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Arr, me hearties: Pirate radio station plots return; but should it expect to be boarded?
By adamg on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 5:08pm
A station calling itself WHOT plans to set up shop at 97.1 and promises plenty of hot hip-hop action - no doubt interfering with Talk 96.9's many listeners in the inner city. Radio traditionalists, however, hope the FCC has something to say about this, although given how effective the commission has been in getting Touch FM off the air, they probably shouldn't hold their breath.
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Comments
Talk Like A Pirate Day
Not so fast: "Talk Like A Pirate Day" isn't until September 19th. I hate people who rush our most cherished observances! BTW, a station on 97.1 could not be heard within a 15-or-so-mile radius of the Pru. This must be an internet station(but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually tried an over-the-air frequency, like 101.3, previously used by WFNX as a translator.)
signal propogation 101
It doesn't work like that. Broadly speaking, the energy-density of a radio signal varies as the inverse square of the distance traveled. In regular human speak, that means that if you and I are both listening to the same radio signal, and I am twice as far from the transmitter as you, the signal I receive is only one-quarter as strong. If I am five times as far, the signal is just 1/25 as strong, et cetera (In reality, the strength of a FM radio signal also depends on all sorts of funky interactions with buildings, topography, the atmosphere... but seriously, thinking about that will just give us all math-headaches).
Cutting-to-the-chase - this means that a weak signal nearby (like say, within a few blocks of your home in Dorchester) can easily overpower a stronger signal originating miles away (say the top of the Pru). It's like someone whispering in your ear at a concert - the band is much louder, but the pair of lips is much closer.