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{{COI|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox radio station
{{Infobox radio station
| name = Pirate Cat Radio
| name = Pirate Cat Radio
| logo =
| logo =
| city = [[Santa Cruz, California]]<br>[[Los Gatos, California]]<br>[[San Francisco, California]]<br>[[Los Angeles, California]]
| city =
| area = [[San Francisco Bay area]]<ref name="merc"/><ref name="chron2"/>
| area = [[San Francisco Bay area]]<ref name="merc"/><ref name="chron2"/>
| branding =
| branding =
| frequency = 87.9 [[Megahertz|MHz]],
| slogan =
| translator =
| frequency =
| repeater =
| translator =
| airdate =
| repeater =
| format = [[Eclectic radio|Eclectic]]
| airdate = {{start date|1996|4}}
| language =
| last_airdate = {{start date|2009|11}}
| power = 100 watts
| format = [[Eclectic radio|Eclectic]]
| erp =
| language =
| haat =
| power = 1000 watts
| class = [[LPFM]]
| erp =
| facility_id =
| haat =
| coordinates =
| class = [[Pirate radio]]
| callsign_meaning =
| facility_id =
| last_airdate = February 20, 2011
| coordinates =
| former_callsigns =
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns =
| former_frequencies = 87.9 [[MHz]]
| former_frequencies = 87.9 [[MHz]]
| affiliations =
| affiliations =
| owner = Daniel "Monkey" Roberts
| owner = Daniel Roberts
| licensee =
| licensee =
| sister_stations =
| sister_stations = KPCR-LP
| webcast = defunct
| webcast =
| website =
| website =
}}
}}


[[File:Pirate cat radio (4733816957).jpg|thumb|Pirate Cat Radio, 2010]]
[[File:Pirate cat radio (4733816957).jpg|thumb|Pirate Cat Radio, 2010]]
'''Pirate Cat Radio''' (87.9 [[FM broadcasting|FM]])<!-- established later in article, per usual)--> was a low power [[community radio|community]] [[radio station]] that had been broadcasting since April 1996 in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].<ref name=merc>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29169534_ITM|title=Daniel Roberts won't stop making pirate radio broadcasts. The FCC won't stop telling him to stop|last=Kava |first=Brad |date=January 7, 2007|work=San Jose Mercury News|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> The station was one of several unlicensed radio stations operating in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].<ref name="chron2">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/21/DD35002.DTL&type=printable|title=The Bay Area is the capital of pirate radio stations|last=Sullivan|first=James |date=October 21, 2003|work=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref>
'''Pirate Cat Radio''' (87.9 [[FM broadcasting|FM]])<!-- established later in article, per usual)--> was a low power [[community radio|community]] [[radio station]] in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].<ref name=merc>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29169534_ITM|title=Daniel Roberts won't stop making pirate radio broadcasts. The FCC won't stop telling him to stop|last=Kava |first=Brad |date=January 7, 2007|work=San Jose Mercury News|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> The station was one of many unlicensed radio stations operating in the San Francisco Bay Area.<ref name="chron2">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/21/DD35002.DTL&type=printable|title=The Bay Area is the capital of pirate radio stations|last=Sullivan|first=James |date=October 21, 2003|work=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref>


Station founder Daniel "Monkey" Roberts (who claims to have later legally changed his name to his on-air persona, Monkey), says that he started broadcasting Pirate Cat Radio out of his bedroom in [[Los Gatos, California]] (a suburb in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]) at the age of 15, despite receiving hundreds of "Notices of Unlicensed Radio Operation" from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).<ref name="merc" />
Station founder Daniel Roberts claimed that he started broadcasting Pirate Cat Radio out of his bedroom in [[Los Gatos, California]] (a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area), despite receiving "Notices of Unlicensed Radio Operation" from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).<ref name="merc" /> Roberts claimed that he had been sent 160 warning letters from the FCC, but reasoned that although his transmitting equipment could be seized, he would not likely be prosecuted for broadcasting illegally. Roberts continued to ignore FCC letters and claimed on multiple occasions that the station was able to stay on the air based on a clause in FCC regulations that allows a licensing exemption in times of war. However, the FCC rewrote the wartime clause rules following a case in April 2008.<ref name="merc" />


