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Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
originalzzmfmjock
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Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by originalzzmfmjock » Wed Oct 13, 2021 4:49 pm

Anybody else hearing what I'm hearing on 87.9 in the Grand Rapids area. Spanish Music/Language station on 87.9. Strong enough to stop on the seek button on the Northeast side of town. I was up in Sand Lake last week and could hear it up there too, but pretty weak by that point.



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48125er
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by 48125er » Wed Oct 13, 2021 9:54 pm

I thought i was the only one who was wondering what the hell that was



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TC Talks
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by TC Talks » Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:36 pm

Does the FCC even respond to issue like this anymore?


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HD74
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by HD74 » Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:53 pm

They do, but with no analog TV stations left on channel 6 it is no longer as much of a priority.


You're never too old to learn something stupid.

thatonedude
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by thatonedude » Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:27 am

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time a pirate was busted by the FCC. Never seemed like it was high up on the priority list of the field offices.


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statmanmi
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by statmanmi » Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:54 pm

Hi All,

Google is my friend when my curiosity gets piqued, such as regarding the occurrences of FCC actions against pirate radio broadcasting.

I had remembered seeing a FCC release about shutting down a rather infamous pirate in the New York City area, sometime in the last year.

Turns out the FCC has webpages devoted to their pirate radio actions:

https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/ma ... -location/

For those that don't click through, their map shows no locations in Michigan that they acted upon from late 2012 to mid-2020.

Further, I learned that the FCC must report a summary each year to both bodies of Congress of their actions. Here's the document provided in early January noting the four enforcement actions in 2020, as well as other activities:

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments ... 9037A1.pdf

Note I'm not trying to discredit the thoughts of those of you that posted above--just sharing what I learned myself.


And I too heard 87.9 FM the other day around 6pm, while in the Alpine Meijer parking lot. I quickly double-checked that it wasn't the same content as what was playing on (legally licensed) WMJH 810 AM (with their companion translator W227CG 93.3 FM). Definitely was different audio.

Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi



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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by ftballfan » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:40 pm

I remember when 104.9 was home to a fairly strong Spanish religious pirate for quite a while in the mid-2010s. It went off about the same time the two (legally licensed) Spanish religious LPFMs came on the air at 92.3 and 103.7



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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by cckadlec » Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:22 pm

I believe this pirate moved to 87.7 sometime more recently, though I'm not in GR to be able to check. Spanish religious type format. I am hearing it clearly in Fremont now and most of the morning with this here monster tropo opening we've had since last night. A bit rough around the edges, cutting some songs off and starting new ones and such, but pretty sure it's GR if I recall hearing it on 87.7 in town a handful of times recently. I ran into it accidentally on the radio when I was going to tune 87.7 (=87.75) Chicago and noted the Spanish on 87.70. Anyone have any further information?


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

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MWmetalhead
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:05 pm

I do remember the 104.9 FM pirate; that one was rather powerful by pirate standards.

Some time earlier - late 90's into the 2000's - I remember Spanish language pirates at 93.1 FM ("La Voz," which garnered enough attention to compel News 8 to do a report about the station's existence) and 102.5 FM. The former was a Spanish Christian AC format. The latter was a Regional Mexican format complete with voiceovers, a couple jingles, and even remote broadcasts despite being on their only intermittently. It called itself "La Que Bueña." That's actually a rather common moniker used for Spanish-language radio stations across the U.S. and Mexico. Translated, it means "The Good One."

The present day LPFM at 92.3 MHz has its tower in a somewhat bizarre location; I think they are co-located on a cell phone tower near M-6 and Kalamazoo Ave. Probably delivers a decent signal to heavily Hispanic areas of Wyoming but a not-so-reliable signal to Grand Rapids.



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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by cckadlec » Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:57 pm

An ID I recorded on the pirate was for "Radio Vision, 24 horas" (unrelated to 92.3 of the same name) which makes me wonder if they're just running the stream from http://radiotvvision.net/ or if it was a song recorded off there as the ID just came out of nowhere cutting off a song and starting another. The signal was there all day then disappeared overnight. I haven't checked it since the tropo opening that lasted a few days but don't believe it is in regularly here.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Sun Oct 09, 2022 5:44 am

The FCC sends a harshly worded letter with the threat of lawsuit/cease and desist. Normally, that is handled within a week. Yes, it is still enforced, they just don't come in and swarm usually.


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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by Colonel Flagg » Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:13 pm

Years ago, when I had to visit Grand Rapids on a more regular basis, I do recall an interesting pirate station in the vicinity of I-96 and Fuller St. It you exited south on Fuller, it became stronger going south, but faded away quickly going north. Seemed to be very strong near Fuller and Wealthy. Odd blend of oldies and more funky "easy listening" among other things. At the time, we knew a family who spent summers up north, but their full-time home was right on Wealthy St, so this pirate was an easy catch at that location. Don't ask me "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" 😆 because that's the one thing I can't recall.


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HD74
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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by HD74 » Fri Oct 28, 2022 2:27 pm

"For those that don't click through, their map shows no locations in Michigan that they acted upon from late 2012 to mid-2020."

Last one I knew of was a guy parked on 87.7 down by North Adams, this was around 2009.
I had to talk the team to the address, he went off the air, and never returned.
Boy was I glad to leave lo-band VHF behind.


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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by cckadlec » Fri Oct 28, 2022 2:50 pm

Last time I was in GR, I tuned 87.9 and found driving up 131 that it was strongest toward downtown and then started to fade as I headed north. It managed to finally drop out over a hill a mile or two just south of Sparta. I can still hear it here in Fremont during good conditions as there is obviously nothing else on that frequency.

I doubt the FCC would really care about the pirate too much, though it is rather close to 88.1. I'm not sure of its power, but 88.1 interferes with it pretty heavily through downtown and the pirate has quieter audio which makes it even less of an issue. If they just went down to 87.7, nobody would care and there would very likely be an FCC interest at all.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

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Re: Pirate on 87.9 Grand Rapids

Post by paul8539 » Tue Nov 01, 2022 8:50 pm

Is this the old guy back again, or is this a new pirate station? As I recall, there was a pirate station fitting this description on this frequency years ago. He suddenly turned off (or WAS turned off). Is he back, or did somebody take over for him?



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