Starting A 'pirate' Radio Station

[RevSouth]

Lately I have been interested in starting a Pirate/Free Radio Station (FM, or shortwave most likely), to those who are unfamiliar, one not licensed and mandated by the government. The climate in the city I live in is ripe for the working class to take hold of leftist ideals, for there are solid boundaries between the rich and poor, and a radio station catering to these views could efficiently speed up the process. Anyone have any set-up, FCC evasion, broadcasting tips? Any help would be nice.

[cbm989]

Look up some stuff on the Battle of Seattle (WTO Protests) there was a fairly popular pirate radio station playing during the protests, i believe the antenna signals were broadcast by climbing up in tall trees in the Olympia forest and holding the antenna...I have only a little knowledge on this though. I suggest you do some research on those events though.

[which doctor]

Do you already have an FM transmitter?

[ahab]

check out mediaisland.org, contact drew, he runs it. He can help you out, he runs a pirate radio in olympia washington

[RevSouth]

I researched it, and apparently there were seven or so Free Radio stations united into a group called Voice of Occupied Seattle, broadcasting all over the city for increased power, and protestors had their radios tuned in and playing loud. I also found a site run by Radio Free Berkeley's Steven Dunifer, a pioneer in Free Radio.
http://freeradio.org/
It explains setup, in addition to selling components for setting up a microstation, if anyone else is interested.

No, I don't have a transmitter but my friend's grandfather is a radio enthusiast, and he can assist us.

[Comrade Marcel]

That sounds cool, but they can track you down if they really want to. I guess the worst is that the FCC could fine you right? Then again, with all the "national security" jingoism going on they could probably charge you with some other fake crap if they wanted.

Let us know how it goes. If all else fails, you could do Podcasting or a streaming radio on shoutcast. Wasn't there Radio Rebelde on this site? I've wanted to stream myself, but don't have enough bandwidth and can't afford the hosting.

[RevSouth]

I found a good guide on combatting the FCC, and the idea is to have multiple small transmitters across town (less than 200 watts). That way if one is shutdown, the transmission is uninterrupted. On the downside, though, is a whole area can lose reception in that situation. I'll be sure to update if this gets off the ground, which it hopefully will, but I don't see it happening until September, at least, I need money for a car firstly, and then I can focus on this.

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

Make it a good station and stay away from the anarchist punk rock music because then it wont be working class at all. Only a bunch of trash that would never get anywhere in real life. Make it play real working class music.



--Paz

[ahab]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 01:51 AM
Make it a good station and stay away from the anarchist punk rock music because then it wont be working class at all. Only a bunch of trash that would never get anywhere in real life. Make it play real working class music.



--Paz
hey fuck you man, whats wrong with punk?

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

Now let’s speak like real civilized humans comrade and look at the facts. To make a real working class station work you need the working class to listen to it. I'm sure that's how Radio Rebelde did it up in Cuba. All you need to do is look at the statistics of proletariat communities, poor communities and you would see those statistics don't match up with the statistics of those listening to anarchist punk trash. Meaning 99.9% of those Latino's or Black people in the community's are not going to listen to Anti-Flag whose audience is mostly white. You know, the most needed oppressed audience most socialist groups and anarchist groups try so hard to attract but fail.

Meaning real rebel radio music in America is all about Hip Hop, the music of the oppressed, not bourgeois hippie white boys.


--Paz

[GlassDraggon]

I suggest checking out my local free/pirate radio station for some ideas.
The website is www.frolympia.org

They've been around for years now and I think they even have streamed radio on the web. Right now they cover about 25 square miles. Sometimes their material sucks (the music) but the local news and updates are fantastic.

-R

[GlassDraggon]

One more note about Media Island...
Drew isn't the guy who "runs" it- he's affiliated with www.olycopwatch.org which is an entirely different program. Media Island is a place for people to hold meetings, design zines, set up websites, write news articles and promote indy media. They are also involved in a local newspaper and they are loosely affiliated with Free Radio Olympia (pirate radio). Also worth checking out though- just bear in mind that they are all seperate things.

