Some interesting developments in the pirate radio world. It seems the state of Florida just passed a new state law making pirate radio a FELONY. This does not bode well for the pirate world. One reason it works is the FCC doesn't have the resources to really police all the pirate stations out there. And once a pirate figures out that they may be able to find them and tell them to shut down, the actual process of doing it is limited. If you stand up to the FCC, and you're reasonably clever about how you do it, you can stay on the air for years.

This new development in Florida changes all that. If turning on a box that puts out the power of a 40-50 watt light bulb becomes a felony, and the full force of a state or cities police force is brought to bare on pirates, you can bet there won't be many of them around after the first FCC visit that includes a police officer.

The cops aren't at fault here. They're just doing their jobs (upholding the law). It's the (mostly Republican) Florida lawmakers (the same folks that brought you President George W. Bush). They know that control of media means contol of power. Especially big media. Stamp out the little guys shouting the truth from the rooftops and you'll be able to control the majority of public opinion.

Everyone should write an email to these folks. The governer of the state (George W's bro) and the members of the state legislature. Particularly the bills sponser who's email is: villalobos.alex.web@ flsenate.gov

Read the story below. I particularly noted the comment by Sen. Vicor Crist: "In the old days, they didn't just hang the captain of the pirate ship. They hang the whole crew

Thats YOU he's talking about folks.

Monk@kbfr.org

Check this out:

Senate bill would crack down on illegal radio stations

By HILARY ROXE
Associated Press Writer

Last update: 23 April 2004


TALLAHASSEE -- There's no need to adjust the dial, because the Senate's signal is clear -- pirate radio stations operating in Florida should be facing stiff penalties.

It would become a third-degree felony to operate radio stations or interfere with radio transmissions without a Federal Communications Commission license, under a bill (SB 2714) the Senate passed Thursday.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, said the illegal transmissions "bleed" into legitimate commercial stations and could interfere with emergency transmissions. Though the federal government typically oversees radio transmissions, Villalobos said the state needed to help the process.

"There are federal regulations to deal with this. There's just no one to enforce those federal regulations right now," he said. "When you open up a radio station, that's a privilege. That's not a right, that's a privilege."

Earlier this month, four Florida stations -- including one that broke into radio transmissions at the Lantana and Palm Beach International airports -- were shut down after warnings from the FCC, which says 26 other stations statewide are still under investigation.

The bill passed the Senate 30-8. Companion legislation (HB 1197) is now ready for a full House vote.

Some senators worried that raids on the illegal operations would only affect young disc jockeys, working part-time jobs for some extra money, instead of the owners and operators who invest in the expensive transmission equipment. But their efforts to amend the bill failed.

"Let's get at the real people. That's the people that own these radio stations," said Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville. "They're going to get away. ... They're going to just go set up somewhere else, but these kids are going to be branded for life."

Others said Florida should crack down on anyone involved with these operations.

"They regulate the radio business for a reason," said Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa. "In the old days, they didn't just hang the captain of the pirate ship. They hang the whole crew."

There were other questions about whether the state needed to step into the regulatory process at all.

"Do we want bigger government, or do we want smaller government?" asked Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando.

The virtues of not enough time.

We're working on putting together a KBFR presents show at the Fox theater and, as always, there just isn't enough time to do everything the way everyone would like it done.

I've come to the conclusion, however, that's just how it is and always will be regardless of how much time there actually is to do things. If you have 2 months to plan a big multi-artist show, or 12 months, it seems the same problems and issues come up. As the date get's closer, people freak and want to 'postpone'. Don't do it. Will there be mistakes? Sure. Is that normal? Absolutely. Just DO IT and quit the attempts at perfection.

Apple computer's a good example of this- it wanted to do everything perfectly or it wouldn't do it at all. As a result Microsoft won and we all live with the consequences. If Apple hadn't been so focused on being perfect, there's a real possibility that we'd live in a different and friendlier computer world today (as one example).

Pirate radio is about everyday people doing extraordinary things. Mistakes aren't possible, they're inevitable. We just need to live with that realization and keep on truckin...

