Allston-Brighton Free Radio Debuts

[Bob Nelson <theblues4u@yahoo.com>]

I was driving toward Allston just before noon today
and thought I heard some ethnic music on AM 1580, but
it was probably _not_ Allston-Brighton Free Radio.
As it turned out, once I drove past 107 Brighton Ave.,
the ethnic music was suddenly drowned out by what
sounded like big band. Some people were milling
around in front of their HQ, carrying signs promoting
the new station (the brief parade was about to start).

I turned onto Harvard Ave. and took a left onto
Braintree St. (near the Sports Depot and Able Rug).
Supposedly the antenna was on Braintree St.-- a street
that ran a couple of blocks before emptying into the
Super Stop'N'Shop parking lot. Then Steve Provizer
came on; a short tape had English-as-a-second-
language students chanting, in unison,
"Allston-Brighton Free Radio, AM 1580, is on the
air!".
Provizer said he was ecstatic that the station was
on the air, but he was also disgusted that the
community station was legally limited to a mere
100 milliwatts. 

He played a song by the Rebirth Jazz Band and then
talked for awhile about the difficulty the community
has in having a media voice amid the huge broadcasting
conglomerates. The signal seemed to go for a mile or
so on a car radio but when I got out to walk with
my Panasonic portable, it was tough to pick up and
WNTN and WUNR frequently barged in.

Later, I was in Cambridge and picked up pirates at
89.3 (religious) and 106.1 (ethnic), both of whom
were easier to pick up. Then again, they were probably
well above the flea-power limit while Allston-Brighton
Free Radio was legal... but not too powerful.
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