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General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: Azimuth Coordinator on March 22, 2018, 0041 UTC

Title: Well this is Troubling...
Post by: Azimuth Coordinator on March 22, 2018, 0041 UTC

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/congress-may-consider-more-stringent-pirate-radio-fines (https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/congress-may-consider-more-stringent-pirate-radio-fines)



This is aimed directly at AM and FM broadcast band Pirates.  Looks like a few Congressmen are loosing money on Clear Channel Stock..

PIRATE  RADIO  BROADCASTING.—The  term  pirate  radio  broadcasting’  means  the  transmission 

of  communications  on  spectrum  frequencies  between  535  to  1705  kHz  or  88  to  108  MHz  (AM  or  FM 
broadcast  bands)  without  a  license  issued  by  the  Federal  Communications  Commission,  but  does  not 
include   unlicensed   operations   in   compliance   with   part 15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

Title: Re: Well this is Troubling...
Post by: redhat on March 22, 2018, 0547 UTC

I'm not sure this has much chance of passing.  The bill is only really concerned with the top 5 radio markets for pirates, which have no room for anyone anyway.  They obviously don't see SW as a threat, but I could see some radio refugees spilling over into our neck of the woods for safety.  Something to keep an eye on....

$2M cap on fines?  They have hardly any luck collecting the $15K fines they issue now.  Just chest beating...

+-RH

Title: Re: Well this is Troubling...
Post by: BoomboxDX on March 22, 2018, 2102 UTC

Wow, those pirates must be really filling the FM band so much that ya can't hear your local CHR or NPR station.

I understand their dislike of unlicensed operators -- I mean, if someone is running a station that is putting out interference in the Air Band, I get that.

But the number of pirates I've heard about in my metro of around 4 million people are very, very small. And I've never heard one. Ever.

And the weird thing is the FCC is heavy duty about these FM pirates, but some ham can spew hate and filthy language in the middle of the 40 or 20 meter band flagrantly (and I've read it can happen on the 2 meter band in some cities) and they rarely, if ever, get investigated.

Title: Re: Well this is Troubling...
Post by: JimIO on March 22, 2018, 2358 UTC

Someone should put a WebSDR in or around NYC so we can listen. With hundreds of pirates there must be a few good ones. You know, that play hippie music.

Title: Re: Well this is Troubling...
Post by: taschenrechner on March 30, 2018, 1850 UTC

A good deal of them are set up to serve local ethnic communities, because nobody else will fill that void. iHeart could stick a redundant station in that area, sell advertising, and support a local community. But they won't.

There is this, which I thought was pretty sweet.

https://swling.com/blog/2018/03/radio-survivor-exploring-and-preserving-the-brooklyn-pirate-radio-scene/