INTERVIEW WITH GAFFO on PIRATE RADIO

Here is an interview of pirate radio broadcaster 'Gaffo' conducted by an unnamed interviewer

1. What do you perceive as the most important issue facing people that are active in the pirate radio movement today?

1. A new strategy is needed to legalize LPFM. The "old" model of the publicized community based pirate radio station has been defeated in the courts. Both Free Berkeley Radio and Micro-Kind challenged the FCC in court, but only temporarily prevailed. On appeal, the FCC prevailed in both cases. A new approach is a must. I believe the key to success could be through the so-called "vanity" stations. Within the last few years both the FM equipment and the computer hardware costs have plummeted. Today the cost of broadcasting is miniscule. Only through shear numbers can LPFM become legal. Only if the FCC enforcement apparatus is overloaded through a proliferation of "vanity" stations will the FCC simple begin looking the other way, as they currently do in Canada and the United Kingdom. Any activity that will promote the number of vanity stations will serve the cause of legal LPFM for all. An historical parallel may be found with CB. The shear number of CB'ers in the early 1980's forced the FCC to drop licensing.

2. Why is pirate radio important to you?

I have always loved listening to the radio. As a child, I used to listen to clear channel stations such as WLS, KSL, and KFI, and was amazed that they were nearly a thousand miles distant. During the 1970's and early 1980' s I listened to CBS's Radio Mystery Theater and loved the way Radio could allow one to create an entire world through one's own imagination. Unfortunately, the quality of radio programming has plummeted in the interim. Unlike today, back in the 1970's and early 1980's one could listen to the radio and learn of new musical groups. Currently all one gets is a general rehash of the same twenty "oldies" or the same twenty "classic rock" over and over. Personally I think "fossil" rock is more apt, to quote The Simpsons. Nothing new is played on the radio anymore. Anytime I travel to Borders & Books or Barnes & Noble, I hear something I like, and yet never hear on the radio. Today is seems as if the same twenty 1970's songs are played in an ever repeating loop. Only after ten years of radio dreck, did I finally get angry enough to look into the micro-radio option. After my discovery of old-time radio shows and dramas, and the quality inherent in this type of programming, I decided to start my own broadcast to let others know that radio used to have quality programming.

3. The FCC created low power radio service on Jan. 20, 2001. LPFM will have a maximum radiated power of 100 watts .is not available to individuals or commercial operations. Do you think this recent action by the FCC has helped or hurt the pirate radio movement?

3. The LPFM service provided by the FCC is not relevant with respect to pirate radio. The vast majority of pirates didn't believe it would be fair and never invested any time or energy in applying for a license. The micro-radio movement will go about its own thing, and will either fizzle or blossom irrespective of its legality. It's important to understand why LPFM and pirate radio exists. Firstly, many folks are simply tired of corporate pollster based reparative and or rant radio, and are actively supporting free-radio. Secondly, the technology to broadcast is now very cheap. A 50-dollar 486 computer playing mp3s plugged into a 30-dollar NRG FM transmitter with a 5-dollar antenna is enough to cover a quarter mile area. With a total investment of one hundred dollars one can share what they believe is important to others in the neighborhood.

4. Do you think the average U.S. Citizen is aware of the pirate radio movement?

A.) No, I live in a college town, and a few people are aware of what LPFM is about. So perhaps one out of one hundred are aware of the movement. B.) Well, people don't have to care about quality FM anymore. That's the irony, here we are (the pirate guys) saying support our cause, we will bring back quality programming to the FM band; all the while the general public has given up even listening to FM and instead listen to CD's, mp3's, satellite radio, and internet radio. Secondly, the special interest groups (i.e. Nation Association of Broadcasters) and networks are actively promoting digital radio and HDTV while discouraging support for analog radio and TV. This attitude has falsely given the general public the impression that analog based FM is too primitive to even listen to even if there was good programming. In fact most pirate stations broadcast in higher fidelity than the commercial stations, primarily because the commercial stations compress their signal just to make it louder. This volume comes at the expense of audio dynamic range and makes for a "shallow" sound.

