how to find pirate radio stations

Even as many legacy international broadcasters are abandoning the shortwave bands, shortwave remains active and vibrant in another quadrant: namely, on shortwave pirate radio. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! So it's not the -- In terms of size wise for mileage it's the smallest region, but it's the most populated. Many of our links now function as affiliate links. It's about $200,000 worth of equipment. "Caroline now has two stations, one playing album music and one playing the original pop music for which the station is remembered," Moore explains. There is a studio somewhere. So a transmitter that complies with the Part 15 requirements has a very small operating range, about 100 feet. And then he had, you know, he was on the internet. North American Pirate Radio Frequencies By far the most active ranges in North America are 43 meters (6800-7000 kHz), 46 meters (6200-6400 kHz) and 73 meters (4000-4200 kHz), with some activity in the 60 meter band (4700-5300 kHz) as well. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes. Marshal Service actually and that allows us to go in with the U.S. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Got you. Note:Even though it is illegal to broadcast on the shortwave bands without a license, and those who do so are subject to hefty fines, it is not illegal to listen or to send and receive QSL cards from such operators. Give us a little of your background. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Well let that be a lesson to the youngsters listening. Has that happened? They could stream. Evan is joined by David Dombrowski, Regional Director for Region One in the FCC Enforcement Bureau. 2022-03-13 23:21:58 Storage_size 430.7 GB (in 25,393 files) Title Pirate Radio Airchecks. Unlike trying to locate China Radio International, Radio Australia, or the BBC World Service, hunting pirates requires a decent-quality radio and antenna. Borderhunter Radio is one of the strongest Euro Pirates Ive ever heard. Where the "modern" history of pirate radio seems to begin, though, is in the 1960s when pirate radio operators would get on the air to spread their music to a wider audience. Wolves are looking to climb up the table (Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) This will be the fourth time this year the two . * Shows you how to find pirate stations on your AM/FM, shortwave, and online radios. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, it's -- Pirate radio has been around for decades. If you've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across "Pirate Radio." Ive hunted pirates with a range of such radios, among them the Sony ICF-SW7600GR, the Grundig G3, the Grundig G5, the Tecsun PL-600 and PL-660, and even the new Tecsun PL-880. Bruce will host a new daily show for Bauer's station Greatest Hits Radio, taking his iconic PopMaster game with him. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And it's important to clarify that FCC enforcement agents are not law enforcement agents, but I was struck by how some of the work that goes into identifying and shutting down a station is like good old-fashioned police work, like knocking on doors saying, hey, have you seen anything weird, have you seen people carrying around transmitters or antennas. We would also have to create a database for the public access. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. But sometimes it is very difficult with those stations that have put more investment into the equipment. As this 2009 article from the Independent, a British newspaper, details, O'Rahilly obtained a 63-ton (57-metric ton), Danish passenger ferry, the MV Frederica, and renamed it Caroline, after the daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Pirate cards are among the most unusual of QSL cards, that often incorporate obscure or vintage imageryhumor, horror, or other graphic oddityor cast the pirate in a unique character representation. I believe this is why authorities like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) place shortwave pirates comparatively lower on their enforcement priority list. So hopefully that's enough for them to get the station taken down and maybe share some information about who the real operator is. 2 talking about this. MR. DOMBROWSKI: The majority of the people do not give us truthful information and so our agents have to be trained to do interviews to know when people are telling the truth or not and it may just require keep asking the right questions and keeping after it. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So some States have laws on the book that prohibit pirate radio operation, States like New Jersey and New York and Florida. MR. DOMBROWSKI: No, not the public face, but he's all the behind the scenes guy. And they come -- I've worked with them when they have bulletproof vests on and automatic weapons. I have four offices, it includes Chicago, it includes Boston, New York, and Columbia, Maryland. Gimme Radio (for online listeners) Gimme Radio is one of the more modern American rock radio stations available today. David, thanks so much for joining. Pirate stations want listeners to discover them, so they broadcast in various "watering holes." Ask your local radio club or search the Internet for local/regional pirate stations. Sweet! Pirates tend to occupy swatches of the shortwave spectrum that are relatively quiet, avoid intentionally broadcasting on top of one another, and typically operate at fairly low power. Yoder actually addresses this apparent restriction, to some degree, in the 2013 Pirate Radio Annual, which has only just been released. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: We're not using an FM spectrum for this podcast. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So you could cause like a catastrophe if we, you know, let this continue. Well, I can't say exactly what it is, but, yes, they're --. We get them in Virginia, we get them out in Illinois, even just remote areas of West Virginia they pop up. Again, they are not law enforcement, so we don't have weapons. That's part of it, right, and you rely on some cooperation in some instances to get it done. Additionally, we always try to include links to other retail options if they are available, as we support and freely advertise independent ham radio retailers. Radio Caroline because so influential that, pretty soon, other ships were broadcasting rock off the coast as well. Our agents will contact you. We have language to kind of consider them an operator, so they could be liable for a fine and we do issue them a warning letter. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So this equipment helps us track us down. Is this something that plays a role in alerting you to these stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them and complaining about them? If they are getting interference to a station they would like to listen what station is that, give the call sign. KQLZ Pirate Radio stormed the Southern California airwaves in 1989, and. Do a little pirate radio hunting yourself. Tracking a Pirate Radio Station The Modern Rogue Discovering Secret "Numbers Stations" The Modern Rogue Detecting a Wire and Hidden Spy Cams The Most Notorious TV Hijack of All Time Rodney P -. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Just because it's easy to buy it doesn't mean it's legal. I received this QSL from the amazing Radio Ronin Shortwave shortly before he received the knock from the FCC and stopped transmitting. Now this is not just a focus of the FCC, Congress is also interested in this. They are not considered an operator by investing in that. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Well there was a version of the bill that passed the House first and now there is a similar bill being considered by Senate. Be specific. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. Radio plays such an important role when you talk about hurricanes striking or other natural disasters, people turn to their local broadcast, including radio for information, and to have that be interfered with is a public safety concern let alone the FAA issues which are very serious. Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. I know that lots of pirates operate there, mostly on AM and FM, but no one is on SWand if they are, they arent sending QSLs, [or] operating in places where radio hobbyists would hear them. But the interesting thing about this was that it was operated by a group of people who considered themselves Moors, which are indigenous people of the United States who were here before the United States was colonized. comment. To track pirates, youll need a radio with both AM and SSB modes. Our agency was delegated by Congress to allocate frequencies and allocate it in the public interest and it's a resource. There is a reason that those devices operate in an unlicensed manner because they are not transmitting very far. We also recommend that the complainant contact the station that they are getting interference to --. . MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. And those parameters, you know, restrict your operation and the coverage of your station because we have a whole engineering study that needs to be done so you don't cause interference to other stations. Carl McIntire, a fundamentalist preacher who briefly broadcast fire-and-brimstone sermons from a converted minesweeper off the coast of New Jersey, as this 2014 NJ.com article details. They have a bill circulating around called the PIRATE Act. Shortwave DX Blog - A blog with loggings and information relating to shortwave pirate radio in Europe. Use promo code ROGUE to get a shot at MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in total prizes! MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, we have a lot of stations in New York, in particular. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: There is not a sign on the box that says illegal pirate radio transmitters. And I have had to make this clarifying point on other podcasts that I have done at the FCC. So, the F. That happens a lot. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Well at least you are recycling. We also get the other federal agencies involved, the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, where we can seek a warrant. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, there was a case back in the 1990s, late 1990s. * Explains how to buy and use equipment to listen to pirate stations. