California: Free Radio Santa Cruz issued a news release about the recent visit by FCC field agents David Doon and David Hartshorn, accompanied by a couple of bad photos of the duo in action. This supplements the audio clip captured by Skidmark Bob. Freak Radio is now operating at 101.1 FM and according to the Davids only merited a visit for their long-running unlicensed status, not because of any complaints of interference or spurious emissions.
Montana: The same morning as Freak Radio’s visit, FCC agents with armed backup executed a raid against Burton James’ mobile home microstation in Butte. His operation had been on the air for three years there and James claims to have been an active microbroadcaster for more than a decade in multiple states. He shrugged off the raid, according to the Montana Standard: “‘It really doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘The transmitter was eight years old. It’s on its way out. I was intending to get another one.'”
The article also mentions that James doesn’t recognize federal jurisdiction over the airwaves, and that he justifies his operations under a federal regulation which provides emergency broadcast operation in times of war (the Standard article provides an incorrect cite).
Michigan: In Ferndale, WNFC organizing continues. WNFC.net is now online and undergoing a shakeout. Updates provided by Stacie Trescott (nee Tom Ness) report the station’s roster of coordinating volunteers (with responsibilities ranging from “Business Operations” to “Legal” to “Witness/Documentation”) is 2/3 full.
WNFC is also adopting an interesting content-management policy (for lack of a better term): “Broadcast hours will be split proportionately between liberals and conservatives. To reflect consistent voting patterns, at least 40% will be allocated for conservatives. It may be 50%…WNFC will represent all of Ferndale or we won’t go on the air at all.” What will this mean for the viewpoints of all non-voters, who in many U.S. communities constitute the real majority?
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