AfterDawn: News

New York pirates rebroadcasting Howard Stern

In Brooklyn and Queens, pirate broadcasters are rebroadcasting Howard Stern shows on conventional FM radio frequencies. Stern's show originally broadcasts on satellite radio. What makes this interesting is Stern was chased off public airwaves by the FCC because of the content of his shows, so will this bring the FCC to the pirates' doors? A complaint is needed at first to begin an investigation and obvious candidates are Sirius or Stern himself.

The FCC regulates the airwaves. It was created to apportion and license spots on the radio dial, making sure signals didn't bleed over. Of course, nowadays licenses are worth a fortune, from $20 million to $100 million for a good signal. The small holes remaining on the dial can be filled by pirates with broadcasting hardware that can cost only a few hundred dollars.



Some of these "pirates" see themselves as freedom fighters and prefer to be called "free broadcasters". They often offer programming that is ignored by conventional broadcasters for several reasons. For example, there are pirate stations dedicated to just heavy metal because the commercial radio broadcasters decide such music isn't in the interest of their advertisers.

The FCC will begin an investigation into a "pirate station" if somebody complains. Often the complainer would be a commercial station saying that the signal is causing interference. A lot of the time the complaints are made because the stations are worried listeners will tune into pirate stations instead. In the case of the Howard Stern show, it gets more interesting because the show is filled with swear words and it is also a pay service.

What would happen if pirates all over the U.S. began rebroadcasting more shows from satellite radio for free?

Source:
Mercury News

Written by: James Delahunty @ 15 Jan 2006 14:35

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• 34 comments

• MXGzX

  woo!! go pirate radio!

  15.1.2006 16:26 #1

• neo1000

  Where can i find it on the web?

  15.1.2006 16:34 #2

• punx777

  this reminds me of the movie "pump up the volume".... if you havnt seen it, its pretty good

  15.1.2006 17:58 #3

• djscoop

  you can also download his shows in mp3 format from bit torrents

  15.1.2006 20:48 #4

• thor999

  yeah, I want to know how to recieve these pirate heavy metal radio broadcasts! Sad, really, the only way we can enjoy this genre is either through dl'ing it through unscrupulous methods, buying it with ridiculous shipping charges, or underground "pirate" radio. This country wouldn't be so bad if money didn't control everything...

  15.1.2006 23:14 #5

• bpitt

  someone told me it could be found on 95.1 but when I tuned in all I got was some underground reggae station. Then again I'm in the bronx.

  16.1.2006 05:59 #6

• bpitt

  Actually the NY daily news says its 95.1 in Brooklyn and 101.5 in north Jersey.

  16.1.2006 06:06 #7

• tdstr

  There's a certain amount of personal irony here for me. I was busted in the eighties for doing pirate broadcast of all things, metal. Now I'm listening to the Stern show on sat radio!
  
  btw, watch Pump up the Volume, good movie with a awesome soundtrack.

  16.1.2006 06:13 #8

• azrielle

  In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from.
  ---Peter Ustinov

  16.1.2006 07:06 #9

• riplord

  I'm all for the little guy, but this is flat out criminal.

  16.1.2006 09:01 #10

• Pittfan

  lol Thats Beautiful

  16.1.2006 09:53 #11

• ashroy01

  You would think it would be pretty easy to catch these people -- find where the signal is coming in strongest -- but then on the show they mentioned that one pirater used to drive around with the transmitter in their van -- so good luck finding that guy.
  

  

  16.1.2006 10:06 #12

• PirateDan

  Just look at my screen name and you'll know how I feel about this. But if not way to go guys or gals.

  16.1.2006 17:12 #13

• JOHNSTARR

  This topic still cracks my AZZ up and yes i am a howard stern fan.... FOR LIFE!!!!

  17.1.2006 01:39 #14

• catfreak

  Pirates rule the airwaves ...
  
  
  arrrrrrrr

  17.1.2006 02:35 #15

• davidl1l

  i think this is pretty cool.been thinking about doing the same thing ...my farm animals love howard...lol...

  17.1.2006 09:34 #16

• weazel200

  Anyone seen his film Private Parts?

  17.1.2006 10:19 #17

• darthnip

  I have mixed feelings here. yeah he's on pay service radio so really they shouldn't be rebroadcasting it. but who the hell is the FCC or the commercial radio stations to tell us what we want to listen too? What if i WANT a station that plays nothing but heavy stuff? Are my dollars not good enough for their advertisers? You'll notice most stations try to mix in other forms of music on occasion with such things like the "hour of power" or "lunchtime oldies" or whatever. thats because they know there are people tuned in just waiting thru hours of crap to hear a song they enjoy. Why should these people suffer? True they could just pay for XM or sirius and get what they want, but then the issue of paying for taste comes in. Why should Biff get all his boy band crap for free on the FM when i have to pay for my heavy stuff? So i think Dela's subtle way of "wondering" what would happen if a bunch of people started broadcasting is a pretty damn good idea. How many times have you called to request a song only to wait for hours for nothing because your favorite tune doesn't fit in with their cookie cutter style of music? Pirate broadcasting may be the only way to show the corporate spoon-feeding idiots that we are tired of them deciding what we want to hear. Maybe if they start losing their audience they might actually listen to them once in a while!