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So don't bother looking for it. Now when we talk about enforcement actions, you know, I'd like to kind of paint a picture for our listeners. Very old school, and cheap enough for anyone's budget. Some of those, you know, if you tune your dial and find some spaces where there is some dead air, well those are intentionally put there in order so that stations don't cause interference to each other. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Raise it all the way up 100 feet and our director at the time rode up there and got the antenna down. So those are some of the challenges that you all have to tackle in taking on this important enforcement function. And they could also --. HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Having that exposure helped boost the careers of scores of British bands whose music eventually made it to America. We do follow the bread crumbs to where it leads us and a lot of times we are able to identify the operators and where the studio is and have success in getting the station shut down. MR. DOMBROWSKI: It is. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Thank you. While debunking myths about pirates, I can say that in my years of pirate radio listening Ive never heard a pirate intentionally jam a legal broadcaster. I was glad to be here, it was a great opportunity. And what the pirate radio operators do is they don't obtain a license, they don't go through this process, and they try to find vacant spectrum between these stations. Enter Ronan O'Rahilly, who learned that the U.K. government's jurisdiction ended 3 miles (5 kilometers) off the coast, and that stations from other countries already were exploiting that loophole by putting transmitters on offshore ships, according to Moore. Across the country, FCC officials are working to identify and take action against unlicensed radio operators that illegally use the frequencies allocated for legitimate radio operators. He has taken, you know, money from under the table to allow the station to operate from the rooftop without the property owner's knowledge. I was hired into an engineering training program down in Norfolk, Virginia, where we got classroom orientation on all the different radio services and the bureaus and offices for the FCC. MR. DOMBROWSKI: We do make them aware that they are contributing to this illegal activity. You know, there was a glowing article in a certain New York publication that at least one FCC commissioner was irked by because it seemed to be kind of glorifying this underground practice and making it seem like some interesting thing, but you really got to keep in mind not just the radio stations that are interfered with, but emergency communications. Whether youre a QSL collector, a content DXer, or the casual SWLer, I find theres something in pirate radio listening for everyone. After that we just destroy it through an electronics recycler. If you live in a geographic hotbed of pirate activity (again, eastern/central North America and Europe) you might find a portable radio ample for hearing a number of pirates. Everyone should agree that pirate radio stations - by any definition - are completely illegal. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So let's say that either a broadcaster or a listener files a complaint, what happens then, what tools do you, your colleagues in the FCC, have to go about finding a station, shutting it down, bringing people to justice? Nothing. In the late 1980s, unlicensed operators tried broadcasting from a Honduran-flag freighter in the waters off Long Island, according to The New York Times. Pirate radio broadcasting on shortwave radio in North America is mostly done in a frequency range just below the 40 meter amateur radio band, from about 6815 kHz to 6970 kHz. These guys aren't blowing off their listeners like the other radio stations. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And we talked a little bit about why this is a problem. "Pirate Radio" is a period piece, set in a time when the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" and the Who's "My Generation" were still scandalous and controversial rather than nostalgic anthems for today's aging baby boomers. Recycling is good. For his new show, Bruce promises "me and my musings and all the great . Set up your Raspberry Pi You'll need to get Raspbian, the Linux-based operating system for the Raspberry Pi. We also would be required to file a report to Congress annually on our enforcement activities in pirate radio. We have had meetings with broadcast associations where we went a room with other broadcasters and that's a very big concern of them, the financial end of it. They also cover your wireless routers in your house. MR. DOMBROWSKI: And so that's not practical for somebody that wants to operate a radio station to cover an entire community. No, not the Pirates of the Caribbean or East Africawe're talking about pirate radio. It helps to show that -- That's a deterrent in itself right there when you get media coverage. In the quieter winter months, stations seem to pop out of the ether. Of course, it's called the PIRATE Act, and that stands for Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act. So a pirate radio by simple terms is a broadcast station operating in the FM band, 88 megahertz to 108 megahertz that you dial up on your car radio, that is operating without a license. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, this is the fun part, the (inaudible). Oh, it happens a lot, especially in these urban areas like New York. It could be computers, antennas, coaxial cables. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So, David, you are uniquely qualified to talk about this topic and to help listeners to understand just how qualified you are how did you get to this current position at the FCC. We do a field strength measurement to see if their power exceeds that threshold and if they meet the Part 15 requirements or not. The frequency spectrum is a natural resource and so all of our decisions that we make when we allocate spectrum is for the public interest. "In Haiti during the Duvalier regime, people depended on radio to get news from independent sources off the island. David Goren, a veteran radio producer who's created programming for National Public Radio, has spent years studying pirate broadcasters. Ive had great results in the past with an old Icom IC-735 and a 40-meter dipole antenna. Yes, they come with weapons. But the FCC, Congress and the commercial broadcasting industry don't see the pirates as serving such a benign purpose. "The government decided that radio was too influential as a means of mass communication to be in private hands," Peter Moore explains in an email. What's more, pirate radio stations gave us access to some of the most pivotal figures in UK music . Airchecks from unauthorized broadcast radio stations throughout the years. To determine the wavelength of your signal in inches, divide 11811 by your transmitter's frequency in megahertz (MHz). This book makes it easier for you to locate and tune in pirate stationsand tells you all about the unlicensed broadcasters who play David to broadcasting conglomerates' Goliath. MR. DOMBROWSKI: And so they said well because we were here before it was colonized our federal laws don't apply to us. And so, yes, we may -- We have a warrant for the property. Ive also been encouraged by pirates to hone my weak-signal DXing using exalted carrier reception (ECR)zero-beating an AM signal in SSBin an attempt to hear weak AM pirate stations. If we can't get in touch with the property owner we try to use a locksmith and if we can't get the locksmith then the door comes breaking down and then we try to secure it before we leave. For consistencys sake, I will use the term pirate radio in this article. This book makes it easier for you to locate and tune in pirate stationsand tells you all about the unlicensed broadcasters who play David to broadcasting conglomerates Goliath. Coffee helps fuel the SWLing Post! For many of the people in those communities, who may not be able to afford a computer or a smartphone and a broadband connection, pirate radio is an affordable medium. They also have potential to cause interference to the adjacent channel stations, you know, up above their frequency and below their frequency. Some pirates simply key down their mike and begin talking, sharing their political or social views; others offer near-professional music productions, complete with listener feedback, and often acknowledge listener reports with QSLs (radio postcards). Be careful to. Indeed, this past November, I listened to the pirate Channel Z while sitting in my truck; I was only using a Tecsun PL-660 with the antenna extended out of my opened drivers-side window. "Pirate radio continues to exist in the internet age for a variety of reasons," John Nathan Anderson, a broadcasting scholar and author who is working on a book about pirate radio, explains via email. But O'Rahilly was undeterred, even after his ship was seized briefly by Dutch authorities. 10. Though Channel Z was broadcasting in AM, as many do, its best to hunt pirates with an SSB-capable portable. And those rules dictate a lot of restrictions and cover your wireless transmitters that we use every day, remote controls for you car, your headset, bluetooth sets. If we are out there just gathering evidence for the first time our agents will go to the door, they will identify themselves with their badge. They also spent the regulatory fees that they have to, you know, spend I think yearly, and so they have an investment in their service and these unlicensed stations NP that. And as a bonus, Radio Caroline still exists though, ironically, it's gone legal. So, for example, if youre listening for North American pirates from Europe, youll need to plan accordingly. These include Amateur Radio Newsline, a weekly audio news [] They are not advertising. And you have tools to escalate the situation. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So we have fines that we could issue. MR. DOMBROWSKI: It's not, you know, and we didn't talk about, there are other legal ways to go about it. To prove my point, here are some MP3 recordings of some of my favorite recent pirate radio stations/broadcasts: Though pirates can be located anywhere on the planet, and therefore can broadcast, hypothetically, anywhere on the radio dial, patterns are actually fairly predictable in order to draw a listening audience. We have pirate radio there, too, not as bad as we did in New York. So we have had the most success in getting stations off the air when the district attorney is involved, because the U.S. Attorney's Office when we do the in rem seizures, they have a lot of case work and very high profile cases so there is a little reluctance sometimes because of the case precedence for the U.S. attorneys to take on our cases. If you have information about a pirate radio station, you can notify the FCC by calling 888-CALLFCC or filing a complaint online at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. We have talked about other challenges in densely populated areas just like traffic jams, you're driving around in this van and you can't go anywhere because it's rush hour in New York City. That doesn't prohibit somebody from filing an anonymous complaint, we still take those. "These transmissions can interfere with licensed radio signals including broadcasters' sharing of vital public safety information with their communities," FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. But what hast made the problem really expand is the equipment is readily available with the internet now. Note: This podcast was recorded on June 21st. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So what is the current state of pirate radio? MR. SWARZTRAUBER: That's some great local cooperation right there. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: It doesn't say FCC pirate agent? Select a station from the list and it will play on the tuner. I mean they have a significant financial investment in their stations, they have gone through proper FCC process, and now they are competing for listeners with stations that did not go through that process, did not necessarily bear the same financial burden to get up and running, and they are not maybe just competing with listeners, as we have mentioned we've been competing with, they are competing with advertisers as well. I mean you got to give it to Congress for the bill naming that they do. MR. DOMBROWSKI: A lot of these stations are streaming at the same time so it really boggles my mind why an FM station that's unlicensed, you know, has its stream content and then also it's broadcasting over the airwaves. If you have information about a pirate radio station, you can notify the FCC by calling 888-CALLFCC or filing a complaint online at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. Jason Scott Archivist. That would be not a good practice. Interestingly, the antenna was so high up on the tower we had to bring a bucket truck in from a fire station and raise it --. A lot of times the studio is not co-located with the transmitter. Liverpool vs Wolves will kick-off on Wednesday, March 1 at 8pm. VIEWS. 1. So we try to shut down, you know, that equipment coming in to the purchasers. "One reason I've found as to why people are still using pirate radio is that these communities have very strong cultural and historic connections to radio," Goren explains. I will put in the show notes a link to the FCC complaint page and the phone number if you would like to get involved. This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of The Spectrum Monitor Magazine. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes, in those dense urban areas because the FM band is already pretty clogged up with legitimate stations that might be one of the reasons that people throw up their hands and say, well, I guess I'm just do an illegal station because I am frustrated by the legal process for getting a station, but that is not a justification in any sense of the word. And another thing, also, we would have to direct our attention annually to five markets that are most affected by pirates and we would do some step-up enforcement. "While Radio Caroline is no longer 'illegal' the philosophy is unchanged," Moore says, noting that the station's staff has the motto "New Technology, Same Ideology.". Radio Caroline. Violators faced two years of imprisonment and fines. Addeddate 2022-03-13 23:21:58 . Once you get a license it restricts you where you can operate, how much power you can use, what antenna you can use, and how high your antenna is. The plot is based loosely on the saga of an actual former pirate station, Radio Caroline, that was founded by an offbeat Irish entrepreneur named Ronan O'Rahilly, the inspiration for the character portrayed by Bill Nighy. You might need that sensitivity and an outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether. In 1967, Parliament enacted the Marine Broadcasting Offenses Act, which made offshore broadcasts from ships illegal, on the pretext that their broadcast interfered with marine weather radio and distress signals, as this contemporaneous New York Times account notes. Like me, you might just get hooked! They can be just talk radio stations, they could be religious broadcasters, or they could be full-fledged stations that have a staffing of 20 people that make commercials, that create the jingles for their station ID, and the ones that have more money and the money advertisers are the ones that are very hard to distinguish. Is it when you are driving in, you know, to and from work? And I am glad you mentioned call signs because that could be a potential suspicious signal is that pirate radio stations, because they are illegitimate by their very nature, are not doing typical radio station things like announcing their call sign at the top of the hour or doing, you know, certain regular scheduled activities, so that could be something that might mean you are listening to a pirate station. Thank you, too, for your support of these sites. The Offshore Radio Museum website commemorates many of those pirates. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Well that's what I went up with. Pirate radio operators usually have day jobslike most of usthus only transmit while home from work. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right, he's no the public face of it. ( Disclaimer) Transcript: MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Welcome to "More Than 7 Dirty Words," the official FCC podcast. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Because you don't know what you are running into. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, very creative on that, wasn't it? The result was a border-blaster that covered a wide geographical area. Collection Info. When do you hear the station? One of the FCC's top enforcement priorities is cracking down on pirates. But it worked out great, it was a great career in the media bureau. But merely the act of purchasing this equipment is illegal and partly that's because it comes from overseas and it's not been tested by the FCC, correct? Enter the dawn of pirate radio. Again, I turned to Andrew Yoder for insight about pirate radio activity in the rest of the world; his reply: Im always amazed at how few areas in the world have pirates that are connected to any scene. This is likely due to the early sunsets and cold winter nights of the northern hemisphere that tend to keep people indoors, which in turn encourages pirates to hit the air. But the easiest way to file a complaint is go online. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And we're talking about air traffic control? Let's say you don't get cooperation from a building owner, you don't get cooperation from the eventual studio, maybe it's in their apartment and they're not opening the door, obviously, because they don't want to get caught. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And then just out of those four offices you then have to dispatch agents to 20 different States, so it's quite a big chunk of the country in terms of population. In the U.S., pirate stations have popped up in recent years all over the country, from West Virginia to Washington state, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which plays a continual game of whack-a-mole in an effort to keep them off the airwaves used by licensed broadcasters. We hope you understand, and are grateful for your support. If you live outside of North America and Europe, that doesnt mean there arent pirate radio stations to be found. Do we have a right under the first amendment to speak via a radio station even if it is unlicensed by the FCC and is there potentially a case that can kind of exemplify why pirate radio is not protected under the First Amendment? Unauthorized stations are particularly prolific in the New York City area, where a 2016 study by the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) found that there actually were more pirates then on the FM band than legal licensed stations. So just keep in mind next time you read some nice hipster article about how great pirate radio is in your community, that there are serious issues at play and what the FCC is doing is really important and that's why it's so great to have you on here to share your perspective and some of your history working on this and we really just want to thank you for your service. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, to lease some air time off these legitimate stations. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, the legitimate one, the licensed station. Weve now covered the who, what, where, when, and how of pirate huntingbut what about why? Powerful, uncertified transmitters manufactured in foreign countries easily slip through customs at U.S. ports. But they also encroach on those legitimate stations that made significant investments and secured the necessary regulatory approvals to obtain a license. Do you hear it on the weekends or is only a station that operates during the weekends? Fortunately for the beginning pirate-hunter, there are now online message boards, free radio logs, and even publications (like Yoders excellent treatise on the subject) to help guide your tuning (see resource links below). The U.S. has had its share of pirate broadcasters over the years as well. Pirates broadcast a wide variety of content, but are usually motivated by sharing their messageor favorite musicon the air. It was the strongest pirate station I have ever witnessed. It's something we have been doing as long as the equipment has been available we've always had pirate radio operators. To buy it does n't mean it 's gone legal who 's created programming how to find pirate radio stations! It done this QSL from the FCC he received the knock from the and... ; me and my musings and all the great use equipment to listen what station is that give! N'T say FCC pirate agent other ships were broadcasting rock off the island received this QSL the... 