Monk@kbfr.org

Ahh money.

In the end, regardless of how pure your ideas are about free speech and freedom of the airwaves, it always seems to come down to money and having enough of it to make things happen.

We had a benefit concert in Jan of 04 that raised money for KBFR that went pretty well. Enought that the venue (The Fox Theatre in Boulder) invited us back (i.e. THEY made money). That was our first lesson: create something that makes money for the venue you're doing your benefit at.

The next thing we learned was it doesn't HAVE to be a benefit. Our next show is going to be "Presented by KBFR". What we seem to have stumbled on is that, by being a radio station that plays music, we have the support of pretty much all the local music talent in the area (we're one of the few places many of them can get their music on the air at), so most are willing to do shows for KBFR's benefit, even if it's not a benefit 'specific' show.

So, KBFR as promotor is what's developing. I believe pirate radio stations should consider this as a viable option for fundraising to continue operations, upgrade equipment and outfit studios.

What we're planning now is to do ONE big blow out benefit a year for KBFR. Something that raises enough money that we can operate at a (very) minimum level for a year. Then, over the course of the year, hold several 'KBFR presents" shows that augment our finances enough to improve the operation. We also, of course, sell studio free CD's, T shirts and buttons at these shows (creating a bit more income).

We're not talking big money here folks. A few hundred dollars per show. BUT, a pirate station doesn't need ALOT to run, just enough. The actual income would be considered below the poverty line (and below what would be taxed, if we were taxed). So it's even safe.

And the other thing, and most important, is you're not begging for money all the time on air. There is no 'donation' so to speak. You get value for your contribution (give us $10 for a great show.. go home happy). That allows the station to remain independent and pure in it's approach to what it does (mostly: NO censorship for it's members). If we take 'donations' from people, no matter what they say, at some point, they will want to have a say in what's on air. This is fine, if they're willing to JOIN the group and become part of KBFR as a DJ (and share the risk with us), but if we just take money without giving something of value in return (like a concert, a CD or a T shirt) we're opening the door to having people who are not of a pirate mindset trying to set the agenda.

And, of course, we're pretty clear that there IS no agenda. Just good radio created on the fly by regular folk DJ's doing what they love: Playing music and sharing ideas and opinions about the world.

Monk@kbfr.org

It's been awhile since I wrote here. Many goings on.

KBFR appears to be growing nicely. We had our monthly meeting on Sunday and there were more DJ's than we've ever had before. Somewhere in the 30 area. We now have shows that range from bluegrass to sports, politics to punk. It's a wide ranging group of wonderful folks, no doubt.

The Fox Theatre has asked us to do another benefit show (apparently, they actually made money on it as well, they get the majority of the bar take and our audience is a fun lovin group). We think this is one of the more likely ways to fund pirate radio. Get a local music venue on your side and then partner with them as a way to raise money and to give a stage to both known and unknown bands (not unlike what KBFR itself does). Sell Tshirts, buttons and CD's of bands who've played live on KBFR. Mix it all together and, if you do it right, you can fund a station for half a year, or fund the creation of a new station (takes about $3-5K to buy everything you need to go on air).

After reading an article in a business journal, it occurred to me that we're set up to be a recording studio/independent record label. Put the question to the gang: is this something we should do?

With the advent of iTune's and it's ilk for distributing online music that can come from, literally, anywhere, it seems to me that non mainstream sources of music (like a network of pirate radio station/recording studio/independent label entities) would be a great way to fund pirate radio and to expand it's growth.

Eventually, the FCC will simply have to accept that Pirate Radio is an entity that just needs to be accepted and officially sanctioned. This would be one way to help make that eventual inevitabilty happen just a little faster.

Monk@kbfr.org

Thoughts and life

I sometimes wonder about the purity of our ideas around things like free speech and media freedom.

WHO's free speech, exactly? Who's media freedom? Are George Bush and Clear Channel any less 'free' to spew out what they consider free speech and their version of media freedom? Bush would have you think his thoughts are 'the right thoughts'. Clear Channel would have you think that by determining how to buy up most of the radio outlets in the major markets of the US, they've earned the right to say and do what they want. It's their freedom. Their capitalistic right.

