Power FM forcing SWIRL off air

[zg3409]

On the Radiowaves news it says, rightly so, that Power FM have now effectively taken the 97.8 Frequency off Swirl FM. Swirl have been broadcasting using low power from the South Side when power decided to hijack it's frequency and rob it for itself.

It has happened before that stations have done this by accident by not hearing low power stations etc. but Swirl were on 97.8 for a long time and have been recognised there. I know power is very commercial and it seems as if commercial pressures outweigh common sense.

Generally most pirate radio stations have agreed on Frequencies and most have helped each other out to stay on air and keep the ODTR off their back. If stations force each other off air then I foresee a time when stations will be reporting each other and sabotaging equipment and jamming. -It's happened already but only to a minor level.

I consider this practice of 'jamming' as the lowest form and I cannot understand any reasonable argument for doing this.

I am aware good frequencies in Dublin are scarce but 'he who shouts loudest' is not the way to decide who gets what. A first come first served system has been used up to now with some stations staying on a blank carrier in order to 'reserve' or keep their old frequency. I believe if a frequency is silent for 4 weeks then it should be considered 'up for grabs' again but the good ones seem to be claimed within a week.,

If the person who chose 97.8 for power is reading this can they come forward and explain to the rest of the radio community as I consider it the lowest form of activity and an insult to the rest of the upstanding community. I know the same people set up equipment for many stations so would you be willing to 'jam' power given the right financial incentive? Others views are welcomed.

PS If it was an accident all will be forgiven if you move immediately and apologise.
PPS I have nothing to do with either station.

[Guest]

Can anyone tell us what exactly happened to Power? Were they raided?

[Brian O'D]

Somebody posted here (anonymously though so how credible is it?) that they were off for technical reasons. I seem to remember that they stated technical reasons after they were raided by the odtr last year, so its hard to know.

[David C]

Power have decided to return to the air on our frequency again this week...

This evening I did a little check around to see how my signal was:

In Deansgrange, signal usualy perfect (walkman)
- This evening there was fluttering from Power when moving in a car

In Stillorgan, signal usualy fine in the car
- This evening, oblitorated by Power

In Goatstown, signal usually average in car
- Power has at this stage flattened Swirl.

I simply cannot compete with Power's signal at my current site height, regardless of tx power since they have a mountain site.
I will be trying to sort out a link up to a better site in the next couple of weeks, which hopefully will help.

It would be nice if Power would move but they're just ignoring me... I'm too small for them,

Ah well, sure what can ya do?

David
swirlfm.com

[Guest]

---Ah well, sure what can ya do?---

We could organise a boycott of Power fm and other stations who steal freqencys. If nobody listens, theyll give up.

We can also use opportunity to blacken there name.

[Francis Dunne]

why not give the odtr a call then. or tell power fm your going to call the odtr if they dont move

[Brian O'D]

That's the kind of thing we're trying to avoid Francis. But when a station jumps on somebody else's channel, it would be understandable if they did that. I'm amazed people aren't up in arms about this. Your station could be next lads.

[Francis Dunne]

well i agree that reporting them wouldnt be on but you could still threaten to do so .

given the risk that the curent occupant of a frequency might choose to grass someone up should be deterrant enough

[Pierce]

So why dident Power take over RADIO Dublins freq ? Is it because the Captain would have done somthing about them not like Swirl?

[Guest]

aren't power the station that got the Roughest treatement possible from McCaughey and the ODTR .

They didnt quit there frequency , they were forced off it because they were the most suscessful station since NOVA.

A crowd of Fannyboys called Swirl , took it over while power were down and now the a complaining that power is back.

come on folks , give us a break , Long live power

[David C]

I certainly do not want to get the ODTR involved or use threats against Power. That would make matters worse.

I'm sure they're nice people at Power, I've linked to them before on my site, but now they are broadcasting over us and don't seem to give a damn...

Power broadcast on 97.2 before they went off 8 months ago, so no, us "fannyboys" did not take their frequency.

I would just encourage people to let Power know how you feel by dropping them a mail. As I said before, I am trying to find a way to improve the signal which should help.
Hopefully eventually they'll get the message and move...

[Guest]

Dave,

I dont think that moaning on the board here is the way to solve the problem if anything it'll prabably antagonize the situation. Nobody owns a frequency, pirates are by definition pirates, you do not have a licence to brodcast on any frequency. These frequency are allocated to the state. That said as you know yourself only the strongest survive, so if you are a small 50 watt station with or without a mountain site, you know damn well what will happen if someone switches on a 250 watt transmitter from the mountains on the same frequency.. Therefore it is your problem to either increase power and find a mountain site or do the smart thing, move your hobby station onto another frequency. Its happened for decades. I remember this long established community station pre 98 had a mono rig from the northside on 100fm and remember switching on one day and hearing this whopper of a signal on the same frequency in stereo with serious sound processing (it turned out to be Nova).


Come on Dave, you know the score, move on or move up, but dont get involved in in-fighting, it doesnt make sense. It particularly pisses me off to see dodgy stir-up posts lately on this board along the lines of "contact the odtr" or "just say your ringing from outside dublin etc". These posts are unhelpful and are not from people with a genuine iunterest in free radio. Suprisingly they seem to rear their ugly heads around election time...... I think I speak for all true anoraks when I say to these people, YOUR NOT WELCOME HERE, GO MARCH SOMEWHERE ELSE.