Plans were made to form a pirate television station similar to Berkeley pirate radio legend [[Stephen Dunifer]]’s low-cost experimental setup, with the station actively soliciting more pirated content at that time.<ref name="chron">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/11/EBGN6B594R1.DTL|title=Berkeley: Pirate of the airwaves takes on TV Radio pirate takes crusade to the world of television|last=DelVecchio|first=Rick |date=February 11, 2005|work=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> In a radio interview with Skidmark Bob on Free Radio Santa Cruz in May 2005, Roberts discusses obtaining and rebroadcasting copies of BBC’s ''[[Doctor Who]]'' series before being available in the United States. Roberts called on listeners to "set up your own station and start playing whatever you want on TV … Now is the time, get on it." Roberts claimed that the online stream could hold up to 800 people, and planned for Pirate Cat Radio to reach 1000 watts using a directional [[Yagi-Uda]] antenna he had built.<ref>{{cite podcast |host=Skidmark Bob |title=PoP dEFECT RADIO |website=radio.indymedia.org/node/5302 |publisher=Publisher |date=7 May 2005|time=08:26 |url=http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/pdr_pirate_cat_tv.mp3 |accessdate=10 August 2020}}
Roberts claimed on multiple occasions that the station was able to stay on the air based on a clause in FCC regulations that allows a licensing exemption in times of war. However, the FCC rewrote the wartime clause rules following a case in April 2008.<ref name="merc" />
</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=John |title=Scene Reports: California, Illinois |url=http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0605.htm |website=DIYmedia.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831192552/http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0605.htm |accessdate=10 August 2020|archive-date=2009-08-31 }}</ref>


Pirate Cat Radio rebroadcast ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' in 2006 in its uncensored form from [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] in the Los Angeles area without permission, although the signal was inconsistent. Stern himself expressed frustration that his subscription-based show was being spread for free, pleading with his audience to "just pay the 42 cents a day" for the Sirius service to access his content. The FCC had previously in 2004 cited Stern’s show on Clear Channel for "repeated graphic and explicit sexual descriptions" prior to moving to Sirius. Listeners to the illegal rebroadcasts did claim to have heard profane content on 88.3 FM in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2006/12/howard_sterns_e.html|title=Opinion: Howard Stern's End: What is the state of Pirate Cat Radio in L.A.?|date=December 22, 2006|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Daniel |title=88.3 FM: The Howard Stern Pirate Radio Station |url=http://www.losanjealous.com/2006/02/11/stern-pirated/ |website=LosAnJealous |accessdate=19 June 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517102851/http://www.losanjealous.com/2006/02/11/stern-pirated/ |date=February 11, 2006|archive-date=2006-05-17 }}</ref>
By 2005, Roberts claimed that he had been sent 160 warning letters from the FCC, and that he wasn't bothered by the possibility of his signal interfering with other broadcasters. He continued to ignore FCC letters, and reasoned that although his transmitting equipment could be seized, it wouldn’t be likely to be prosecuted for broadcasting illegally. Plans were made to form a pirate television station similar to Berkeley pirate radio legend [[Stephen Dunifer]]’s low-cost experimental setup, but ultimately all that was broadcast were a catalog of [[DivX]] .avi files on a homebrew server, though the station was actively soliciting more content at that time.<ref name="chron">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/11/EBGN6B594R1.DTL|title=Berkeley: Pirate of the airwaves takes on TV Radio pirate takes crusade to the world of television|last=DelVecchio|first=Rick |date=February 11, 2005|work=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref>


A physical location and café were opened in January 2008 for DJs and live audiences in the [[Mission District, San Francisco]], built out by the staff. It changed ownership in early 2011 and later closed.
In a radio interview with Skidmark Bob on Free Radio Santa Cruz in May 2005, Roberts discusses obtaining and rebroadcasting copies of BBC’s [[Doctor Who]] series before being available in the United States. Roberts called on listeners to “set up your own station and start playing whatever you want on TV … Now is the time, get on it.” Roberts claimed that the online stream could hold up to 800 people, and planned for Pirate Cat Radio to reach 1000 watts using a directional [[Yagi-Uda]] antenna he had built.
<ref>{{cite podcast |host=Skidmark Bob |title=PoP dEFECT RADIO |website=http://radio.indymedia.org/node/5302 |publisher=Publisher |date=7 May 2005|time=08:26 |url=http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/pdr_pirate_cat_tv.mp3 |accessdate=10 August 2020}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=John |title=Scene Reports: California, Illinois |url=http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0605.htm |website=DIYmedia.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831192552/http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0605.htm |accessdate=10 August 2020|archive-date=2009-08-31 }}</ref>


