As the current session of the New York State Assembly winds down, Assemblyman George Latimer is hoping to make progress with a bill he has been pushing for several years.
Following similar legislation in Florida and New Jersey, Latimer's bill would make operating a pirate radio station in New York state a felony carrying a fine of no less than $10,000. The New York State Senate is considering a similar proposal.
"One of the problems I have is trying to get people to understand that it's a real problem," says Latimer, who represents several Westchester communities.
Commercial operators, who pay fees to the government and recording artists and have gone through the hoops of obtaining licenses, complain that pirates flout the rules, interrupt their signals and, in some cases, bleed ad dollars from their markets. There have also been claims that the illicit broadcasts can interfere with airplane communications.
"The idea is not that you want to lock people up and rack up penalties," Latimer says of the proposed law. "You want the penalty to be significant enough that it deters the action."
Read more:
http://www.thedeal.com/magazine/ID/039715/2011/talk-like-a-pirate.php
(Note: If you live in New York, or maybe even if you don't, drop this guy's office a line-- and tell him to STFU! ~J.Poet)
The Crystal Ship or 'TCS' is a former North American shortwave pirate radio station, founded in 1982, reactivated in 2004, betrayed and busted in 2011. Now known as the TCS Shortwave Relay Network, with shows broadcast by other pirate radio operators. 'The Poet' and 'The Radical' program left-leaning political opinion, and specialize in music from the '60s, '70s and '80s.
June 23, 2011
June 20, 2011
Michele Bachmann Flunks U.S. History, Making Her A Qualified GOP Presidential Candidate
By 'The Radical'
Apparently, the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, is attempting to rewrite history-literally. Amongst the leadership of these Mad Haters is Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. This woman has time and time again scolded the American public about their lack of knowledge about our Founding Fathers. Well, perhaps, Rep. Bachmann needs to heed her screed.
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In a January 21, 2011 in Iowa, Bachmann talked about these hallowed figures and her version of their concept of equality. And I quote, “It didn’t matter the color of their skin, it didn’t matter their language, it didn’t matter their economic status. Once you got here, were all the same. Isn’t that remarkable?”
What is remarkable is that Rep. Bachmann has such a lack of knowledge about American history itself. When the slave ships were bringing the captured Africans to our shores, they were not passengers, but prisoners who were treated no better than cargo. Those who survived the cramped and unhygienic quarters were then sold like a commodity into slavery, to perform the menial and manual labors that would enrich their white owners.
Maybe, this is seen as equality in the Tea Party circle, but perhaps these people need to look up the definition of the word “equality” in their dictionaries.
Apparently, the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, is attempting to rewrite history-literally. Amongst the leadership of these Mad Haters is Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. This woman has time and time again scolded the American public about their lack of knowledge about our Founding Fathers. Well, perhaps, Rep. Bachmann needs to heed her screed.
In a January 21, 2011 in Iowa, Bachmann talked about these hallowed figures and her version of their concept of equality. And I quote, “It didn’t matter the color of their skin, it didn’t matter their language, it didn’t matter their economic status. Once you got here, were all the same. Isn’t that remarkable?”
What is remarkable is that Rep. Bachmann has such a lack of knowledge about American history itself. When the slave ships were bringing the captured Africans to our shores, they were not passengers, but prisoners who were treated no better than cargo. Those who survived the cramped and unhygienic quarters were then sold like a commodity into slavery, to perform the menial and manual labors that would enrich their white owners.
Maybe, this is seen as equality in the Tea Party circle, but perhaps these people need to look up the definition of the word “equality” in their dictionaries.
May 27, 2011
The All-New 'Free Radio Cafe Forums' are Now Open!
Greetings, Shortwave & Pirate Radio operators, listeners, fans and friends!
I am extending my invitation to you to join a brand-new radio forum,
intended to cover north american and european pirate radio,
pirate QSLs, shortwave broadcasting,
FM and low-power broadcasting, utilities and technical topics,
and possibly more, The Free Radio Cafe forums!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
I will be the administrator and primary moderator of the site.
I have had a few folks in already to help me test and tweak the site,
and now it is ready to roll! (My thanks to those who helped!)
Registration is open and automated. You won't have to be "sponsored",
"interviewed" or otherwise try to "justify" your desire to join
this site. Just click on the "Register" link near the top-right of the forum page.
Because of the huge number of "link spammers", your first post won't appear until it has been approved by the admin. After that, posts will appear immediately. We regret that inconvenience, but there's no other way to deal with the spam situation.
