{"id":35705,"date":"2019-01-26T09:01:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-26T13:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=35705"},"modified":"2019-01-26T09:01:36","modified_gmt":"2019-01-26T13:01:36","slug":"are-government-shutdowns-a-potential-haven-for-pirate-radio-stations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/are-government-shutdowns-a-potential-haven-for-pirate-radio-stations\/","title":{"rendered":"Are government shutdowns a potential haven for pirate radio stations?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

SWLing Post<\/em> Bill Patalon sent me this piece from the ARRL<\/a> stating that amateur radio applications have been on hold at the FCC as most of the agency has been closed in the US government shutdown. It appears the government will reopen now<\/a>, at least for the next three weeks.<\/p>\n

Thinking about the closure of the FCC and its effect on licensed operators, also made me think about unlicensed<\/em>\u00a0radio operators: a.k.a. pirate radio stations.<\/p>\n

Are government shutdowns a potential broadcast opportunity for pirates that might not otherwise take to the air?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m curious if anyone noted new shortwave or FM pirate stations during the US government shutdown. Did the respite from FCC enforcement bring anyone out of the woodwork?\u00a0 Please comment!<\/p>\n

PS: Can you do us a favor? In comments, please stay on topic (radio) and refrain from political arguments. Many of us appreciate the SWLing Post as a refuge from the toxic back-and-forth prevalent on so many other sites. If you would like to engage in political discourse, please check out Reddit<\/a>. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SWLing Post Bill Patalon sent me this piece from the ARRL stating that amateur radio applications have been on hold at the FCC as most of the agency has been closed in the US government shutdown. It appears the government will reopen now, at least for the next three weeks. Thinking about the closure of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3781,3,297,43],"tags":[1241,4092,2205,2202],"class_list":["post-35705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fm","category-news","category-pirate-radio","category-shortwave-radio","tag-fcc","tag-pirate-radio","tag-shutdown","tag-us-government-shutdown"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-9hT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7471,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/with-the-fcc-in-shutdown-pirates-hit-the-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":0},"title":"With the FCC in shutdown, pirates hit the air","author":"Thomas","date":"October 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I noted at least seven pirate radio loggings here in North America on Wednesday, October 1--the first day of the US government shutdown. This is a remarkable number of pirate loggings for a weekday night. I then saw a message from Ragnar Daneskjold, pointing to the FCC's printed plan for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"pirate","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/pirate-300x199.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7576,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/thanks-to-us-shutdown-pirate-radio-activity-reaches-an-all-time-high\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":1},"title":"Thanks to US shutdown, pirate radio activity reaches an all-time high","author":"Thomas","date":"October 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"As frustrated as many are over the US government shutdown, it nonetheless offers one unique benefit to the shortwave radio community, and to pirate radio in particular\u2013\u2013no FCC enforcement. As we mentioned earlier, the FCC's enforcement arm was shut down along with all other FCC activities that weren't directly connected\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pirate flag-001","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Pirate-flag-001-300x187.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":31373,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/fcc-enforcement-update-boston-brooklyn-miami-newark-and-fayetteville\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":2},"title":"FCC enforcement update: Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, Newark and Fayetteville","author":"Thomas","date":"March 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to an SWLing Post contributor who shares the following FCC enforcement items: RADIO EQUIPMENT SEIZED FROM TWO ILLEGAL RADIO STATIONS IN BOSTON https:\/\/transition.fcc.gov\/Daily_Releases\/Daily_Business\/2018\/db0328\/DOC-349973A1.pdf STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O\u2019RIELLY ON ACTION AGAINST TWO BOSTON PIRATE RADIO \u201cSTATIONS\u201d https:\/\/transition.fcc.gov\/Daily_Releases\/Daily_Business\/2018\/db0328\/DOC-349972A1.pdf Notes: These news releases do not indicate whether the U.S. Marshals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Tecsun-S-8800-FM-Angle-1024x614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Tecsun-S-8800-FM-Angle-1024x614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Tecsun-S-8800-FM-Angle-1024x614.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42312,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/fcc-hope-to-hire-pirate-radio-hunters\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":3},"title":"FCC hope to hire Pirate Radio hunters","author":"Thomas","date":"March 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Inside Radio) Broadcasters would likely call it money well-spent, but it\u2019s still cash coming from the federal government\u2019s hands. The Federal Communications Commission estimates it will cost the agency at least $11 million to enforce the newly-adopted law that requires it to step up pirate radio enforcement. \u201cSpecifically, in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Pirate-Radio-Microphone-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Pirate-Radio-Microphone-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Pirate-Radio-Microphone-1024x683.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31612,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/the-fccs-mission-to-shut-down-pirate-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":4},"title":"The FCC’s mission to shut down pirate radio","author":"Thomas","date":"April 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, there have been numerous articles regarding FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's efforts to increase pirate radio enforcement. This article in\u00a0The Outline\u00a0is a worthy read and features our good friend David Goren prominently: The FCC wants pirate radio stations off the air Immigrant communities rely on these unlicensed broadcasts to stay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FM"","block_context":{"text":"FM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/fm\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Soundboard-Mixer-Microphone-Pirate-Radio-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Soundboard-Mixer-Microphone-Pirate-Radio-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Soundboard-Mixer-Microphone-Pirate-Radio-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Soundboard-Mixer-Microphone-Pirate-Radio-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36822,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/fccs-michael-oreilly-dont-tune-in-to-harmful-broadcasts\/","url_meta":{"origin":35705,"position":5},"title":"FCC’s Michael O’Reilly: Don’t tune in to “harmful broadcasts”","author":"Thomas","date":"April 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to an SWLing Post reader who shares the following letter by FCC Commissioner Michael O\u2019RieIly to NYC representatives regarding pirate radio operators. This passage is of particular interest--I put one statement in bold: \"Since your Congressional district is located within or near the most prolific market for pirate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FM"","block_context":{"text":"FM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/fm\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/LetterPirate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/LetterPirate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/LetterPirate.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35705\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}