pirate query

[Jeff Lehmann]

> Forgive me if this has been discussed recently.  I am still curious
> about the situation with "Touch 106.1" and everyone I ask at the
> newspapers gives me a different answer.  I know that this little
> station is still very popular in the black community, especially in
> Roxbury, Dorchester & Mattapan.  While it's sad that a city the size of
> Boston has no full-time, full-power black station, and while I
> certainly am happy Touch 106.1 appears to be successful, I was under
> the impression it's still not legal... at one point, the owner said he
> did have a license, but other stories back when the discussion first
> came up said his station was a pirate, for all intents and purposes.
> Perhaps I am missing a piece of information here.  So, does Touch have
> a legal license or not?  If not, how has the owner managed to stay on
> the air without one for such a long time without the FCC stepping in?

There is not, and never has been a license. They've stayed on so long because of the amount of time it takes to get a pirate shut down these days, years. Look at the 3 station simulcast (Mattapan, Randolph, Brockton) Radio Planet Compas (Haitian) on 89.3. They've been on the air for well over 10 years.

The only pirate that's been shut down around here lately that wasn't interfering with air traffic control frequencies has been "Hot 97 Boston" 87.7. They just became too visible with frequent station events, live DJs, etc...

Jeff Lehmann
Hanson, MA