KBFR (pirate Radio) - History

History

Boulder Free Radio operated from March 2000 to January 2005 at 95.3 FM. Its power is similar to an LPFM station, approx 150 watts.

It was founded by a person calling himself "Monk". Originally intended to be a new legal LPFM station, changes in the new LPFM rules originally defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made it impossible to obtain a license for the Boulder area. Monk, having already purchased equipment in anticipation of being granted a license decided to go on the air without the license.

Run out of the basement of the house in which he had rented a room, he initially operated the station with a fellow pirate known as "Sparky" (an electrical engineer with substantial pirate radio experience in the past) who served as the RF Engineer. After approximately 5 months, the FCC visited and left a "Notice of Apparent Liability". In effect, a warning to produce a valid license or shut down the station under penalty of up to $11,000 per day and one year in jail for non-compliance. Monk shut down the station and was asked by the owner of the house to move out.

Undaunted, he and Sparky proceeded to use wireless unlicensed broadband (2.4 GHz) with the studio separated from the transmitter. In the first installation, they found a local business that would rent them a parking space for a van they had purchased, and a small studio space inside the business. They put the transmitter in a locked van, parked the van near a tree and placed the antenna approx. 50 feet (15 m) up the tree. They then placed a 2.4 GHz receiver in the van and created a small studio using MP3 based libraries of music on a computer and a 2.4 GHz transmitter that sent a signal through the walls of the business into the van, effectively separating the studio and the transmitter. When the FCC inevitably came, the business owner showed them the (legal) studio and the van with the (unlicensed) transmitter. Since the business owner did not have a key to the van, the FCC was unable to verify its contents and left, for "Monk and Sparky" another letter of apparent liability.

After consulting with lawyers (who were fans of and listeners to the station) it became clear that each time the FCC came and the transmitter was at a 'new' location, the clock was set to zero. FCC procedure is to gain compliance (shutting off the transmitter). They prefer not to incur actual legal action primarily due to a lack of legal resources within the FCC to go after every pirate radio operator in the US. This tactic usually works. After the first visit most pirate stations go dark permanently.

Not so with Monk, Sparky and KBFR. They created a three part system now used by pirate radio stations all over the world.

This system, consisting of three parts, successfully ran for the next four years evading FCC shut down.

The first part called 'The Transmitter Site' consisted of a weatherproof box with a laptop computer, an FM transmitter, a cable leading to an antenna (roof or tree) and a connection to the internet. KBFR listeners would allow the box to be placed in their backyards or businesses. KBFR would then pay for the monthly DSL or Cable internet connection for that location.

The second part, a streaming audio server (Shoutcast based) was set up with an ISP in New Jersey. This server would 'stream' a live (legal) radio show out to any computer that logged into it through KBFRs website at www.kbfr.org (which was set up by a college professor in Florida).

The third part consisted of a streaming internet radio station studio somewhere in Boulder, usually miles away from the transmitter site. This studio was completely legal and set up with multiple computers, a server with 1 Terabyte of music files and content to play on air and room to have multiple DJs, live bands and recording equipment.

The Studio, through its own internet connection would stream their audio signal to the streaming server at the New Jersey based ISP. The laptop computer at the transmitter site would be remotely controlled from the studio, to log into that site, pull down the stream and send it directly into the transmitter where it would then be broadcast via the FM signal over most of Boulder County.

Whenever the FCC would show up at a transmitter site, they would find a box in the back yard connected to power and the internet. The owners of the house or business would then tell the FCC that it was some sort of radio re-broadcaster and they allowed it to be put there in return for the internet connection at their home/business being paid for. They would promptly unplug the transmitter, shutting down the offending transmission and the FCC, having accomplished its mission, would leave, usually leaving a letter of apparent liability for Monk, Sparky or any other name of DJs they had at that time. The FCC was unable to confiscate the boxes without a warrant (although they usually asked and were politely told it didn't belong to the homeowner so they couldn't approve anyone removing it).

The 'host' would then send an email to the KBFR contact (usually a friend, or friend of a friend) that there had been a 'visit' and the transmitter site relocation team would wait a few hours (for the FCC to leave town) pick up the box, and relocate it to another site in Boulder usually preset up with antenna already in place. The down time was usually less than 24 hours.

Over the 5 years of KBFR's existence, the FCC visited an average of once every 10–12 months. Each time, the transmitter was relocated, resetting the enforcement clock back to zero.

The staff of KBFR grew to approx 50 DJ's. Each DJ paid monthly dues to cover the cost of internet, rent for the studio and other costs. Two to three times a year, KBFR would hold benefit concerts at local venues to raise money.

In January 2005, The FCC agent Jon R. Sprague (now retired) who had been the principal agent during the entire five year span of KBFR's existence, decided to do whatever it took to shut down the station (although he was an avid fan of Sid Pink & RKD's "Afternoon Delight" program). He visited the studio location and determined the DJ on the air (known as "Beerguy") was driving a certain vehicle (which had KBFR stickers on it). He then went to what he thought was "Beerguys" place of work and told his boss 'your employee's are breaking the law' threatening Beerguy's livelihood.

In reality, Beerguy was only running an internet based radio program. The offending transmitter was miles away and logged into KBFR's website pulling the stream and transmitting it. Beerguy didn't even know where this transmitter was (only 3 people ever knew its location at any given time). The FCC then put a notice of apparent liability under Beerguys apartment door (even though, again, he had no provable connection with the offending transmitter).

The FCC then went after Monk's original roommate claiming he was, in fact, Monk. This person was forced into hiring a lawyer to answer a letter demanding information designed to incriminate him.

The KBFR group, and Monk, decided that if the FCC was going to use Gestapo tactics like this causing the potential firing of alleged DJs from their jobs and the harassment of people only very loosely connected to suspected KBFR DJs, it was time to call it a day and shut down the station.

On January 11, 2005, KBFR went off the air permanently. The equipment still lives on, somewhere in Boulder, in the hands of ex DJs who may someday bring back KBFR. Monk has moved on and is no longer involved in pirate radio.