-www.frolympia.org
-www.mediaisland.org
-www.copwatch.org

[Forward Union]

I agree with you that the radio station shouldn't only play punk, people of the working class enjoy all kinds of music, including punk, which is a massively proletarian music genre...or was until recently.


Meaning real rebel radio music in America is all about Hip Hop, the music of the oppressed, not bourgeois hippie white boys.


There is no such thing as "oppressed people music" if Hip Hop has a claim to be such a thing, then im afraid, so does Punk. And Im by no means advocating that punk is anything more than a music genre, however. Until very recently, punk was an entirely working class subculture. It was a way for people with shit clothes and no money to express that as a fashion statement, and at the same time to say fuck you to capitalism and other social norms. It radicalised an entire section of youth in the 1970s, and if you have ever read through the lyrics of many bands, explored deep sections of radical politics, and introduced thousands to revolutionary theory and history (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Xg2R5JkHY&search=cnt). Of course, Nazis tried to hijack it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq-KgspDghE&search=Russian%20), and still do, but the most famous punk bands, Crass, Dead Kennedy's ect all sung out against this nazi section of the punk music, marginalised it and prevented this music genre from being a platform of hate.

As I said to begin with, no music genre is explicitly revolutionary, because it's message is limited to an audience that likes the music. People that like punk may be radicalised by the message that punk bands promote, but it wont impact anyone outside this. The same with hip-hop, folk, rock, metal, whatever. Revolutionary music should be defined by the message not the genre. And we must use all types of music as a platform to get our message out to the most people.

The fact that you apply "trash" to the end of your statements is nothing but arrogant perscriptivism. You don't like punk and you don't think anyone else should. I don't particularly like hip-hop, but I recognise and respect some of the artists attempts to get a serious class-based message out to its listeneers.

As for hip hop in general, it seems to me, that the hip-hop culture is extremely limited an uninfluential in the working class as a whole. This isn't to say that punk is any better, but I never claimed it was. Both music groups have a working class origin, and both have been hijacked and turned into mainstream genres.

[bolshevik butcher]

Some hiphop and soem punk has a revolutionary message. Both were born out of working class anger, so was folk music. Why can the working class only have one music genre?

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by Clenched [email protected] 12 2006, 10:35 AM
Why can the working class only have one music genre?
And why can't that genre be Belgian Trance?

[bolshevik butcher]

Coz we cant afford all that electronic stuff :P

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by Clenched [email protected] 12 2006, 10:39 AM
Coz we cant afford all that electronic stuff :P
Belgian Trance is bourgeoisie decadence

[afrikaNOW]

LOL at punk being the music of the proleteriat.
If one is to take the anaylsis that the black and latino working class is the most revolutionary, one must look at the music they dominately listen to. Is it punk? No. Hip Hop.

Whether you had like to or not you prolly heard a hiphop song in your life, me and my comrades never heard a punk song, i wouldnt even know whats the difference between that and rock.

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 03:42 PM
LOL at punk being the music of the proleteriat.

No one called punk the music of the proletariat, are you laughing at your own strawman?


If one is to take the anaylsis that the black and latino working class is the most revolutionary,

...then one would be a racialist. And one isn't.


one must look at the music they dominately listen to. Is it punk? No. Hip Hop.

The proletariat is made up of billions of various individuals, with different tastes in art, music, literature ect. Some like punk, some like folk, some like hip hop some like rock, some like Belgian Trance. Your going to have to live with it. To call one type of music the definitive sound of the oppressed is as I said, infantile arrogant perscriptivism. And does much to expose you as an individual with very little regard for other peoples tastes. What an arrogant fuck.