As I am a long-time "amateur webmaster" elsewhere, this is something I have
long wanted to do-- but as a free radio broadcaster, 'security concerns'
made it more difficult to do anything about it. Special arrangements
have now made it possible.
The Free Radio Cafe forums run on the modern phpBB3 software system.
Posters have an array of easy push-button options to 'jazz up'
their posts; and you can easily embed YouTube videos, and send
private messages to other users whose preferences allow it.
Our domain home page is temporary; we hope to soon add other features
to help differentiate us from the other radio sites that are out there.
For now, the Free Radio Cafe forums are open!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
So c'mon down and give us a look. Register, check out
the 'Cafe Lounge' and maybe make a post or two... and be sure to
post your pirate radio logs over the holiday weekend!
To all my many friends, I would deeply appreciate your support
of this new forum during this critical launch period. The oncoming
holiday weekend seemed like a good time to open. So I hope to
see you there!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
John Poet, Admin
The Free Radio Cafe Forums
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
freeradiocafe@gmail.com
I am extending my invitation to you to join a brand-new radio forum,
intended to cover north american and european pirate radio,
pirate QSLs, shortwave broadcasting,
FM and low-power broadcasting, utilities and technical topics,
and possibly more, The Free Radio Cafe forums!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
I will be the administrator and primary moderator of the site.
I have had a few folks in already to help me test and tweak the site,
and now it is ready to roll! (My thanks to those who helped!)
Registration is open and automated. You won't have to be "sponsored",
"interviewed" or otherwise try to "justify" your desire to join
this site. Just click on the "Register" link near the top-right of the forum page.
Because of the huge number of "link spammers", your first post won't appear until it has been approved by the admin. After that, posts will appear immediately. We regret that inconvenience, but there's no other way to deal with the spam situation.
As I am a long-time "amateur webmaster" elsewhere, this is something I have
long wanted to do-- but as a free radio broadcaster, 'security concerns'
made it more difficult to do anything about it. Special arrangements
have now made it possible.
The Free Radio Cafe forums run on the modern phpBB3 software system.
Posters have an array of easy push-button options to 'jazz up'
their posts; and you can easily embed YouTube videos, and send
private messages to other users whose preferences allow it.
Our domain home page is temporary; we hope to soon add other features
to help differentiate us from the other radio sites that are out there.
For now, the Free Radio Cafe forums are open!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
So c'mon down and give us a look. Register, check out
the 'Cafe Lounge' and maybe make a post or two... and be sure to
post your pirate radio logs over the holiday weekend!
To all my many friends, I would deeply appreciate your support
of this new forum during this critical launch period. The oncoming
holiday weekend seemed like a good time to open. So I hope to
see you there!
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
John Poet, Admin
The Free Radio Cafe Forums
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/
freeradiocafe@gmail.com
May 26, 2011
'FCC Cracks Down on Rogue Broadcasters'
WASHINGTON: One way to free up spectrum is to shut down rogue broadcasters. Federal Communications Commission agents have been busy this month, issuing more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars in fines. A majority have targeted pirate radio operations.
So far in the month of May, the FCC has issued $258,000 in fines; $141,000 for operation of unlicensed radio transmitters. On May 5, alone, the commission fined five pirates a total of $50,000. Other violations involve failure to maintain functional Emergency Alert System equipment, inadequately maintained transmitter and tower facilities, excessive power levels and improper record-keeping.
Piracy was most prevalent in the Eastern United States. Robert Brown and Lloyd Morris of Boston were each fined $15,000 for operating an unlicensed radio transmitter at 99.7 MHz in the city’s Mattapan neighborhood. The commission’s Enforcement Bureau first issues a Notice of Apparent Liability to which the alleged violator can respond and get the fine reduced or possibly dismissed. Brown and Morris received NALs last October and failed to respond and so are now liable for $30,000.
Read more:
http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/120506
So far in the month of May, the FCC has issued $258,000 in fines; $141,000 for operation of unlicensed radio transmitters. On May 5, alone, the commission fined five pirates a total of $50,000. Other violations involve failure to maintain functional Emergency Alert System equipment, inadequately maintained transmitter and tower facilities, excessive power levels and improper record-keeping.
Piracy was most prevalent in the Eastern United States. Robert Brown and Lloyd Morris of Boston were each fined $15,000 for operating an unlicensed radio transmitter at 99.7 MHz in the city’s Mattapan neighborhood. The commission’s Enforcement Bureau first issues a Notice of Apparent Liability to which the alleged violator can respond and get the fine reduced or possibly dismissed. Brown and Morris received NALs last October and failed to respond and so are now liable for $30,000.