  18.1.2006 01:07 #18

• jacsac

  But they never will lose their audience because most sheeple are consumed with consuming. I find myself sometimes compelled to buy stuff just to buy stuff. We have become inundated with sales pitches 24/7. Companies these days have no need to make a balanced product sold with a smile. We are being treated like customers of the soup nazi, be quiet, hold out your money, and next. That is why I love everything pirated because I get the about the same guarantee but without cost!

  18.1.2006 14:33 #19

• hot_ice

  Howard Stern is one of the most senseless, fallacious, and mindnumbing individual ever to set foot in radio.
  
  I for one do not enjoy lobotomy.

  18.1.2006 15:48 #20

• xhardc0re

  Who would have ever thought that the government could license "airspace" which is exactly what radio is. By licensing radio waves, the govt. is giving mega corps the power to control what we listen to & not allow free speech. Under the Constitution, the FCC should be considered a breach of the First Amendment. Yet, they're getting bigger and over reaching their bounds every year.
  I don't like Stern, but as far as Free Speech goes, what the FCC did was wrong. I hope the pirates put his show out everywhere & everywhere. Stick it in the FCC's eye!

  18.1.2006 17:07 #21

• ashroy01

  Opie & Anthony fan, hot_ice?

  18.1.2006 17:13 #22

• hot_ice

  If you are refering to Oprah...then Hell No!
  And Anthony, I haven't the foggiest of who that is.
  
  I listened to Howard Stern once, in my moment of folly, I thought I had died and got stuck in Limbo...

  18.1.2006 17:18 #23

• srv0

  I am myself a pirate broadcaster, although not to the scale of those mentioned in the article. I use less than one watt of power, and have a broadcast radius of about 500ft. I wanted to listen to Stern inside. Sirius is great and all, but in a concrete building with no windows, it obviously doesn't receive well inside. A few coworkers know about my broadcast and also tune in with their FM receivers.
  
  While I could easily increase the transmit power and provide Stern's program free of charge to half of Austin, I probably won't. It's simply too easy to get caught if someone were to complain, and as a person who holds FCC issued licenses, I have too much to lose.
  
  If you don't know a great deal about radio engineering and RF theory, you might be surprised to learn just how easy it is to locate the source of a transmitter. Yes, even mobile transmitters. The FCC has been known to hand out five figure fines to individuals for such broadcasts. I for one, do not wish to cross them.
  
  I don't agree with many of the FCC's rules, regulations, and practices... they are, however, a necessary organization. If there were no regulation of the spectrum, it would be radio gridlock. Turn on a CB or family radio, or some other unregulated (more or less) service and hear for yourself. Imagine something like that bleeding through on your TV next tuesday night while you're watching House on FOX.
  
  Stern said that the program would be eventually streamed through the Sirius website (most Sirius content is available for subscribers online). Once this happens, I'd imagine that a lot of small scale pirate stations (like mine) will die out.
  
  Until then, screw the rules, we want to hear Howard Stern.

  19.1.2006 06:22 #24

• esrever

  I guess the FCC wil have to buy some expensive High Frequency direction-finding equipment.

  19.1.2006 13:06 #25

• hot_ice

  All Howard Stern talks about are vaginas, sex, midgets, and array of mindnumbing things.
  
  He is a pervert, and a lowlife that capitalizes on all that is filth in this world.

  19.1.2006 15:36 #26

• xhardc0re

  that is exactly why he is so popular with Americans
  :)

  19.1.2006 23:44 #27

• xhardc0re

  srv0, I agree with you. I totally forgot about CD radio. It would be gridlock; maybe when HDTV comes online, all that analog bandwith belonging to broadcast stations can be released into the public domain so ppl can broadcast what they wish to? I seriously doubt that, but it's a nice thought...
  

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  20.1.2006 18:08 #28

• XdjxedxdX

  i wonder what stern thinks of all this . surely somebodys had to get word to him by now or he found out himself . anybody ever here him say anything about it on the AIR at all?
  
  
  hmmmmmm noing him hes prolly all for it lmao!

  21.1.2006 12:00 #29

• sti3

  I find this funny. IN the UK and other places there are all sorts of cool pirate stations with underground music and stuff. IN the US, very little, until a show goes to pay radio, then all of a sudden, FIRE UP THE TRANSMITTERS. We're lame. I DL the shows on bt and stream them via icecast the following day, but just for my friends and my personal enjoyment (though anyone who knew my stream's url could tune in). Ahoy, mateys!

  21.1.2006 14:35 #30

• vidsteve

  as far as the heavy metal tunes go try
  
  www.knac.com
  as far as pirates...f*%k the police.

  23.1.2006 11:00 #31

• Toughsox

  I was just on the phone with Sirius complaining I cant get my Howard on my computer, as a subscriber. The guy I talked with said, they have gotten so many complaints, and threats of people discontinuing their services, that he said an announcement is being made in the next week or so saying we can get him on our desktops.
  As a 20 year listener, I say....GO HOWARD GO !!!!

  24.1.2006 11:34 #32

• XdjxedxdX

  whoa aweet then we'll all beable to listen cause ya all know once sumptin gets on the comp its just a matter of time lol

  28.1.2006 09:44 #33

• XdjxedxdX

  sorry ment "sweet"

  28.1.2006 09:44 #34