And they are both, in their own ways, correct.

BUT, and yes, there's is always a but, this brings us back to a more philosophical argument around pure capitalism vs. community and the rights of a group of people that bind together into a community. At what level do you take away the rights of that community? And at what level do you consider a community to be 'natural'?

Some say that the size is around the 200 people. That's a group that's considered 'knowable' by everyone in the group. Interestingly, this matches the size of the average human village that existed for thousands of years. Get much larger and you start to lose the intimate personal nature of the the village.

I'm not sure our minds can hold more than 200 peoples worth of 'knowingness'.

And.. that brings us back to pirate radio. I think the best possible way to use it would be to have it address an area that covers about 200 people. A 'neighborhood' radio station, so to speak. Man.. that would be cool. 10's of thousands of tiny little stations playing news and updates, music and musiings from the 200 or so people in the community.

Of course, this is bullshit in the real world. But it's fun to dream every so often.

Monk@kbfr.org

I've been thinking: why do we do Pirate Radio?

What's the motivation? Why do we keep bringing it up after the FCC visits and closes us down? Part of it comes from knowing that they don't really have alot of power to stop us. But we also know they'll never stop. It is, after all, the government. They never get tired, and they never forget.

But if we stay swift and unkown, there's no reason we can't outlast them and grow Pirate Radio to the point where it's so big, it has to be made legal, and something the government no longer is able to shut down. Eventually, they'll have to find a way to make it legal and 'legit'. But only if we stay true to our belief that it's important and has to continue on.

Monk started out as a guy with a transmitter in his basement, but that guys long gone. What he is now is group of people, with on of that group becoming leader and taking on the personality of Monk for a period of time, running the station, helping to grow it, and then passing on the name and the dream to the next group that comes in to continue with the cause.

That's how to make Boulder Free Radio (or any free radio station), in a way, immortal. The "Monk" of the moment is who the the person who has responsibility (and technically, ownership) of the equipment. Each Monk passes it all on to the next Monk, and the station continues on.

This structure gives the group cohesion and continuity. It's something you might want to try if you want to create a community station that lasts beyond the presonality of a few of the original founders.

Monk@kbfr.org

"Monk is a ghost and in many ways, many people"
-BURG

The benefit show went great! Several hundred people showed up and the Fox Theater asked us to come back and do another show in two months!

Thanks to the folks fo Boulder for all your support!

To all you pirates... this is a great way raise money for your cause! If you have a local music venue, get some of the local musicians that you've been supporting by playing their music and doing live shows on air to play a benefit show for your station. Feed them and give them a keg back stag (make sure the foods good. You should be able to get a local restaurant to two to donate some kick ass food, we did). If you have it, your local micro brewery's a candidate for donating a keg (again, we found one.. Twisted Pine.. great guys..excellent beer).

Print up tshirts to sell in the lobby. And if you have the ability, copys of CD's from recordings of on air broadcasts from bands that have played in your studio... or shows of your more 'out there' DJ's who are fun to listen to.

Put a donation jar in the lobby too.

We charged $10 per ticket. The venue (The Fox here) get's a percentage, and you get the rest. It's usually negotiable so work out your best deal with them. Remember, what you're doing is completely legal. There is nothing anyone can do to stop you here. We've talked to our lawyer on this, you and all your supporters (the venue, the food and drink folks, etc.) are all doing something completly on the up and up.

This builds alot of buzz around your station and makes you one very cool operation. It also builds alot of community support.. something that's going to be very handy when the FCC finally does knock on your door.

It's also a good idea to get your local newspaper plugged in and on your side. Ours (the Daily Camera, as well as the weeklys.. if you have them) did stories on us up until the night of the show, and then was at the show covering the bands and the scene. More positive buzz. More positive community support.


Monk@kbfr.org
Boulder Free Radio: Radio So Good, It's Illegal

"Monk is a ghost and in many ways, many people"
-BURG