Internet stations

[Matt]

It appears to be very common these days for former pirates who have become online only operations to have their output rebroadcast by enthusiasts with transmitters. As this is a trend that has been going on for some years now, I was wondering if the stations themselves have ever encountered any trouble with the law due to these enthusiasts.

Sure, the enthusiasts themselves will have transmitters seized, but has an online station every had studio equipment confiscated or faced court due to the actions of a zealous fan with a transmitter? Is that something that happens?

[Roobru]

I'm always surprised how many of these fans there are out there with these transmitters, and the lengths they go to keep their favourite stations on

[famefm]

I don't know of any that are really being re broadcast without the owners permission I thought it was only an exuse to get off the hook

[Shiv]

I don't know of any that are really being re broadcast without the owners permission I thought it was only an exuse to get off the hook

I think the original post is sarcasm.

[Matt]

The reason I ask is that I was traveling through Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago listening to a station that gave its frequency out on air. This is rare these days due to the fact that most stations, particularly London ones, choose to identify as online only. It struck me as very unusual - you just don't hear it these days.

The conventional wisdom is that it's essential to give the frequency out regularly so that listeners know how to find you again and so that listeners can tell their friends who can then find you. Many legal stations have the frequency as part of their name for this very reason. So, surely, stations do themselves a massive disservice by not giving the frequency out. Unless, by being online only, the advantage is that they never lose a studio. The fan who chose to broadcast them just loses a transmitter from a rooftop.

I'm just curious really. Do these online only stations ever lose more than a transmitter? It is it worth the compromise of not being able to say the frequency on air?

[drumandbasshead010]

OK, in case you genuinely don't know mate...
Most pirates in the UK identify on air as internet stations so that when the authorities knock on the door they can say 'it's not me, we're an internet station, obviously someone's rebroadcasting us on FM'. It being hard to prove otherwise, the authorities do little more in that instance than take the transmitter.

[Matt]

I do get it. I was being a little tongue in cheek!

I was wondering if it actually worked, that's all. Has it ever been truly tested? Has one of the online-only-but-not-really stations lost more than a transmitter?

[djmysterykanefm]

I do know of a internet station that genuinely did not know they were being transmitted on fm! No names but this established station ran the stream for a couple of weeks whilst they were looking for a new studio. Reason being the owner used to have something to do with the online station that was a former pirate back in the day.

[Lordunderground]

The reason I ask is that I was traveling through Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago listening to a station that gave its frequency out on air. This is rare these days due to the fact that most stations, particularly London ones, choose to identify as online only. It struck me as very unusual - you just don't hear it these days.

The conventional wisdom is that it's essential to give the frequency out regularly so that listeners know how to find you again and so that listeners can tell their friends who can then find you. Many legal stations have the frequency as part of their name for this very reason. So, surely, stations do themselves a massive disservice by not giving the frequency out. Unless, by being online only, the advantage is that they never lose a studio. The fan who chose to broadcast them just loses a transmitter from a rooftop.

I'm just curious really. Do these online only stations ever lose more than a transmitter? It is it worth the compromise of not being able to say the frequency on air?

In short yes, there have been studio raids

[Sparki]

I used to run a small online station around about 7/8 years ago. There was a listener called James who relayed is without me knowing, we was suddenly getting texts in from certain parts of London and phone line seemed a lot more busier than usual. Mainly was chatroom based but we did have the option of using an old Nokia as a phone line if anyone wanted to text in or go live on the air, it barely rung that much but we did read out the number just in case.

I think we went out on 101.8 somewhere in London and another time around the 90s freq somewhere. Think we was relayed about 5 times all in all, the listener revealed himself as just some hobbyist bloke with a transmitter. Was nice of him but was quite risky, he didnt get caught though as he'd relay it for just a day at a time it wasnt for long, still quite a buzz though. My station wasnt that special just a very small thing that attracted prob 50 or so online listeners at best, it crept up to around 80 or so as people found it on FM and also signed into the chatroom so yeah was fun, wasnt world breaking lol but felt good.

Another time a guy on my FB who lives in America relayed us out there so we was getting people come into the chatroom saying whats this bizarre English dance station doing on FM again a bit of a buzz to have American listeners on their FM out there. Tbh wasnt aware anyone in the US like hardcore, jungle etc or any newer styles. So that was my little claim to fame of going on the FM a handful of times.

I no longer have time to do net radio and just sporadically do sets on some mates stations, have done some shows on a couple of pirates but mostly for me its been internet radio.

[drumandbasshead010]

Kool London used to be relayed on FM occasionally on a low power station in the south of Ireland which played prodominantly drum & bass and psy trance.