5. Pirate radio is an illegal activity; how do you cope with the pressures of having your equipment confiscated by the FCC, threatened with jail time, or a fine? I keep my power at or below 1-watt and broadcast on an open frequency that is "out of the way" and with no set schedule. I don't advertise my existence to anyone. These last two years of broadcasting old-time radio programming may have had no listening audience, save me. I make sure my signal is clear and not interfering with my neighbor's TV reception. I have a broadcast quality Midwestern accent and try to sound like a legal station. I include trivia about the music and radio dramas I broadcast. In addition, I conducted research into what the typical penalties I might face when caught. As long as the wattage is low and the signal does not interfere with other stations, I will receive a "cease & desist" notice from the FCC through the mail. No monetary fine nor confiscation of equipment will occur if I comply immediately upon the first notice. The higher the wattage, the sooner one is detected and the higher the cost, both in confiscated equipment and fines. Survival time for a 1-watt station averages 2-years, whereas a 20-watt station's survival time tends to be around 6-months.

6. Do you recruit new people into the pirate radio movement?

No, I don't recruit others. I keep silent about my activities. Nobody, not family or friends know I broadcast. I converse and help others with general information through the internet newsgroups and bulletin boards, but I don't recruit people who are not already involved with LPFM.

7. Have the activities of pirate radio operators contributed to the fabric of our society in a positive or negative way

The activities of pirate radio operators are so negligible as to not effect society one way or the other. Perhaps as a symbol of discontent toward clone-based corporate radio. Nothing more than that though.

8. Why are you an active participant in the pirate radio movement?

I wish to show others that radio once possessed quality, through my meager attempts to broadcast world war two era radio programs and dramas. And to provide good music that is never broadcast on commercial radio.

9. Is there a hierarchy of leadership within the .movement?.

There are a few notable figures, but nothing more.

10 Are there any females that are active within the movement?

I'm unaware of any.

11. Does the pirate radio movement have an .organizational structure?

Currently there are two camps: the "traditional" low-power pirate stations and the "vanity" low-power pirate stations. With respect to the traditional pirate station, they tend to drum-up local community support by conducting a high-profile public campaign. This type of pirate has been prevalent in the news media and made up nearly all pirate stations during the late 1980's and early 1990's. In addition these traditional stations tend to have a power output of at least 20-watts and are staffed by several people (usually 5-10 individuals). Additionally, these stations conduct interviews with local community leaders and tend to promote a political agenda. In contrast, the "vanity" stations are a relatively new type of pirate and tend to be apolitical. Their programming usually consists of music. Additionally the power output of such stations tends to be one watt or less. Vanity stations are usually one-man affairs and tend to be automated through the use of a computer. This fracturing of the pirate radio community has created a little condescension among the traditional group. Some in that group feel the vanity stations are simply a manifestation of the operator's ego, rather than a valid form of protest and a cry for quality radio.

12 What is your personal philosophy concerning the right to broadcast radio without a license?

I see nothing unethical in broadcasting without a license. As long as the signal is not interfering with the public emergency band nor the aircraft radio band, no harm is done (except maybe to the pocketbook of media-monopolies who peddle bland pollster-based substandard programming). Pretentious as it sounds, I think a lot of people would welcome my programming if given the option. Since the late 1990's I have had the pleasure to be able to listen to three micro-radio stations, and have appreciated the option of listening to obscure and different forms of music.

13. As a pirate radio activist, what do you want to achieve?

I wish to simply continue to do as I have done, nothing more. I can't change the world. Special interests (i.e. National Association of Broadcasters, and National Public Radio (shame on them)) will always rule over congress, and hence the FM spectrum. I simply wish to continue to share my old-time radio shows with my immediate neighbors and be left in peace to do so.

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