March 25, 1998: Pirate Radio - Pat Murphy & Roger Skinner
The Art Bell Archive · Arthur William Bell III
February 17, 20242h 34m
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Show Notes
Art Bell welcomes Pat Murphy and Roger Skinner for an evening devoted to pirate radio and the fight for low-power broadcasting in America. Murphy, president of the Association of Clandestine Radio Enthusiasts and a veteran commercial broadcaster, shares his fascination with unlicensed operators who seize the airwaves. Art openly discusses his own history as a pirate broadcaster across FM, AM, television, and shortwave.
Skinner presents his FCC petition for rulemaking that would create affordable low-power FM licenses, allowing individuals of limited financial means to own radio stations for less than the price of a new car. He proposes dropping outdated second and third adjacent channel restrictions and establishing a secondary-class license structure that balances accessibility with interference protection. The two debate whether full broadcasting anarchy is feasible or whether some regulation remains essential.
Open lines bring callers from Hawaii to New Jersey sharing their own pirate broadcasting stories. A micro-broadcaster in Hawaii questions whether court precedents protect him. A caller near New York City describes the impossibility of finding open FM frequencies. Art declares his support for local low-power broadcasting while acknowledging the political realities of commercial opposition.
Skinner presents his FCC petition for rulemaking that would create affordable low-power FM licenses, allowing individuals of limited financial means to own radio stations for less than the price of a new car. He proposes dropping outdated second and third adjacent channel restrictions and establishing a secondary-class license structure that balances accessibility with interference protection. The two debate whether full broadcasting anarchy is feasible or whether some regulation remains essential.
Open lines bring callers from Hawaii to New Jersey sharing their own pirate broadcasting stories. A micro-broadcaster in Hawaii questions whether court precedents protect him. A caller near New York City describes the impossibility of finding open FM frequencies. Art declares his support for local low-power broadcasting while acknowledging the political realities of commercial opposition.