In May 2010, some of Pirate Cat Radio's programming was edited for content and rebroadcast on licensed [[Pescadero, California|Pescadero]] station [[KPDO]] 89.3.<ref name="Harrell">{{cite news |last=Harrell |first=Ashley |date=May 26, 2010 |title=The Radio Pirate Goes Legit |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-05-26/news/the-radio-pirate-goes-legit/ |accessdate=2010-05-26 |work=[[San Francisco Weekly]]}}</ref> Pescadero residents like Rob Skinner, chairman of the communications committee for the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council, found it jarring to hear songs such as “[[Killer Pussy|Teenage Enema Nurses In Bondage]]” or "[[Ramones|Beat the Brat]]" on Easter morning.<ref name=":1" />
Pirate Cat radio rebroadcast ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' in 2006 in its uncensored form from [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] in the Los Angeles area without permission, although the signal was inconsistent. Howard Stern himself expressed frustration that his subscription-based show was being spread for free, pleading with his audience to “just pay the 42 cents a day” for the Sirus service to access his content. The FCC had previously in 2004 cited Stern’s show on Clear Channel for “repeated graphic and explicit sexual descriptions,” prior to moving to Sirus satellite radio. Listeners to the illegal rebroadcasts did claim to have heard profane content on 88.3 Fm in Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news|url=http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2006/12/howard_sterns_e.html|title=Opinion: Howard Stern's End: What is the state of Pirate Cat Radio in L.A.?|date=December 22, 2006|author=Editors|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Daniel |title=88.3 FM: The Howard Stern Pirate Radio Station |url=http://www.losanjealous.com/2006/02/11/stern-pirated/ |website=LosAnJealous |accessdate=19 June 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517102851/http://www.losanjealous.com/2006/02/11/stern-pirated/ |date=02/11/2006|archive-date=2006-05-17 }}</ref>


== FCC Fine ==
A physical location and café were opened in January 2008 for DJs and live audiences in the [[Mission District, San Francisco]], built out by the staff.
After years of hundreds of warnings, in April 2009 Federal Communications Commission regulators discovered one of the Pirate Cat Radio transmitters on a rooftop in [[Twin Peaks, San Francisco|Twin Peaks]], broadcasting the station at a frequency higher than the legal limit. The FCC fined Roberts $10,000, forcing the station off the air. The fine was issued for broadcasting without a formal license from the FCC. In an interview, Roberts was quoted as saying "You know, a fine is bad, but I don’t want to go to jail. I look very bad in orange."<ref>Hirsch, Daniel (November 20, 2009). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/culture/detail?entry_id=52075 Pirate Cat Radio fights the feds] ''SFGate.com''</ref><ref>Kumeh, Titania (January 18, 2010). [http://motherjones.com/riff/2009/12/fight-radio-rights "Music Monday: Pirate Cat Radio vs. the FCC"]. ''MotherJones.com''</ref>
== Closure ==
In November 2010, Roberts abruptly left for [[Europe]], citing personal and financial reasons. That same month, Roberts brought in an outside investor who answered a "Wanna Buy Pirate Cat Radio?" ad on [[Craigslist]]. Roberts told staffers he'd sold a controlling interest of 80% of Pirate Cat Radio Cafe to an outside investor to whom they were to pay their monthly station dues, but that the station had been sold the previous August to nonprofit Pescadero Public Radio Service (whose President was then Roberts), which operates community radio station KPDO. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=SF Weekly |date=2011-02-21 |title=Pirate Cat Radio Sinks Following 'Ownership Dispute' |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/archives/pirate-cat-radio-sinks-following-ownership-dispute/article_913adf4e-33ef-5a6e-a7a1-33654b4c1944.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=SFWeekly |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Waits |first=Jennifer |date=2011-03-05 |title=Pirate Cat Radio Founder Speaks about Station's Future |url=https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2011/03/pirate-cat-radio-founder-speaks-about-stations-future/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Radio Survivor |language=en-US}}</ref>