Read more:
http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/120506
May 24, 2011
FRN Knocked Offline by Joplin Tornado; FRN Founder John Cruzan & Family Safe!
On Sunday May 22, The Free Radio Network, one of the leading forums covering pirate radio in North America, was knocked offline by the tornado that ravaged Joplin Missouri.
The F.R.N. website is hosted on a web server owned by John Cruzan, FRN founder, who lives in Joplin. The tornado destroyed much of the telecommunications infrastructure in Joplin, reportedly cutting off telephone landlines, internet and cellphone coverage to most of the area.
For 24 hours, Cruzan's fate was unknown. Pirate hobbyists who tracked the path of the storm reported that it had passed very close to Cruzan's home. There was much concern for the safety of Cruzan and his loved ones.
Thankfully, we can now report that Cruzan and family are safe! As reported via 'Cosmik Debris' on the HF Underground, Cruzan responded to Kracker via Facebook with this message:
"We are fine, no damage at all, My parents home was leveled but they were not hurt, we are busy trying to dig out their stuff for now, thanks for thinking of Us!" (May 23 at 10:22pm)
As Cruzan has stated "no damage at all", that presumably includes the web server on which the FRN website resides. This would seem to indicate that the Free Radio Network forum will be back at some point. However, because of the massive damage to the Joplin area, it is difficult to guess when communications may be restored to the area enough to allow the FRN server to come back online.
Now that Cruzan and family are known to be safe, I don't feel it amiss to offer comment on a somewhat-related matter... after the page-break.
The F.R.N. website is hosted on a web server owned by John Cruzan, FRN founder, who lives in Joplin. The tornado destroyed much of the telecommunications infrastructure in Joplin, reportedly cutting off telephone landlines, internet and cellphone coverage to most of the area.
For 24 hours, Cruzan's fate was unknown. Pirate hobbyists who tracked the path of the storm reported that it had passed very close to Cruzan's home. There was much concern for the safety of Cruzan and his loved ones.
Thankfully, we can now report that Cruzan and family are safe! As reported via 'Cosmik Debris' on the HF Underground, Cruzan responded to Kracker via Facebook with this message:
"We are fine, no damage at all, My parents home was leveled but they were not hurt, we are busy trying to dig out their stuff for now, thanks for thinking of Us!" (May 23 at 10:22pm)
As Cruzan has stated "no damage at all", that presumably includes the web server on which the FRN website resides. This would seem to indicate that the Free Radio Network forum will be back at some point. However, because of the massive damage to the Joplin area, it is difficult to guess when communications may be restored to the area enough to allow the FRN server to come back online.
Now that Cruzan and family are known to be safe, I don't feel it amiss to offer comment on a somewhat-related matter... after the page-break.
May 16, 2011
"CB radio remains one of the last lawless frontiers in the Mother Lode"
(I guess the following writer hasn't heard about 'pirate radio'! His description of the cb field jammer is somewhat reminiscent of portable, automated pirate radio transmitters that some pirates have used, sort of a "set it and forget it" deal-- more often used in Europe than the states, I believe.~ J.Poet)
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/20110429103424/News/Local-News/CB-radio-remains-one-of-the-last-lawless-frontiers-in-the-Mother-Lode
CB radio hobbyist Jon Greener recently stumbled upon a weapon in a local war over control of the airwaves.Read the rest:
The device was buried at the foot of a tall pine tree in the forest south of Twain Harte. A long cable stretched from the homemade contraption to the tree’s snow-laden upper branches, where a camouflaged Citizens’ Band radio antenna dangled from a metal hook.
“Most people would think this was a bomb,” said Greener, 60, as he brushed aside some dirt and loaded the bizarre box into the back of his 1971 Dodge Tradesman van.
The crude device was comprised of a curious metal box of knobs and a Christmas light timer fastened to the top of a car battery with duct tape. It was spray-painted green, and a 50-foot-long coaxial cable was connected to the end of a 6-foot-tall truck antenna.
“When this thing turns on, you can’t hear anybody,” Greener said as he fiddled with the knobs on the disabled transmitter.
It was a “jammer,” and it was planted in the forest by a saboteur whose goal was to interrupt CB traffic between Sonora and Twain Harte, Greener said.
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/20110429103424/News/Local-News/CB-radio-remains-one-of-the-last-lawless-frontiers-in-the-Mother-Lode
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