Steal This Radio
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Steal This Radio (STR) was a pirate radio station based in New York City with roots in the local
squatter Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
community. The 12-watt station broadcast at 88.7 FM starting in November 1995.


History

In May 1995, police evicted squatters in two
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
buildings. A member of the squatter community who uses the name Queequeg was inspired by Radio Free Berkeley and worked with another squatter who was also a HAM radio enthusiast, Fast Forward, to set up Steal This Radio. Fast Forward set up much of the technical infrastructure for about $500. At the time it was broadcasting, the FCC had not issued licenses to broadcasters transmitting at under 100 watts since 1978, and all available frequencies in Manhattan had already been issued. Steal This Radio broadcast at 12 watts using equipment considerably cheaper than that which would be necessary for 100 watts. For two years of its operation it broadcast from a Lower East Side squat. Other times, to avoid getting caught, organizers frequently moved the site of broadcasting, transporting all of its equipment to different locations each week and setting up the transmitter anew.


Programming

Steal This Radio's programming included live music, recorded music, radio dramas, news, and cultural programming. Most of its content featured or was relevant to residents of the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
area of Manhattan, including human interest stories, information about non-profits and services, stories, weather, and event listings. The '' Village Voice'' described it as "radio at its most unabashedly free-form," adding that the project was "localized free expression as an act of electronic civil disobedience." It broadcast for six hours on Friday nights, starting at 8:00 PM. According to one of the organizers, broadcasts often took the form of a party.


Legal trouble

On March 5, 1998, an FCC agent visited operators of the station after tracing its broadcast location to its Lower East Side squat, threatening legal action if they did not stop broadcasting. The operators complied temporarily to preserve the safety of the squat, which subsequently had its power cut due to FCC working with Con Edison. Though citing a complaint by
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, a representative of the university denied any filing. Though they ceased operations for a month following the incident, they returned in a public spectacle of turning on a battery-powered transmitter on
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, at the same time announcing a lawsuit operators filed against the FCC, Justice Department, and Janet Reno. The suit claimed policies regarding low power broadcasting were unconstitutional, and was filed by a collective which identified itself as "Free Speech," leading to a case titled ''FCC v. Free Speech.'' On March 12, 1999, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied their complaint and issued an injunction.


References

{{coord missing, New York City Pirate radio stations in the United States Radio stations in New York City Lower East Side Defunct radio stations in the United States Defunct mass media in New York (state) Radio stations disestablished in 1998 Radio stations established in 1995 1995 establishments in New York City 1998 disestablishments in New York (state)