Whether you had like to or not you prolly heard a hiphop song in your life, me and my comrades never heard a punk song, i wouldnt even know whats the difference between that and rock

I don't care.
If you want to listen to some punk, I put a link in my first post. But for your benefit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Xg2R5JkHY&search=cnt

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

Additives Free,

Notice how I say "anarchist punk trash" wait lets see that again. "anarchist punk trash".

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Mc0C.../Antiflag01.jpg (http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Mc0C1ka1wSa3iM:punkpaper.propagande.o rg/Papers/Antiflag01.jpg)

Such as that.

afrikaNOW has a point


i wouldnt even know whats the difference between that and rock.

Most people black and Latino living in the city listen to hip hop and it has become a mix of (reggae, reggaeton, rap, poetry, break dancing...) that’s hip hop.

And because that’s what is listened to on the street that’s the kind of music that’s going to spread out as a revolutionary music. The mainstream bourgeois hip hop is only going to be replaced with the underground rebel music of the 'real hip hop':

Why? Real hip hop is cultural. And the people arn't going to change cultural vibes for "mohawk,men wearing tight pants, piercings everywhere anarchist punk rock". At least not in Hartford you wont.


--Paz

[RaiseYourVoice]

Is this going to be a black/latino revolution? i thought it was supposed to be one of the working class. so lets talk about the working class.

Is this going to be a hartford revolution? i thought it was supposed to be a world revolution. so lets talk about the world.

truth is... being working class does not define your taste of music... neither does being a capitalist, or a fashist of that matter. i like all kinds of revolutionary music, someone might like hip hop, some rock, some punk like additives free said.

leave it up to the one hosting the radio what he streams. he could do 15:00-17:00h hip hop and 18:00-20:00h punk or whatever he thinks the people listing want to hear. maybe he could even listen to what THEY say they want to hear and not what some people on an internet forum say they want to hear.

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 04:37 PM
Additives Free,

Notice how I say "anarchist punk trash" wait lets see that again. "anarchist punk trash".

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Mc0C.../Antiflag01.jpg (http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Mc0C1ka1wSa3iM:punkpaper.propagande.o rg/Papers/Antiflag01.jpg)

Such as that.

afrikaNOW has a point

Image doesn't work. But if your just linking to a picture of anti-flag im not sure what you're implying, I could make references to rich hip-hop artists, but that would imply an attack on an entrie music genre, and I have no problem with hip hop.

Oh this is an anti-anarchist rant, how boring.


Most people black and Latino living in the city listen to hip hop and it has become a mix of (reggae, reggaeton, rap, poetry, break dancing...) that’s hip hop.

How nice.


And because that’s what is listened to on the street that’s the kind of music that’s going to spread out as a revolutionary music. The mainstream bourgeois hip hop is only going to be replaced with the underground rebel music of the 'real hip hop':

What you have failed to do in this analysis is include the vast scores of individuals that hate hip hop. Shall we just cut them out?. Again, lots of people like lots of different kinds of music. I suppose if they don't like hip-hop then they don't really matter. Hip hop is the only revolutionary music ever, everything else is capitalist.


Why? Real hip hop is cultural. And the people arn't going to change cultural vibes for "mohawk,men wearing tight pants, piercings everywhere anarchist punk rock". At least not in Hartford you wont.

No one wants them to. Im arguing for artistic diversity, your saying that's bollocks we should all listen to Hip-Hop or get stuffed.

[AK47]

Keep it mobile and stealthy. Our government frowns on such freedom the best way to keep it alive is to keep moving.
put it in a van or delivery truck U-hall sells its older ones cheaply

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

All you need to do is look at the statistics of proletariat communities, poor communities

Ok, looking back I can't speak for every city, town, or w.e. because all statistics are the same, I was only focusing on certain ones.


Meaning 99.9% of those Latino's or Black people in the community's are not going to listen to Anti-Flag whose audience is mostly white.

And because I was only looking at a certain few that applies to those certain few. Not for all areas.


oppressed audience most socialist groups and anarchist groups try so hard to attract but fail.

