 88.3 at 660 Watts does not. That is if you can even hear WBMT over Nashua's 5KW signal on 88.3.

WBMT (when it's on the air) does block, or at least interfere somewhat, with WMBR in the Boxford area. I've heard it happen driving through the area. (WEVS Nashua isn't a factor until you get a lot farther northwest).

WBMT's primary protected contour is outside of WMBR's, in fact, WMBR's directional pattern has a "soft" null to the north to protect WBMT.

WMBR can't complain about a licensed station interfering with their fringe signal outside of its protected contour. However, they (and/or listeners) CAN complain about an unlicensed station interfering with their signal outside of their protected contour, if they choose to, because the unlicensed station is not supposed to be on the air AT ALL.

WMBR also has "soft" nulls to the northwest to protect 88.3 WIQH Concord, to the south to protect 88.3 WRPS Rockland, and I'm not sure, but maybe one to the southwest to protect 88.3 WGAO Franklin. WMBR's directional 720 watts ERP really only puts out its full power east-west, but if I'm correct, it still puts out at least 300 watts ERP in the nulls.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

when 88.5 going to get action??

88.5 still occasionally has "Off-Coast Radio", the successor to "Radio Free Cambridge", sporadically showing up on the air from Winter Hill in Somerville. When "RFC" was busted from their former location in an Inman Square art gallery their equipment was not confiscated, and someone involved took it to their residence in Somerville.

Also, I thought I heard the Middle Eastern music pirate that was on 88.5 from the Dedham area back on recently, though I'm not sure. It may have been a different one. It wasn't as strong.

I still use it for my car transponder frequency.

 

[SonicOverload]

when 88.5 going to get action??

88.5 still occasionally has "Off-Coast Radio", the successor to "Radio Free Cambridge", sporadically showing up on the air from Winter Hill in Somerville. When "RFC" was busted from their former location in an Inman Square art gallery their equipment was not confiscated, and someone involved took it to their residence in Somerville.

Also, I thought I heard the Middle Eastern music pirate that was on 88.5 from the Dedham area back on recently, though I'm not sure. It may have been a different one. It wasn't as strong.

I still use it for my car transponder frequency.

RFC also operated out of someone's apartment in Cambridge for awhile. I saw the set-up...

 

[MickeyD]

when 88.5 going to get action??

During the last Non-Comm window there were a number of applicants for 88.5 and 88.7. There are a number of applicants for both, naturally,and depending on where the CP is granted these frequencies will disappear too.

 

[MickeyD]

So using the same logic, 87.9 allegedly blocks WMBR but WBMT on 88.3 at 660 Watts does not. That is if you can even hear WBMT over Nashua's 5KW signal on 88.3.

WBMT (when it's on the air) does block, or at least interfere somewhat, with WMBR in the Boxford area. I've heard it happen driving through the area. (WEVS Nashua isn't a factor until you get a lot farther northwest).

WBMT's primary protected contour is outside of WMBR's, in fact, WMBR's directional pattern has a "soft" null to the north to protect WBMT.

WMBR can't complain about a licensed station interfering with their fringe signal outside of its protected contour. However, they (and/or listeners) CAN complain about an unlicensed station interfering with their signal outside of their protected contour, if they choose to, because the unlicensed station is not supposed to be on the air AT ALL.

WMBR also has "soft" nulls to the northwest to protect 88.3 WIQH Concord, to the south to protect 88.3 WRPS Rockland, and I'm not sure, but maybe one to the southwest to protect 88.3 WGAO Franklin. WMBR's directional 720 watts ERP really only puts out its full power east-west, but if I'm correct, it still puts out at least 300 watts ERP in the nulls.

I don't know about Nashua not interfering with WMBR. When WBMT is off the air Nashua comes into Boxford like a local station and actually blocks WBMT from being heard in half the town. I have heard this personally. Although, I have my doubts that WBMT is operating at their licensed power at station putting out 660 watts, even with a lower antenna, should have a better range than 3-4 miles.

As for 87.9 I would imagine that anyone could complain about it because it isn't licensed. Here would be an interesting case. My best guess is that from what WBMT has hanging over their heads they will loose their license. What would prevent a pirate from popping up on 88.3, with the same power, and just operating? Now before you jump on "the because he doesn't have a license thing", when the FCC sends a letter, if the FCC sends them a letter, the operator hires a lawyer and brings up the Radio Goldfield case? After all there was a station in that spot for over 30 years. This would not be a normal pirate case and Radio GOldfield is one of the reasons pirate radio thrives today. THANKS HARRY REID!

 

[AckDX]

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

School. It's your best friend.

 

[radiojay1]

With all this talk of pirate stations lately, I wish people could broadcast their own stations, as long as they do not cause any interference to a commercial or non-commercial station's coverage.  Most of commercial music radio does indeed SUCK, it does not care about listeners at all, it only cares about $.  Although pirate stations are illegal, I understand why these folks do what they do.  They attempt to give listeners what commericial radio does not.  Commercial radio needs competition, especially in music.  It's stale, boring, and repetitive.  I don't condone illegal stations, but by now, someone has had to make complaints against some of the pirates, but they are still going strong.  Look at 87.7 WPOT.  They have decent coverage and I would love to see them give Jam'n 94.5 some competition.  To an fan of true urban music, Jam'n 94.5 is not even close.  But maybe 87.7 will make them lean more urban.  They may need to do something if 87.7 is here to stay for a while. 

 

[Don Juan]

the real pirates are the large commercial statoins that stole a freq above and below their existing ones with HD..

<yawn>

Pirates = Illegal

HD = Legal

 

[Eli Polonsky]

the real pirates are the large commercial statoins that stole a freq above and below their existing ones with HD..

<yawn>

Pirates = Illegal

HD = Legal

Besides that, it was never allowed for stations to be on the air first-adjacent to another station covering the same primary area anyway, so it's not true that a stations adjacent HD noise, while annoying, is "stealing" a frequency that some other (legitimate) station could use. The adjacent frequencies were not available within the same radius of a station before HD was invented anyway.

HD sideband noise CAN interfere with fringe reception of out-of-market stations, or of lower powered stations that are only intended to cover part of a market when listening to their fringe from another different part of the market, but HD is not preventing any legitimate, licensed stations from broadcasting that would have been able to before HD. The regulations for spacing for adjacent channel broadcasting have not changed.