KBFR

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KBFR, also know as Boulder Free Radio was a pirate (unlicensed, underground) radio station based in Boulder, Colorado. KBFR is also a licensed radio station broadcasting on 91.7 FM in Bismarck, North Dakota, broadcasting American Family Radio, a Christian radio network.

[edit] History

It operated from March of 2000 to Jan of 2005 at 95.3FM. Its power was similar to an LPFM (Low Power FM) station, approx 150 watts.

It was founded by "Monk". Originally intended to be a new legal LPFM station, changes in the new LPFM rules originally defined by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) 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 he rented a room in, he initially ran it 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 in creating what became the most technically advanced pirate radio operation in the US. Using wireless unlicensed broadband (2.4 GHz) they separated the studio 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 up the tree. They then placed a 2.4 GHz receiver in the van. They 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 friendly attorney's (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 of 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 3 part system now used by pirate radio stations all over the world.

This system, consisting of 3 parts, successfully ran for the next Four years in evading FCC shutdown.

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. Friendly to 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 house.

The second part, a streaming audio server (Shoutcast based) was set up at a friendly 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 friendly 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 NJ based ISP. The Laptop computer at the Transmitter site would be remotely controlled, from the studio, to log into that site and pull down the stream and send it directly into the transmitter where it then broadcast out 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 rebroadcaster 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 DJ's 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 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 pre set 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. 2-3 times a year, KBFR would hold benefit concerts at local venues to raise money.

KBFR held the illusion that they operated 'out of a van' for this entire time (and it did, indeed, own a van.. the original van used to house the transmitter in its first incarnation as a technically advanced pirate radio operation).

In Jan. of 2005, The FCC agent Jon R. Sprague (now retired) who had been the principal agent during the entire 5 year span of KBFR's existence, decided to do whatever it took to shut down the station. 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 though 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 DJ's from their jobs and the harassment of people only very loosely connected to suspected KBFR DJ's, it was time to call it a day and shut down the station.

So, on Jan 11th, KBFR went, forever, Dark. The equipment still lives on somewhere in Boulder, in the hands of ex DJ's who may someday bring back KBFR. Monk has moved on and is no longer involved in Pirate Radio. Sparky and Monk still have dinner together at least once a week and talk about the good old days.