I have nothing to do with power or swirl.

[fare play]

i have a bigger car so i have more right to be on the road, or i have to get up earlier in the morning so i deserve the taxi more than you, or i am in a rush back to work so ill just skip the Q.


For f**k sake you need to visit the reality doctor because if everyone went about things that way the world would be a very sad place.


The strong survive, the greedy fall.

[Darren B]

What Power are doing is not on at all. It doesnt matter how small Swirl are, they were sitting on the freaquency, and Power have bullied them off it.

The free radio community should stand together and not stab each other in the back like Power are doing.

[Guest]

Fair Play

Yes a certain element of fair play does come into it, but the reality is that the frequencies occupied are so badly regulated that piracy exists. So what happens when the FM band gets cluttered with hobby stations that have no right (as anyother pirate) to be anywhere on the band anyway. The small ones gets squezzed out, sorry lads, but there are stations that are trying to serve a larger audience either for monetary gain (or because they can afford to). Nobody has a right to be on any frequency. After all who said you could.

Your analogy: "Cause you own a bigger car gives you a right to be on the road more"....... yes but driving is regulated, ie just in case you do not know a driving licence and insurance is required by the state in order to use the road, and there are penalties for misbehaving. Bad example buddy ! We all know what taxi men believe, however !!!!

Queing and the right to a taxi - sorry your clutching at straws here. There is no comparison.

Its simple, pirate stations do not report pirate stations to the odtr, why would they ? and on what basis for complaint ? Because they where (illegally) on that frequency first and it was "stolen" by another station. Hello!

Say there where a host of raid scares for the next week and pirates shut down, could I stick an array of 10 watt transmitters on whatever frequencies became available and then sell them to the highest bidder. Reality check indeed ! Would you be shocked if I told you that in the legal world the ILRs dont infact "OWN" a frequency, but rather lease the benefit of the frequency from the state for the duration of the licence agreement signed up to, and that further use of this frequency is not guaranteed following the expiry of the agreement.

And your talking about who own what ! In the eighties and ninties certain stations had their own ways of dealing with situations like this (I dont agree with them at all) so its adebate that could go on forever. One things for sure if your a small time pirate operation and an organised pirate with more resources comes along and switches on, what can you do ? MOVE is the only answer and you know it makes sense, cause no-one will hear you otherwise!

"Its ok for another station to close you down and not the ODTR" Hello!!!!! where have you been ? are you in radio at all ? Is it a ten watt station ! what rights DO you have then ?

This is the reality, sorry I didnt make the rules of pirate radio, if they do exist at all lol!

Have a nice day now (maybe someone can explain the realities of radio to these gentlemen)

[Darren B]

What youre saying in reality is infact true, but lets make no bones about it, its still breached the unwritten rule of pirate radio, and that you cannot deny.

[Francis Dunne]

Power cannot get away with hijacking this frequency because if they do other scumbags of the airwaves are going to try it as well. Before you know it nial McC will think all his birthdays are coming at once with all the info he is receiving.

[Guest]

What about a campaign against people taking up more space on the band than needs be? I read about Radio Dublin being now on 90.4 as well as 100.0 with both frequencies just covering the same area?. If a campaign was launched to get R Dublin to cease using 90.4, then PowerFM could move down to 90.4 and everyone would be happy?

I dont think 97.8 is suitable for powerFM since it is 0.2 away from CKR and PowerFM would be way more likely to affect listeners of that station than low-power Swirl in SE Dublin.

[Francis Dunne]

been to the said website and there is a thread on their message on the subject.

Look for the thread marked "what I heard on 97.8" (http://www.powerfm.org/msgboards/wwwboard/messageboard.php)

[Guest]

I was listening on 97.8 for the past few months and I heard Swirl. Now Power is on 97.8 but Swirl is still there but getting interfered with from Power. Why did you decide to go to 97.8 from 97.2? Hasn't Swirl been on 97.8 for ages and hasn't Power been, except for a while, on 97.2 So why pick 97.8FM? What would happen to power if another strong station such as Phantom decided it liked 97.8? Is there any sanity to the planning of pirate frequencies or do you all at the station like making enemies and getting shut down by the government?

I know the station is profit driven but it's a small world and this sort of action will turn round and bite you again in the future. I would like a reply from the management on this public forum.

Daniel-A person with 18 station tuned in on his radio and one frequency with 2 stations.


POSTED BY Rapido
on 01:05|05:09:02 POST REPLY

>>shut it

You are a prat.


POSTED BY Anonymous
on 02:05|05:09:02 POST REPLY

Nice to see some intelectual replies to the original message.

really though being so close to CKR is not good may as well play a request for niall and all the lads at the ODTR who are listening in at the moment

swirl were there first werent they

[Guest]

They were on 97.2 when they were told to go off by the ODTR

[Brian O'D]

The Power site is bloody awkward and horrible to navigate...

It IS dire, isn't it:(