Radio Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly had another claim to fame, in that he influenced actor George Lazenby to give up the role of James Bond after playing in just one film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," in 1969. And they also would be able to contact us and find out where the complaint is in the queue and, you know, what's going on with the complaint and have we investigated it yet. And they come -- I've worked with them when they have bulletproof vests on and automatic weapons. But just as the British government's stiff penalties didn't deter Radio Caroline, at least so far, the U.S. government's crackdown doesn't seem to have deterred the pirates. "He created Radio Caroline operating in that way and the station was at once called a 'pirate,'" Moore says. Like if a pirate, you know, gets his station up and running, he finds that no one is in a channel, and he says, oh, I guess I'll set myself here, other than the law, which is obviously important to some people, most people it should be, but why should we care that they are using vacant spectrum? Unlike trying to locate China Radio International, Radio Australia, or the BBC World Service, hunting pirates requires a decent-quality radio and antenna. "In Haiti during the Duvalier regime, people depended on radio to get news from independent sources off the island. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, the legitimate one, the licensed station. I received this QSL from the amazing Radio Ronin Shortwave shortly before he received the knock from the FCC and stopped transmitting. Pirate radio operators usually have day jobslike most of usthus only transmit while home from work. Given other responsibilities and obligations, however, the Commission's resources are stretched, and it seems that stopping pirate radio is not at the top of the priority list. Last updated: December 2022 This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of The Spectrum Monitor Magazine. Each issue also contains a CD of sound clips from various pirates, several articles about the state of pirate radio, and other relevant info. Many are confused by the term pirate radio, otherwise known as free radio. Either term is sufficient, and some stations prefer one designation or the other. The Offshore Radio Museum website commemorates many of those pirates. Andrew Yoder, author and publisher of the 2012 Pirate Radio Annual, defines pirate radio as: [A]ny unlicensed hobby broadcast operation that is using more power than the legal limit.. Collection Info. 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. 2022-03-13 23:21:58 Storage_size 430.3 GB (in 25,377 files) Title Pirate Radio Airchecks. It had a 20-mile range. If you are given ten choices make sure the one you actually one is your eighth choice because that's going to be the one that you get. He was going around the country and stirring the pot and getting a lot of people excited about microbroadcasting, so that's really where it started to really proliferate. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: -- and you always try to go with the least destructive one. Well I want to, you know, just emphasize the importance of this issue. If they are getting interference to a station they would like to listen what station is that, give the call sign. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So everyone can now breathe a deep a sigh of relief, you are not going to have to go out and get a license for your security camera and you garage door opener. And while pirate radio stations can be found across the radio spectrum, especially on AM and FM in urban areas, in this primer Ill be focusing on those that inhabit the shortwaves. So what is pirate radio? 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? "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. Marshal Service and seize all of the equipment that is associated with the operation of a radio station, really anything physically connected to the transmitter. The Who actually paid homage to Radio Caroline and other offshore broadcasters by parodying them on their 1967 concept album "The Who Sell Out," as music historian John Atkins has written. Bruce will host a new daily show for Bauer's station Greatest Hits Radio, taking his iconic PopMaster game with him. comment. And so we need to make sure that we stop the importation of this equipment, we stop the marketing of these illegal transmitters. They are not advertising. Winning a con. But it worked out great, it was a great career in the media bureau. I keep a copy handy as it helps me identify stations and better understand their format. Click here to view a list of all sponsors. So we typed up this -- They showed me a license and it was something typed up on the computer that said we're licensed by their statutes of the Moors people and so they felt that they have a right to operate. A lot of times the studio is not co-located with the transmitter. The library's newest additions include deep historical resources and contemporary reporting about the world of radio. The British government, though, didn't appreciate what Radio Caroline and other pirate broadcasters were doing. I know at least in our region we get them everywhere. He got the craft back and kept at pirate radio for nearly another quarter century. Unlicensed radio broadcasters have been around practically since governments started trying to control and regulate the airwaves. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And we talked a little bit about why this is a problem. PIRATES RADIO NETWORK AFFILIATES Pennsylvania PITTSBURGH: KDKA-FM 93.7 Altoona: WVAM-AM 1430 Ambridge: WMBA-AM 1460 Beaver Falls: WBVP-AM 1230 Bradford: WESB-AM 1490 Butler: WISR-AM 680 Has that happened? 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. Marshals went in with us and we seized the equipment. So I have -- In terms of population I manage 20 States in the Northeast area of the United States. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Well at least you are recycling. An excellent and active pirate radio forum hosted by Chris Smolinski. And when KIWI went silent, that was it. 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. 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. Total Views 29,573 (Older Stats) ITEMS. It's something we have been doing as long as the equipment has been available we've always had pirate radio operators. Some stations think that it's best to flood the FCC with complaints. David, thanks so much for joining. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes. More areas, more just the urban areas. 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 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. We do let stations operate with low power transmitters but they have to comply with the technical requirements of Part 15 of our rules. 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. Our agents will contact you. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, everyone's dream job. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Welcome to "More Than 7 Dirty Words," the official FCC podcast. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And obviously as a good citizen I have never to my knowledge listened to a pirate radio station. I mean you got to give it to Congress for the bill naming that they do. MR. DOMBROWSKI: It is. Compared to big-gun broadcasters, pirates are much more elusive game as very few announce their broadcasts in advance, and theres no telling where a pirates transmitter is located: it could be in their home, on a boat, or a portable one dropped in a remote location and later retrieved. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Because you don't know what you are running into. If you live in other parts of the world, pirate hunting can pose serious DX challenges. These include Amateur Radio Newsline, a weekly audio news [] "Private radio was prohibited and only the British Broadcasting Corporation, which was part of the political establishment, sent radio to the British people with the remit to be morally uplifting, informative and educational," Moore says. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So don't bother looking for it. 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. Ex-Beatle George Harrison was sufficiently appreciative of Radio Caroline's mission that he even wrote a sizable check in the early 1970s to help keep the ship in operation, according to Ray Clark's book "Radio Caroline: The True Story of the Ship That Rocked.". Most pirates transmit using SSB with modern ham radio equipment, others use AM utilizing vintage or homebrew equipment. 40. r/HamRadio. The U.S. Unlike major broadcasters, many pirates dont stick to AM as a preferred mode. Open up the transmitter Locate the seam on the transmitter's case and pry it open with a putty knife (if your transmitter is screwed shut, you'll need a screwdriver to open it). He was out of Berkeley, California, and his station was called Radio Free Berkeley. They also cover your wireless routers in your house. You can sign up for the newsletter by emailing any of their edittors: John Brewer ([emailprotected]), Ragnar Danskjold ([emailprotected]), Harold Frodge ([emailprotected]), Dave Turnick ([emailprotected]) or Larry Will ([emailprotected]), OK, I suppose I must also mention my own humble blog, where I continue to amass numerous pirate radio loggings and off-air recordings. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: It doesn't say FCC pirate agent? One of the FCC's top enforcement priorities is cracking down on pirates. All you need is a location to host the antenna and access to electricity unless you've got batteries, then just the location.". Finding Shortwave Stations and Broadcasts. Now many listeners as you know have the experience of tuning their dial and there appear to be vacant channels you have said that one of the reasons for that is to guard against interference, but someone listening might say well why do we care, right. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. Violators faced two years of imprisonment and fines. But they also encroach on those legitimate stations that made significant investments and secured the necessary regulatory approvals to obtain a license. I started as a field agent doing inspections and doing pirate radio enforcement was one of my jobs and then I moved into a senior agent position and then eventually the District Director, which the manager of the Philadelphia office. Now, of course, my favorite thing that I want to ask you is what are some fun examples, maybe not fun, but interesting examples of cases that you have closed where maybe the circumstances were a bit bizarre or interesting that might help a listener understand just how weird some of this stuff can get and just how interesting some of these operations can be. Buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.me/ringwaymanchester Email: ringwaymanchester@mail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m3hhyofficial Facebook:. Coffee helps fuel the SWLing Post! That doesn't prohibit somebody from filing an anonymous complaint, we still take those. But the FCC, Congress and the commercial broadcasting industry don't see the pirates as serving such a benign purpose. Well media bureau was on there, they are the ones that license FM stations, and I kind of chose that as kind of my eighth choice. "He was waiting several months to come back on the air (and therefore was only willing to speak off the record to me). Airchecks from unauthorized broadcast radio stations throughout the years. If you've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across "Pirate Radio." Note: This podcast was recorded on June 21st. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, we don't have a rule in the books that prohibits that from happening. Yes, they come with weapons. These guys aren't blowing off their listeners like the other radio stations. * Shows you how to find pirate stations on your AM/FM, shortwave, and online radios. Use promo code ROGUE to get a shot at MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in total prizes! Is it when you are driving in, you know, to and from work? 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. Pirate stations want listeners to discover them, so they broadcast in various "watering holes." March 13 2022 . Why? Other times though you might have reason to suspect that they are in on it, they are getting a kickback. And that's a pretty big deterrent when you show up with police officers threatening to arrest somebody because they are operating a pirate radio station. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. Enter the dawn of pirate radio. Are people generally cooperative or are people just like I have no idea what you are talking, I have never seen anything, what is this, I don't want to deal with this? To have a radio station here helps to establish the station's operator as an important source of information and influence in the community.". We have pirate radio there, too, not as bad as we did in New York. We usually go with the police just for our protection and also for the protection of the occupants inside the residence. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. It is portable, but can also be used as a permanent FM radio station. Across the country FCC officials are working to identify and take action against illegal unlicensed radio operators using frequencies allocated for legitimate radio operators that are causing interference and other issues. Created on. Even as many legacy international broadcasters are abandoning the shortwave bands, shortwave remains active and vibrant in another quadrant: namely, on shortwave pirate radio. 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. 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. I mean if you are familiar with telecom you know it's an illegal radio station, but what do we mean by pirate radio. The antenna is not where the people are necessarily or where the rest of the equipment is. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Oh, that's probably why they are complaining, right? MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Well let that be a lesson to the youngsters listening. The most popular frequency used by U.S. and Canadian pirate radio stations is 6925 kHz, transmitting in the AM or upper sideband (USB) modes. 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. Now some folks might be asking themselves this is all great, I totally agree that pirate radio is bad, and I think that you should absolutely go after it, but what about the First Amendment? This metal-focused platform is available entirely online, so you can access the music from a lot of different locations, even though the station is based in San Francisco. This little book by Andrew Yoder is the equivalent of the WRTH (World Radio TV Handbook) of the pirate radio world. 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. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. 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. 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. MR. DOMBROWSKI: And let them know. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: That's some great local cooperation right there. MR. DOMBROWSKI: No, and some of these are in high crime areas where there is a lot of drugs. On Easter Sunday in 1964, the station went on the air, playing the Rolling Stones' single "It's All Over Now" as its first song. Moreover, summer conditions in the North American 43 meter band are often much noisier, thus pirates know theyll be fighting static crashes to be heard during the summer months. They came and seized all of my equipment. We do a field strength measurement to see if their power exceeds that threshold and if they meet the Part 15 requirements or not. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, this is the fun part, the (inaudible). That would be not a good practice. If you click on "radio" you'll come to a page where you can input your address and your phone number and email and a description of like what, you know, what you are experiencing. But please note that we will never create a post and product link explicitly to receive a commission. "One is cost. Additionally, you can always tune a remote receiver, via the Internet on the Global Tuners website, or via the University of Twentes SDR in the Netherlands. 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. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: We only waited 15 minutes into the episode to get to the fun part so I hope you are listening. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Right. Marshals actually seize it. The reason is, no matter what time of the year it is, no matter what the space weather (yes, I said space weather) or conditions of the ionosphere are--FM stations are relatively few, local, and always broadcast in the same spots on the FM dial. Indeed, since pirates are operating at lower power, they get much more bang-for-the-watt out of SSB. 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. Loggings are in real time and there are very fewif anyoff-topic posts. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And those, and I think we mentioned New York, we mentioned Philadelphia, are there other hot spots in particular where this seems to just be a bigger problem than elsewhere in the country? Our agents typically work in a certain area so they become familiar with all the pirate radio operators and they kind of started to notice the pattern and so we were able to gather all of the evidence and go to the U.S. Attorney's Office and seize all that equipment and get the station off the air. Even then, though, Radio Caroline wouldn't go away. Borderhunter Radio is one of the strongest Euro Pirates Ive ever heard. Pirate radio stations are a crucial part of British music culture. And audiences can get the station on inexpensive radio receivers there's no need to have a computer or a smartphone with 5G, or to pay a monthly subscription fee or worry about blowing through their data limits. We'd like to contact you. Click here to donate via PayPal. Keep in mind that pirates are relatively low-power broadcasters. Select a station from the list and it will play on the tuner. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, we have a lot of stations in New York, in particular. But if you are buying something off of the dark web or whatever and it's coming into the U.S. you don't know, and when we talked before the show you mentioned that a lot of times with these FAA complaints it's a malfunctioning transmitter. Having that exposure helped boost the careers of scores of British bands whose music eventually made it to America. Radio Caroline because so influential that, pretty soon, other ships were broadcasting rock off the coast as well. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So there are no doubt some good samaritans listening to this show that want nothing more than to help with the scourge of pirate radio. I am a Philadelphia native, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I graduated Temple University and my first job was the FCC right out of college and interestingly --. Searching for an FM radio station on your car radio is quite easy. "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.