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Free Radio Olympia Needs a New Home!!!

Wed, 09/02/2009 - 10:50pm — djmega

As our beloved community members and listeners may be aware, Free Radio Olympia 98.5 FM (FRO) was recently served a warning by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) to cease broadcasting without license. According to the federal government, it is illegal to broadcast over the radio waves without their permission. When they permit a station to broadcast, that permission comes with restrictions. One must hold one's tongue and keep one's words within an acceptable, passive bubble of mediocrity. Only certain music is acceptable. Only certain things can be said. Information and opinions are altered, dulled down, rendering them hollow and half-alive.

In 2001, FRO took a stand against this sorry state of affairs and began broadcasting without a license. This action was done defiantly and openly. Since its inception, FRO has been ordered by the FCC to cease transmitting and shut down several times. Despite this, FRO has continued transmitting for 8 years, albeit with occasional interruptions.

As was mentioned above, FRO is currently negotiating the consequences of receiving a new order by the FCC to cease transmission. Rest assured, FRO will return. The date of our glorious resurrection is not fixed, nor can it be. But you can help hasten that day by providing us with a new home. We need (at LEAST) one of you beautiful people/households out there to host our station. As soon as we find a new home, the sooner we'll be back up and running. So if you are willing to welcome FRO into your home, or think you might be but just have some questions, let us know. Now is your chance to be part of pirate radio history and help us bring anarchy to the airwaves!!!

You can contact us either through our email at fro(at)riseup.net or sniff out that one person you know who is part of the collective.

With your help and the support of the community, we'll be back on the air and running strong again. Keep up the good work, Olympia. We'll be back sooner than you can eat a burrito.

In the meantime, tune in to our audio stream online at FRO Stream 1 or FRO Stream 2 ! We are still programming.

Love,

FREE RADIO OLYMPIA

Fucking Shit Up Since 2001

** FRO is online at Frolympia.org & Myspace.com/Frolympia **

Comments

Sat, 09/05/2009 - 9:57am — stevenl

Radioland

Anyone out there in Radioland know what happened to 87.7 FM, the pirate station that used to grace the Oly airwaves a few years back?
Sun, 09/06/2009 - 10:21am — geoduck42

I believe

They were bought out by Clear Channel.
Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:27pm — djmega

don't be an @ss

87.7 used to have a blog here. Obviously the person got bored with olybloggers (87.7 r u here?) I heard that something burnt up in person's transmitter circuit. But this post is about FRO, who have been broadcasting in Olympia for 8 years, and are calling out to the community for support. So if you have a comment or question about FRO, or how to help, then go ahead. If not, make your own blog post.
Sun, 09/06/2009 - 10:39pm — stevenl

This is an Appropriate Thread

My question is sincere and has implications for FRO and all alternative radio. Please give my query more serious consideration, step back, and see the bigger picture. 

 

Sun, 09/06/2009 - 11:09pm — Berd

Don't Be Mean

"Don't be an ass."? That was a put-down. Don't be mean.

OlyBlog is not about put-downs. You can go to The Olympian for that.





Mon, 09/07/2009 - 4:43am — a.future.with.n...

hey

I think the ass comment was in regards to the suggestion that 87.7 was bought out by clear channel. That's pretty ridiculous.

 As for FRO, they are a truly valuable asset that we all own and have access to. My lonely dial waits for them to return to the air. 

Wed, 09/09/2009 - 1:15am — djmega

sorry, yeah...

the @ss comment was indeed in regards to the suggestion that 87.7 was bought out by clearchannel - a frivolous response to a frivolous comment. i did not mean to disparage your question, stevenl, and answered it to the best of my ability. btw "don't be an [insert word here] is really more of a request than a put down. dj mega
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 12:55pm — wilson

I think was trying to be

I think was trying to be funny, relax uptight Olymians
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 10:22pm — stevenl

Yow! Can't Compute!

n/t
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 11:26pm — wilson

Olympians I meant..

Olympians I meant..
Wed, 09/09/2009 - 11:41pm — hazzardus waste

go mobile!!

I understand that you could set up a portable station and move it about. problem is u would have to prerecord a lot of content. because think how many would be stressed buy the f.c.c. busting down their door. a mobile system could be the awnser u need. also just a thought, how about pirate radio to the prisons? micro power would cover a whole compound. most prisons let the prisoners have radios. just a thought because of the detention center post. eat the rich the poor are skinny
Thu, 09/10/2009 - 3:59pm — djmega

going mobile - logistical considerations

Our setup is portable. We can move it around easily. But if you mean setting up in a vehicle, well, there are a couple of problems. We would either need to run a generator all the time or plug in to power at people's houses if we wanted to maintain 100 watts. We could go solar, but the power would be LOW, and we would have to always park on a hill with no surrounding obstructions, and even then the signal would not get out nearly as far. Plus, its a lot easier for agents of the government to fuck with you in a vehicle than in a house. At least in a house, they have to go to the trouble of getting a seizure warrant signed by a judge just to get in, plus they have to line up reluctant federal marshals to back them up. In a vehicle, they just get the local cops to pull you over for some alleged minor infraction.

Still, a vehicle station is better than no station. Anybody want to let us run an extension cord out to the street?

I'm all down with pirate radio to the prisons.

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