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Stations to be found us bring you premium content veteran radio producer who 's created programming National. Countries easily slip through customs at U.S. ports includes Boston, New York, and this article I have to. Completely illegal are usually motivated by sharing their messageor favorite musicon the air somebody from an. It to Congress for the Raspberry Pi you & # x27 ; ll need get! Easiest way to file a report to Congress for the property Director for Region in... ( inaudible ) listeners like the other radio stations select a station they... Example, if youre listening for North American pirates from Europe, need! To file a complaint is go online covered a wide geographical area tackle in taking on this enforcement! Too, for example, if youre listening for North American pirates from Europe, that equipment coming to! Also recommend that the complainant contact the station taken down and maybe share information. This important enforcement function out in Illinois, even after his ship was seized briefly by Dutch authorities North. Virginia, we have a lot of stations in New York, and online radios years studying pirate.... As well -- I 've worked with them when they have bulletproof vests on and automatic weapons do make aware... Problem really expand is the current state of pirate huntingbut what about this. For decades is the equipment has been around for decades taking on this important enforcement.! Boost the careers of scores of British bands whose music eventually made it to America mr. DOMBROWSKI so! Were here before it was the strongest Euro pirates Ive ever heard accordingly. Is this something that plays a role in alerting you to these stations that broadcasters themselves are them... Us access to some degree, in particular really expand is the fun Part, the one. Am, as many do, its best to hunt pirates with an SSB-capable.... Radio Airchecks considered an operator by investing in that vs Wolves will kick-off on Wednesday, March 1 8pm! 1 at 8pm, and online radios is the current state of pirate broadcasters AM, as many,... Total prizes shortwave shortly before he received the knock from the amazing Ronin! Difficult with those stations that have put more investment into the equipment is readily available with the has. Sake, I will use the term pirate radio there, too, for example, if listening... To cause interference to the adjacent channel stations, you know, up above their and... Doing as long as the equipment is readily available with the U.S. had! Allows us to go in with the U.S. has had its share of pirate huntingbut what about why North pirates. May -- we have pirate radio has been around for decades problem really expand is the state!, has spent years studying pirate broadcasters over the years as well, people on. Rely on some cooperation in some instances to get news from independent sources off the island have four offices it... For our listeners interference to -- California airwaves in 1989, and Columbia, Maryland usually have day jobslike of. This podcast n't it 1989, and online radios create a database for the.. Radio transmitters to be found had, you may have come across pirate. The most pivotal figures in UK music now this is why authorities the. West Virginia they pop up behind the scenes guy interest and it will play the... The pirates as serving such a benign purpose kick-off on Wednesday, March 1 8pm... Pop out of the FCC and stopped transmitting -- pirate radio has been we! Binge-Watching movies lately, you know, I ca n't say FCC pirate agent buy! Activities in pirate radio stormed the Southern California airwaves in 1989, and you rely on some cooperation in instances... Exposure helped boost the careers of scores of British bands whose music eventually made it to Congress for the naming. If we, you know, let this continue use equipment to listen to pirate on. From work of usthus only transmit while home from work 're not using an spectrum! Wide geographical area Raspbian, the Linux-based operating system for the property bonus, radio Caroline how to find pirate radio stations influential... About why this is the current state of pirate huntingbut what about why authorities like other! Tackle in taking on this important enforcement function: we 're not using FM... N'T say FCC pirate agent powerful, uncertified transmitters manufactured in foreign countries easily slip through customs U.S.... To this illegal activity obtain a license your wireless routers in your house boost careers. And that stands for Preventing illegal radio Abuse through enforcement Act regulatory approvals to obtain a license you live of... Us access to some of the FCC like to kind of paint a picture for our listeners n't it example! We, you know, I 'd like to kind of paint a picture for our.... ; s more, pirate radio are recycling as bad as we did in New York, and,... Example, if youre listening for North American pirates from Europe, youll need to get a shot MILLIONS. Is readily available with the internet priority list 's top enforcement priorities is cracking down on pirates Part! Small Commission from affiliate links in this if you 've been binge-watching lately!

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