AND then looking at certain groups, mainly the large organizations that try to infiltrate on smaller organizations who do reflect oppressed people.


Meaning real rebel radio music in America is all about Hip Hop, the music of the oppressed, not bourgeois hippie white boys.

The comment was out of line an unnecessary, I apologize. I was thinking on the lines that a punk music station won’t be very successful if it was trying to bring consciousness to oppressed people in the certain areas I was looking at.


I agree with you that the radio station shouldn't only play punk

Me to, and my comment was suppose to come out that way, only that it didn't.


There is no such thing as "oppressed people music"

Eh, I would argue that. Rebel Music I guess would be a better term. Music that tries to bring consciousness of social surroundings through art or music.


You don't like punk and you don't think anyone else should.

Not true, but there is some styles of punk i do not like. But I don't care you or anybody else listens to it.


Is this going to be a hartford revolution? i thought it was supposed to be a world revolution. so lets talk about the world.

No it's not but you start locally, it how you build strength, isn't it. And my comment was being made towards a local context and that’s why its not fair that I applied it on a larger scale.


Image doesn't work.

It was to show "Mohawk, men wearing tight pants, piercing everywhere anarchist punk rock".



--Paz

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 06:05 PM
The comment was out of line an unnecessary, I apologize. I was thinking on the lines that a punk music station won’t be very successful if it was trying to bring consciousness to oppressed people in the certain areas I was looking at.

Fair enough. Like I said, Hip-Hop might have influence in the circles you travel in, but it has it's limits. All kinds of music are beautiful to different people. If we focus on one, we alienate everyone else.


Eh, I would argue that. Rebel Music I guess would be a better term. Music that tries to bring consciousness of social surroundings through art or music.

But it's not a genre. Which is what I though you meant when you said "that’s what is listened to on the street that's the kind of music that's going to spread out as a revolutionary music" . I can think of Revolutionary songs performed in all kinds of musical Genres, Folk, Punk, Metal, Hip-Hop cultural Spanish, Ballads ect... of course, these genres also have reactionary songs and artists, even hip-hop, and especially punk :P


Not true, but there is some styles of punk i do not like. But I don't care you or anybody else listens to it.

In that case it is only fair that the radio station would play punk, as well as loads of other stuff. Im not trying to put words in your mouth, just clarifying.


It was to show "Mohawk, men wearing tight pants, piercing everywhere anarchist punk rock".

sounds hot :wub:

[bayano]

firstly, this is getting to be a music conversation, and that might belong in the music forum. i listen to a lot of kinds of music, but when i wanna reach people, i pay attention to what they like and use the most radical music within that. most middle-aged working class Black folks in cities and neighborhoods ive lived in prefer r&b and soul, so i kick out some political marvin gaye, otis redding, the o'jays, al green, and all of the rest, put it on a show or a mix cd and spread it out. for latinos, it varies, but a lot go for reggaeton, cumbia, norteno, "salsa", and there are plenty of political musicians and songs in each. when im looking to get middle-aged working class whites to listen, ill use steve earle, springsteen, dolly parton, johnny cash, marvin gaye.

but whether or not youre doing music, you have to analyze the audience, meaning, find out exactly how far youre transmitter will go and map out that area. find out who will be listening to the radio at that time of day in that area. for example, if youre near an expressway or major streets at rush hours, the prime time for radio listening, youll have a wide variety of working class listeners going home or to work. if you are near some industrial or commercial sites, you might have people listening on the job, and knowing what jobs are around will help you know issues like class and cultural preference. or if you are going residential, know the make-up of the people who live in that area.

this all helps you whether you are doing music or messaging or a combination. hit the issues of the people in that neighborhood, maybe interview some people around after youve gotten started, and use those interviews or clips- theyll be more likely to tune in and call their friends to do so. use clips relevant to the issues of the community or the listeners.

just some advice