Pirate Radio Is Here

FROM THE OUTER REACHES of radio dials in Santa Cruz, pirate radio is beginning to make its voice heard. Bob Marley songs popped up intermittently on the airwaves in the last two weeks, marking a testing period for an illegal station that may come to be known as Free Radio Santa Cruz. Regular programming could commence as soon as the end of this month.

Behind the new station is a group of social activists with ties to similar stations in the Bay Area. Like its brethren to the north, the new Santa Cruz station will champion the right to freedom of speech, organizers said.

``The idea is to give a voice to the voiceless,'' said Tom Schreiner, who has helped coordinate the effort. The station will broadcast at 89.3 FM, barring a change in plans.

Schreiner and his colleagues hope to pattern the new station after Free Radio Berkeley and illegal stations in San Francisco that address volatile political issues such as homelessness.

Notwithstanding programmers' best intentions, the Federal Communications Commission expressly prohibits the operation of transmitters without proper licensing. Violators are subject to a $10,000 fine and loss of broadcasting equipment. Vowing to defy the FCC, organizers argue they are only exercising their First Amendment rights.

``The movement is around people having their own vision,'' said Stephen Dunifer, who operates Free Radio Berkeley and is a key figure in the recent proliferation of pirate stations. ``Whether or not the FCC is willing to accommodate that, it's still going to happen.'' Dunifer manufactured the transmitter that is to be used in Santa Cruz.

Inexpensive access

The development of low-cost ``micro-watt'' transmitters with ranges of 5-10 miles has opened up the airwaves to anyone with an interest in broadcasting and a relatively small amount of money. The start-up cost for a traditional radio station can be $100,000 or more, but a micro-watt station can go on the air for less than $1,000, according to Dunifer.

Dunifer, Schreiner and others believe that the spread of micro-watt stations will eventually force the FCC to modify its regulations. ``Mostly the idea is to propagate so many of these that they just have to give up and accept it as a fact of life.'' said Schreiner. ``That's essentially what's happening.''

The FCC is not alone in objecting to pirate stations. Established radio stations also perceive pirates as a threat because illegal transmissions can drown out legitimate ones. KSCO owner Michael Zwerling denounced pirates as ``arrogant'' and ``dangerous'' and said if the FCC allowed them free access to the airwaves, chaos would result.

``The reason to have the FCC controlling radio stations is because the laws of physics are just that -- laws. There's just a certain amount of spectrum available,'' said Zwerling. ``I disagree with the FCC on a lot of issues, but that's not one of them. I still think there should be very strong penalties for those who violate the rules.''

But commercial, and even public radio stations do not speak for everyone, particularly in Santa Cruz. Some of those involved in bringing pirate radio here believe it is the only way to combat the political status quo in this country.

Pirate radio provides a way to mobilize the community against rampant corruption and censorship, said Tom Reveille, a veteran pirate broadcaster who donated $1,000 to finance the Santa Cruz station. ``I believe there is a war going on. The first thing you do in a military action is get hold of a means of communication,'' said Reveille.
-- Matt Davidson