While DJ staff were instructed to pay their $30 monthly dues to the new investor in December 2010, at their January 2011 staff meeting they were told to instead deposit money into a different account. DJs expressed concerns for more transparency from Roberts, asking to see a budget. DJs claimed that Roberts terminated a DJ's position at the station over this, though he later denied this was the reason.<ref name=":0" />
In March 2009, [[Anthony Bourdain]] brought his show ''[[Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations|No Reservations]]'' to San Francisco and visited Pirate Cat Radio to try the Bacon Maple Latte, a unique creation of baristas of the Pirate Cat Radio Cafe. An account of his visit aired on the [[Travel Channel]] in early August 2009. That same month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognized Pirate Cat Radio for the station's "...trailblazing efforts towards freeing the airwaves from corporate control, providing the community with training in radio broadcast skills, empowering voices ignored by traditional media outlets; and contributing to the advancement of the City's [[coffee culture]]...".<ref name="offtherecord">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/offtherecord/detail?entry_id=46616|title=Pirate Cat Radio Receives Props from Board of Supervisors|last=Dushane|first=Tony |date=August 31, 2009|work=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=2009-09-15}}</ref>


During a conference call on February 13, 2011, with Roberts still out of the country, DJs again confronted Roberts with questions about the ownership and finances of the station. After ending the call, Roberts proceeded to take the Pirate Cat Radio website and web stream offline without notifying the staff or dues paying members. At the same time, Roberts told [[Mission Local]] that "Pirate Cat is closed for now."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=H. R. |date=2011-02-20 |title=Founder Says Pirate Cat Radio is 'Closed for Now' |url=http://missionlocal.org/2011/02/radio-off/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Mission Local |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=SF Weekly |date=2011-02-23 |title=Pirate Cat Radio Walks the Plank |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/archives/pirate-cat-radio-walks-the-plank/article_0ae1bebc-c5eb-57f6-8e0a-e93308854d9d.html |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=SFWeekly |language=en}}</ref>
In May 2010, some of Pirate Cat Radio's programming was edited for content and rebroadcast on licensed station [[KPDO]] 89.3.<ref name="Harrell">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-05-26/news/the-radio-pirate-goes-legit/|title=The Radio Pirate Goes Legit|last=Harrell |first=Ashley |date=May 26, 2010|work=[[San Francisco Weekly]]|accessdate=2010-05-26}}</ref>


In March 2011, Roberts published a news release in which he claimed, "Rather than setting up a new corporation and organize another board of directors, it was easier and cheaper to merge PCR into PPRS." He stated that there were "three different entities" related to Pirate Cat Radio and Cafe:
After years of hundreds of warnings, in April 2009 Federal Communications Commission regulators discovered one of the Pirate Cat Radio transmitters on a rooftop in [[Twin Peaks, San Francisco|Twin Peaks]], broadcasting the station at a frequency higher than the legal limit. The FCC fined Roberts $10,000, forcing the station off the air and causing it to transition into an [[Internet radio station|internet-only radio station]] with [[podcasts]]. The fine was issued for broadcasting without a formal license from the FCC. In an interview, Roberts was quoted as saying "You know, a fine is bad, but I don’t want to go to jail. I look very bad in orange.<ref>Hirsch, Daniel (November 20, 2009). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/culture/detail?entry_id=52075 Pirate Cat Radio fights the feds] ''SFGate.com''</ref><ref>Kumeh, Titania (January 18, 2010). [http://motherjones.com/riff/2009/12/fight-radio-rights "Music Monday: Pirate Cat Radio vs. the FCC"]. ''MotherJones.com''</ref>


