Brief History of Pirate Radio in San Diego (10-24-2003)

Among all the pirate radio stations I have accidently encountered as I was scanning the FM radio dial, looking for something intelligent to listen to between the tight-playlisted commercial broacasters, Pirate Radio 96.9 seems to have outlasted all but two other pirate radio operations in the county.

Other pirate operations that have lasted longer are, since about 1998, a station at 104.9 identifying itself as Radio Republica International, origination unknown. I picked it up around the northern part of Fletcher Hills, but it sounds like a distant station.

A repeater at 105.7 in Alpine? or Lakeside? has been broadcasting programming from KWVE 107.9 since about 1998. No word if it's a licensed operation or not.

There were a couple of brief pirate radio operations in 1999. Power Moves 96.1 lasted about six months. It went on and off all the time, but played an alternative selection of hip hop and rap records Z90 wouldn't play. It even had its own website once when it launched in September 1999.

There was also another backyard pirate operation at 104.9 from Fletcher Hills, which basically broadcasted music from a CD changer, and the only announcements were an e-mail address. That lasted from May 1999 until about Aug 1999.

More pirate radio activity as originally reported in 1999 under Dave's Radio Waves:

I was driving west on Friars Road towards Napa street while I was listening to Sets on 102.1, when I got this interference from a nearby station that leaked into Sets signal. I tuned up and down until I found a pirate broadcaster on 102.3 originating near the Evans Tire and Service business on Riley. Other frequencies affected with illegal TV channel relaying include 100.3, the freqency of Mega 100.3 in Los Angeles that can be picked up in San Diego, 95.3, what may seem to be an open frequency, but it's allocated to Temecula, which doesn't reach the Western part of the county, but reception of 95.5 KLOS is affected there adversely. Also interfering is 92.9, which is also not allocated, and finally, 90.7 (this was before XLNC1 signed on), which disrupts the DXing of a Los Angeles Radio Pacifica station 120 miles away.

Other pirate operations illegally broadcasting FM signals in the past included a bunch of them near Shurgood Storage, NE Corner of Balboa and I-805 behind the gym. 105.9 is relaying a TV channel, as does 106.9, and 104.1. Possible TV on 96.9 and 89.1. Range of 104.1 almost reaches east towards the Jack in the Box restaurant. I haven't checked that area since 1999.

In the late 1990's, 89.1 MHz aired from a city-owned property yet in Balboa Park with about a 1/2 mile range. It played rap and world music. It was located immediately south of the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater in Balboa Park.

In 1997, 96.9 MHz pirate in the Qualcomm Stadium vicinity retransmitting KPBS-FM's programming with a service radius of about 3-4 miles. KPBS has not given retransmission consent. Why anybody would retransmit a public station on another frequency is beyond me. The station turned out to be situated on a ridge just north of the stadium and operated from a residental street just a mile north from the stadium.

In 1997, another 96.9 MHz pirate station operated from the Calvary Church in Chula Vista beaming in some religious programming from satellite. It operated for about a year until January 1998.

In 1998, Bally's Gym in Mission Valley was using several small FM transmitters to retransmit the audio portions of certain TV stations so their clients could hear the stations on Walkman radios while they worked out. One of the transmitters was on the 89.5 KPBS frequency.

The Del Mar Racetrack broadcasted on 87.9 MHz during the spring of 1999 and has been causing interference with XETV-6 as well as KLON 88.1 out of Long Beach.

Among all the pirate operations in San Diego, why doesn't any of them ever think of broadcasting something that has not been on any station, pirate or legal, in San Diego: electronica 24 hours a day, yea!

Pirate Radio Celebrates One Year Anniversary (10-24-2003)

Before that FRSD was a couple of ideas, a lot of hopes and dreams, and a slow but steady arrival of equipment from all over the world, including England, Poland, France, and Detroit, USA. Within minutes of the first broadcast going on the airwaves, a local FCC agent showed up, wrote down the fake plate numbers, and issued a Notice of Unlicensed Operation. The two members (now there are 24) were smart enough to not sign it, and to hand them a bogus lawyer's business card.

After that, it was to the mountains FRSD went. Usually Cowles mountain, on Sunday nights. During the winter things died down a little bit, only sporadically taking to the airwaves. In the spring time, FRSD moved to the high seas and broadcasted from San Diego harbor for a while. But it was the final move to Golden Hill that things really took form. In addition to increasing effective radiated power, raising the antenna, and making numerous other upgrades, FRSD has beaten the largest challenge of them all: staying on the air.

Some of the highlights of the last year:

- FRSD has been rebroadcasted around the world, and is a regularly heard on 96.9FM The Edge in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and 96.3FM Free Radio Santa Cruz.

- Added web streaming abilities.

- Created a completely spare set of all equipment offsite, to respond quickly to a US Marshall backed, and FCC headed, search warrant.

- Had a Senate Investigation sponsored by Dianne Feinstien to question the investigative and procedural violations conducted by the San Diego Beuruea of Enforcement here in San Diego.

