SF Liberation Radio's Day in Court

The initial (AP) report of San Francisco Liberation Radio’s court hearing yesterday – on its motion to reclaim equipment seized in a raid last October – are somewhat vague. Liberation Radio’s using this motion as a plank on which to mount a challenge to the FCC’s enforcement protocols: it claims it was denied due process (i.e. it was not given a proper avenue for redress of its grievances before the cops moved in and took its stuff).
AP reporter Ron Harris describes the arguments of SFLR’s attorney as “meandering,” and the meat’s in the last line of the story: “[U.S. District Judge Susan] Illston took the station’s request to dismiss the seizure under submission, but gave no indication when she would rule.” Continue reading “SF Liberation Radio's Day in Court”

Scene Reports: California, Colorado, Oregon

California: Freak Radio Santa Cruz will lose its current station location at the end of April. The hunt is on for new space. The landlord is apparently clearing out the entire building for some sort of redevelopment project, which is a shame because he’s otherwise been cool about the station (to the point of facing down the FCC twice). Freak Radio’s no stranger to moving – at one stage the station was “homeless” and operated out of a bicycle cart – but it is never a fun experience and this space had been the station’s single longest home.
Berkeley Liberation Radio continues to hum along and recently overhauled its schedule. The station’s adopted a dues format for fundraising and made out okay at their benefit show last month. BLR’s Cap’n Fred lays down the bassline on one of our recent additions to the pirate music MP3 collection (Countdown and the Blastoffs’ “We Want the Airwaves“). Continue reading “Scene Reports: California, Colorado, Oregon”

FCC Stymied in Brattleboro Court

A hearing was held today on the FCC’s motion for an injunction to silence radio free brattleboro.
The FCC argued that broadcasting without a license is against the law. radio free brattleboro’s attorneys pointed to the incredible amount of local support and the fact that (as of now) the FCC offers no licenses to FM radio stations of 10 watts or less.
Judge J. Garvan Murtha was apparently influenced by the strong community support for and logic behind the station’s concerns. He denied the FCC’s motion for an injunction and – similar to the FCC v. (Stephen) Dunifer case of the mid-90s – asked both sides for further briefs. Those are due in 45 days. Continue reading “FCC Stymied in Brattleboro Court”

radio free brattleboro Wins Symbolic Community Endorsement; Gilligan Goes LPFM

Voters in Brattleboro, VT went to the polls on March 2 and by a margin of nearly two to one voted to support their microradio station in its struggle for “official legitimacy.”
For what it’s worth, the local paper ended up endorsing the station, too. The court activity is still at the tentative stage, each side having filed papers asking a federal judge to shut the other up. Continue reading “radio free brattleboro Wins Symbolic Community Endorsement; Gilligan Goes LPFM”

Dueling Filings and Journalistic Kudos

The FCC filed a civil suit Tuesday seeking an injunction against radio free brattleboro; today the station filed a counterclaim, challenging FCC licensing authority on several constitutional grounds.
The (hopefully) good news of this move is that the FCC forego the route of the station raid, preferring instead to exert a more diplomatic form of muscle. It could still try to fine someone, but it sounds like the heavy community support may be paying off in keeping the goons away. You never quite know with them wily FCC types…rfb’s referendum for local support goes down March 2. Continue reading “Dueling Filings and Journalistic Kudos”

FCC Back in San Diego; Mediageek Updates rfb Situation

Time’s at a premium right now, hence the lack of regularity here. The transition and restoration of the collage galleries is in progress, which explains part of my absence. The rest you’ll just have to wait for, but there’s much more coming.
Free Radio San Diego reports the FCC made another courtesy call on Friday. Agent Bill Zears and an unidentified “younger kid” poked around and asked the landlord of the property about the antenna on the roof.
Her response: “Aren’t you guys the ones that are supposed to answer that question?” After being told not to return without something stronger than curiosity, the agents were gone within 30 minutes. Continue reading “FCC Back in San Diego; Mediageek Updates rfb Situation”

Scene Reports: Washington, Texas, Vermont

Two reports from Free Radio Olympia confirm a male/female team of agents from the FCC’s Seattle office were first caught snooping on the property around 3:30 yesterday afternoon. Confronted by someone, the agents finally identified themselves and were repeatedly denied entry to inspect the station.
After more than 20 minutes of getting nowhere the agents retreated to their “mini-van/suv type” vehicle, where reportedly “the female fcc agent called into the studio with a cell phone.” Don’t know if the call was broadcast, or if anything was taped, but the FCC went away after that. Continue reading “Scene Reports: Washington, Texas, Vermont”

Free Radio Brattleboro Threatened by U.S. Attorney; KBFR Back on Air After FCC Visit

rfb got a letter and phone call from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Burlington, Vermont January 8 threatening “action if the station does not stop broadcasting,” according to rfb’s local attorney. This likely a precursor to (at least) a raid, or (at most) the filing of an injunction against the station and its volunteers. rfb continues to collect signatures for its referendum drive – which would put the issue of official community support for the station to a vote of the people or Brattleboro – and its attorney has written a letter to the FCC and U.S. Attorney informing them of the station’s intentions in detail.
In Boulder, Colorado, KBFR rebounded from its FCC visit Tuesday with the quickness, returning to the air from a virgin location less than 48 hours after contact. Continue reading “Free Radio Brattleboro Threatened by U.S. Attorney; KBFR Back on Air After FCC Visit”

KBFR Receives Fourth FCC Visit; Skidmark Bob Produces "Pirates of the Air"

Agent Jon Sprague from the FCC’s office in Denver showed up Tuesday evening and simply dropped off yet another warning letter, reports Monk. The station is temporarily off the air as it moves to a virgin location (this is a drill they have down well by this point). The FCC visit comes just as KBFR prepares to hold a benefit concert featuring some of the musicians who’ve cycled through the station’s van/studio. A compilation CD of those performances, Studio Free Boulder, is now for sale, along with T-shirts (only locally, unfortunately).
Monk also recently blogged that they’ve got new company on the dial: Continue reading “KBFR Receives Fourth FCC Visit; Skidmark Bob Produces "Pirates of the Air"”

Radio Free Brattleboro Seeks Community License Referendum

Another petition drive has been launched by the station – this time in support of an effort to place the question of its legitimacy in front of the community itself.
The proposed referendum question reads:
Shall the voters of Brattleboro give to radio free brattleboro (rfb) authority to broadcast until such a time that a Low-Power FM license is issued to radio free brattleboro or to another non-profit, locally-based, community group which is prepared to offer to the Town of Brattleboro diverse, all-access, non-commercial, community radio? Continue reading “Radio Free Brattleboro Seeks Community License Referendum”