# Pirate Cat Radio Inc.: a non-profit organization which owned nothing.
By the end of 2010, many DJs expressed that there had been ongoing concerns about the management of the station over a period of months. In November 2010, DJs were told that 80% of Pirate Cat Radio Cafe had been sold to an outside investor to whom they were to pay their monthly station dues. The following month, Roberts told DJs to no longer pay the investor, but to instead deposit money into a different account. Due to these concerns, DJs asked for more transparency from Roberts, with one DJ Pirata Margarita asking to see a budget. She and other DJs claimed that Roberts terminated her position at the station after this, though he later denied this was the reason. In early February 2011, Roberts left the country, shutting down the stream and website while denying requests for interviews. The volunteer DJ and café staff quickly reorganized as the PCR Collective, focusing on a “consensus-based media organization,” in contrast to the “almost [[fascist]]” management style that one DJ attributed to Roberts. On June 1, 2011, they began operating in the same location under the name [[Mutiny Radio]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2011/03/03/questions-raised-at-pirate-cat-radio-and-kpdo-after-leader-leaves-the-country/ |title = Questions Raised at Pirate Cat Radio and KPDO after Leader Leaves the Country|date = 2011-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://pcrcollective.org | title=Mutiny Radio &#124; Broadcasting from San Francisco's Mission District!}}</ref>
# Pirate Cat Radio and Café: a café business which was formerly a "sole proprietorship" until Roberts sold 80% to an outside investor, while retaining 20% of the business himself.
# Pirate Cat Radio: the radio operation trademarked and registered to Roberts, though he claimed that the online-only radio station was then-owned by Pescadero Public Radio Service.<ref name=":0" />

However, KPDO founder Maggie Celeste Worden told the [[San Mateo County Times]] that Roberts never effectuated any transfer of one station to the other, and that there was no legal way for KPDO to own Pirate Cat as the two stations had separate accounts and did not co-mingle funds. The Pescadero station also opened a new bank account since the old one was solely controlled by Roberts, and they couldn’t access it. Roberts' lawyer, Michael Couzens, confirmed that combination of the two radio operations had never transpired, and thus he viewed the transfer as "null and void".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |first1=Julia |last1=Scott |first2=Carina |last2=Woudenberg |date=2011-03-25 |title=Pescadero radio station moves on |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/03/25/pescadero-radio-station-moves-on/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Roberts said that the firing of any DJs was not due to questions about the budget, but had to do with "inciting" other staff. He admitted that he "poorly orchestrated the sale of the café." A December 1, 2010 filing with the [[City of San Francisco]] indicated that "Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio" was owned by Pirate Cat Radio Inc. starting on November 19, 2010. A January 4, 2011 filing with the City of San Francisco said that "Pirate Cat Radio Station" was also owned by Pirate Cat Radio Inc. beginning November 19, 2010. These filings supersede an earlier fictitious business name filing for Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio from March 2008 to December 1, 2010, in which Daniel Roberts is listed as the owner.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Waits |first=Jennifer |date=2011-03-03 |title=Questions Raised at Pirate Cat Radio and KPDO after Leader Leaves the Country |url=https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2011/03/questions-raised-at-pirate-cat-radio-and-kpdo-after-leader-leaves-the-country/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Radio Survivor |language=en-US}}</ref>

The staff of Pirate Cat Radio announced in a statement that they were "not a party to the sale of the Pirate Cat Radio".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Luschek • |first=Mathew |date=2011-06-01 |title=Mutiny Radio Launches |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/mutiny-radio-launches/1893202/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=NBC Bay Area |language=en-US}}</ref> On February 20, 2011, the Pirate Cat Radio website, internet radio stream and archive of shows were all taken offline.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dushane |first=Tony |date=2011-02-20 |title=Mutiny in Heaven |url=https://blog.sfgate.com/offtherecord/2011/06/13/mutiny-radio-mutiny-in-heaven/ |access-date=2012-02-28 |website=SFGate}}{{dead link|date=May 2024}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 67: Line 77:
* [http://piratecatradio.com/ Pirate Cat Radio]
* [http://piratecatradio.com/ Pirate Cat Radio]
{{commons category|Pirate Cat Radio}}
{{commons category|Pirate Cat Radio}}
{{San Francisco Radio}}


{{San Jose Radio}}
{{coord missing|Santa Clara County, California}}


[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Community radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Community radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Pirate radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Pirate radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 21:07, 26 June 2024

Pirate Cat Radio
Broadcast areaSan Francisco Bay area[1][2]
Frequency87.9 MHz,
Programming
FormatEclectic
Ownership
OwnerDaniel Roberts
KPCR-LP
History
Last air date
February 20, 2011
Former frequencies
87.9 MHz
Technical information
ClassLPFM
Power100 watts
Pirate Cat Radio, 2010

Pirate Cat Radio (87.9 FM) was a low power community radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1] The station was one of many unlicensed radio stations operating in the San Francisco Bay Area.[2]