- Created monthly public meetings, open to anyone and everyone.

- Taught a free workshop on "How to Build, Maintain, & Operate a Low Power FM Community Radio Station"

- Provided 24/7 coverage of the WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico. This coverage was redistributed around the globe in over 20 major cities.

- Interviewed countless people, including lawyers, business people, activists, inmates, health care professionals, educators, candidates for public office, musicians, and other community broadcasters.

- Powered down for several days when one of the two harmonics filters went offline. Actions such as this, proved that safety and responsibility are always kept in the highest possible regard.

- Created absolutely no interference complaints / reports.

- Expanded the song library from 700 to nearly 10,000.

- Received over $2500 from fund raisers, ranging from the extremely anarcho-political independent Che Cafe, to the neighborhood bar of Sparky's.

- Increased volunteers from two initial founders to a current roster of 24.

- Received a $500 grant from San Diego Foundation For Change, for work as an advocate of civil liberties, social justice, and equality.

- Delivered a petition of over 400 signatures to the US Attorneys's Office in San Diego, requesting that they not assist the FCC in shutting us down.

- Provided live coverage of dozens of events and happenings around town.

- Played local and independent music that has been completely tossed the wayside by corporate radio stations.

- Never played an ad, collected money in exchange for airtime, or in any other way attempted to bring consumerism to the 96.9FM audience.

- Received press coverage in Fahrenheit, San Diego City Beat, SD Reader, Union Tribune, Channel 10 KUSI, Channel 6 FOX, Street Light, SD IMC, DX Digest, Democracy Now, and several "in process" documentaries.

From the origins of scattered equipment around a room, to backpacks on a mountain, to getting seasick on a boat, to a closet, to it's very own room and a brand spankin' new transmitter, FRSD has proven a success more than anyone could have guessed.

From the original founder:

- FRSD 96.9FM has surpassed my expectations, and we've faced a lot of challenges in our first year of operation. Our second will undoubtedly be the same, except with new and potentially more serious and demanding issues. Our "radio station" is the combined output of nearly the entire county of San Diego being fed up with the current status of media today. Because of that, the FCC may very well be able to take equipment, but it doesn't really matter. The FCC made the law, which we completely disregarded, quite openly. The actions of the FCC, and whatever enforcement they choose to employ has been, and will continue to be, completely unable to deal with the heart of the issue, which is the will of the people.

If the price we have to pay for providing FRSD to the people of San Diego (and further, because of being rebroadcasted so much) is a few thousand dollars worth of equipment every year or so, only to be able to rebuy everything with fund raisers that we love to have and people love to come to, the futility of the FCC's enforcement becomes readily apparent. For the few (total emails / phone calls / other messages is 4) people out there that do not want us on the air, we thank you for the input. For the thousands of loyal listeners, supporters, and fellow San Diegans, I want to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart. And to the DJs, past and present, that have had to put up with so much, and will continue to, you are simply amazing.

San Diego City Beat
Locals Only... Free Radio survives first year... Free Radio San Diego, the pirate station broadcasting on 96.9 FM, celebrated one year of broadcasting on Oct. 13. The station’s anniversary comes as the international pirate community reels from the loss of San Francisco Liberation Radio, which was raided by FCC-led authorities last Wednesday.

In 2002, FRSD first transmitted its signal from a van parked atop Mt. Soledad and FCC agents zeroed in on the signal within minutes. Broadcasts were intermittent until March of this year, when the station moved into a fixed position east of downtown and began broadcasting 24 hours a day (except for occasional equipment failures and intentional shutdowns to upgrade).

FRSD DJ/ morning talk show host Bob Ugly cited several accomplishments this year, such as upping power from 30 to 100 watts with a new transmitter purchased with funds raised from the community and raising the antenna by about 25 feet. Both actions have broadened the station’s signal.

The station also added streaming web audio, allowing for listeners outside the broadcast range and enabling other stations to pick up the signal for rebroadcast (which many have, the most recent being the 600-watt pirate giant 96.9 FM “The Edge” in Minneapolis/St. Paul). FRSD has also started holding monthly meetings open to the public on the last Wednesday of every month; the next is on Oct. 29 at the Golden Hill Community Center.

Perhaps the station’s most notable accomplishment is that it has yet to receive a single interference complaint.

In a statement posted on the station’s website (www.pirate969.org), the station’s original founder (the collective is now two-dozen members strong) writes: “FRSD 96.9FM has surpassed my expectations, and we’ve faced a lot of challenges in our first year of operation.… The FCC made the law, which we completely disregarded, quite openly. The actions of the FCC, and whatever enforcement they choose to employ has been, and will continue to be, completely unable to deal with the heart of the issue, which is the will of the people.… For the thousands of loyal listeners, supporters, and fellow San Diegans, I want to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

One of the FRSD’s most immediate goals is to expand the station’s diversity to include more women and minorities. Applicants of all races and both sexes are urged to apply, and details are available on the FRSD’s website.