Station founder Daniel Roberts claimed that he started broadcasting Pirate Cat Radio out of his bedroom in Los Gatos, California (a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area), despite receiving "Notices of Unlicensed Radio Operation" from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).[1] Roberts claimed that he had been sent 160 warning letters from the FCC, but reasoned that although his transmitting equipment could be seized, he would not likely be prosecuted for broadcasting illegally. Roberts continued to ignore FCC letters and claimed on multiple occasions that the station was able to stay on the air based on a clause in FCC regulations that allows a licensing exemption in times of war. However, the FCC rewrote the wartime clause rules following a case in April 2008.[1]

Plans were made to form a pirate television station similar to Berkeley pirate radio legend Stephen Dunifer’s low-cost experimental setup, with the station actively soliciting more pirated content at that time.[3] In a radio interview with Skidmark Bob on Free Radio Santa Cruz in May 2005, Roberts discusses obtaining and rebroadcasting copies of BBC’s Doctor Who series before being available in the United States. Roberts called on listeners to "set up your own station and start playing whatever you want on TV … Now is the time, get on it." Roberts claimed that the online stream could hold up to 800 people, and planned for Pirate Cat Radio to reach 1000 watts using a directional Yagi-Uda antenna he had built.[4][5]

Pirate Cat Radio rebroadcast The Howard Stern Show in 2006 in its uncensored form from Sirius Satellite Radio in the Los Angeles area without permission, although the signal was inconsistent. Stern himself expressed frustration that his subscription-based show was being spread for free, pleading with his audience to "just pay the 42 cents a day" for the Sirius service to access his content. The FCC had previously in 2004 cited Stern’s show on Clear Channel for "repeated graphic and explicit sexual descriptions" prior to moving to Sirius. Listeners to the illegal rebroadcasts did claim to have heard profane content on 88.3 FM in Los Angeles.[6][7]

A physical location and café were opened in January 2008 for DJs and live audiences in the Mission District, San Francisco, built out by the staff. It changed ownership in early 2011 and later closed.

In May 2010, some of Pirate Cat Radio's programming was edited for content and rebroadcast on licensed Pescadero station KPDO 89.3.[8] Pescadero residents like Rob Skinner, chairman of the communications committee for the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council, found it jarring to hear songs such as “Teenage Enema Nurses In Bondage” or "Beat the Brat" on Easter morning.[9]

FCC Fine

[edit]

After years of hundreds of warnings, in April 2009 Federal Communications Commission regulators discovered one of the Pirate Cat Radio transmitters on a rooftop in Twin Peaks, broadcasting the station at a frequency higher than the legal limit. The FCC fined Roberts $10,000, forcing the station off the air. The fine was issued for broadcasting without a formal license from the FCC. In an interview, Roberts was quoted as saying "You know, a fine is bad, but I don’t want to go to jail. I look very bad in orange."[10][11]

Closure

[edit]

In November 2010, Roberts abruptly left for Europe, citing personal and financial reasons. That same month, Roberts brought in an outside investor who answered a "Wanna Buy Pirate Cat Radio?" ad on Craigslist. Roberts told staffers he'd sold a controlling interest of 80% of Pirate Cat Radio Cafe to an outside investor to whom they were to pay their monthly station dues, but that the station had been sold the previous August to nonprofit Pescadero Public Radio Service (whose President was then Roberts), which operates community radio station KPDO. [12][13]

While DJ staff were instructed to pay their $30 monthly dues to the new investor in December 2010, at their January 2011 staff meeting they were told to instead deposit money into a different account. DJs expressed concerns for more transparency from Roberts, asking to see a budget. DJs claimed that Roberts terminated a DJ's position at the station over this, though he later denied this was the reason.[13]

During a conference call on February 13, 2011, with Roberts still out of the country, DJs again confronted Roberts with questions about the ownership and finances of the station. After ending the call, Roberts proceeded to take the Pirate Cat Radio website and web stream offline without notifying the staff or dues paying members. At the same time, Roberts told Mission Local that "Pirate Cat is closed for now."[14][15]

In March 2011, Roberts published a news release in which he claimed, "Rather than setting up a new corporation and organize another board of directors, it was easier and cheaper to merge PCR into PPRS." He stated that there were "three different entities" related to Pirate Cat Radio and Cafe:

  1. Pirate Cat Radio Inc.: a non-profit organization which owned nothing.
  2. Pirate Cat Radio and Café: a café business which was formerly a "sole proprietorship" until Roberts sold 80% to an outside investor, while retaining 20% of the business himself.
  3. Pirate Cat Radio: the radio operation trademarked and registered to Roberts, though he claimed that the online-only radio station was then-owned by Pescadero Public Radio Service.[13]

However, KPDO founder Maggie Celeste Worden told the San Mateo County Times that Roberts never effectuated any transfer of one station to the other, and that there was no legal way for KPDO to own Pirate Cat as the two stations had separate accounts and did not co-mingle funds. The Pescadero station also opened a new bank account since the old one was solely controlled by Roberts, and they couldn’t access it. Roberts' lawyer, Michael Couzens, confirmed that combination of the two radio operations had never transpired, and thus he viewed the transfer as "null and void".[9]

Roberts said that the firing of any DJs was not due to questions about the budget, but had to do with "inciting" other staff. He admitted that he "poorly orchestrated the sale of the café." A December 1, 2010 filing with the City of San Francisco indicated that "Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio" was owned by Pirate Cat Radio Inc. starting on November 19, 2010. A January 4, 2011 filing with the City of San Francisco said that "Pirate Cat Radio Station" was also owned by Pirate Cat Radio Inc. beginning November 19, 2010. These filings supersede an earlier fictitious business name filing for Pirate Cat Cafe and Studio from March 2008 to December 1, 2010, in which Daniel Roberts is listed as the owner.[13][16]

The staff of Pirate Cat Radio announced in a statement that they were "not a party to the sale of the Pirate Cat Radio".[17] On February 20, 2011, the Pirate Cat Radio website, internet radio stream and archive of shows were all taken offline.[14][18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kava, Brad (January 7, 2007). "Daniel Roberts won't stop making pirate radio broadcasts. The FCC won't stop telling him to stop". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, James (October 21, 2003). "The Bay Area is the capital of pirate radio stations". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  3. ^ DelVecchio, Rick (February 11, 2005). "Berkeley: Pirate of the airwaves takes on TV Radio pirate takes crusade to the world of television". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  4. ^ Skidmark Bob (7 May 2005). "PoP dEFECT RADIO". radio.indymedia.org/node/5302 (Podcast). Publisher. Event occurs at 08:26. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. ^ Anderson, John. "Scene Reports: California, Illinois". DIYmedia.net. Archived from the original on 2009-08-31. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Opinion: Howard Stern's End: What is the state of Pirate Cat Radio in L.A.?". Los Angeles Times. December 22, 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  7. ^ Daniel (February 11, 2006). "88.3 FM: The Howard Stern Pirate Radio Station". LosAnJealous. Archived from the original on 2006-05-17. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  8. ^ Harrell, Ashley (May 26, 2010). "The Radio Pirate Goes Legit". San Francisco Weekly. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  9. ^ a b Scott, Julia; Woudenberg, Carina (2011-03-25). "Pescadero radio station moves on". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  10. ^ Hirsch, Daniel (November 20, 2009). Pirate Cat Radio fights the feds SFGate.com
  11. ^ Kumeh, Titania (January 18, 2010). "Music Monday: Pirate Cat Radio vs. the FCC". MotherJones.com
  12. ^ Staff, SF Weekly (2011-02-21). "Pirate Cat Radio Sinks Following 'Ownership Dispute'". SFWeekly. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  13. ^ a b c d Waits, Jennifer (2011-03-05). "Pirate Cat Radio Founder Speaks about Station's Future". Radio Survivor. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  14. ^ a b Smith, H. R. (2011-02-20). "Founder Says Pirate Cat Radio is 'Closed for Now'". Mission Local. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  15. ^ Staff, SF Weekly (2011-02-23). "Pirate Cat Radio Walks the Plank". SFWeekly. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  16. ^ Waits, Jennifer (2011-03-03). "Questions Raised at Pirate Cat Radio and KPDO after Leader Leaves the Country". Radio Survivor. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  17. ^ Luschek •, Mathew (2011-06-01). "Mutiny Radio Launches". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  18. ^ Dushane, Tony (2011-02-20). "Mutiny in Heaven". SFGate. Retrieved 2012-02-28.[dead link]
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