From the northern end of town up through northern Albemarle (and perhaps farther?), I can pick up a radio station that I’ve never heard of before, 101.1FM, WBAG. It is the greatest radio station ever. In a total of perhaps two hours of listening, I’ve heard The Doors, Jem, Dave Matthews, Kid Koala, Dizzy Gillespie, Soul Coughing, Mike Doughty, Lyle Lovett, Loretta Lynn….a bit of everything that is good and right about music. Three out of four songs that they play, I know and love; the rest I’ve never heard and love anyway. There are no commercials, no PSAs, no no breaks for song identification. The only station ID comes at the top of the hour, and says, only, that it’s WBAG. But WBAG is in North Carolina, and it’s a commercial station. The FCC knows nothing of a 101.1FM in the area. Their LPFM (low power FM) database lists only one 101.1FM in the state, and that’s way down in Hillsville. The station’s signal strength drops so sharply — from perfect to gone in the span of a couple of miles — that it’s almost certainly some sort of LPFM, though presumably one not licensed by the FCC. Has anybody else heard this wonderful station? Anybody know who runs this unauthorized station? When it came into being? I’d love the story behind this.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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<<<He-heh! Our mind control beam has passed its first test admirably! Waldo not only thinks he’s hearing a “special” radio station, he is actually evolving rational “theories” to explain its existence! Soon we will begin phase two, the subliminal message test. It can only be a matter of time before we succeed in our mission, and glory in seeing Waldo establishing a new PAC, VirginiaEstablishedReligion.Org, devoted to reversing the evil “separation of church and state” devised by Thomas Jefferson and raising up in its place The Church of the SubGenius as the Commonwealth’s one true faith! Praise Bob!!>>>
I did wonder a few times. :) Helping nothing, I can’t pick up the station on either radio in my home — though I can pick it up in my car 10′ away, out front — which briefly and ridiculously made me wonder if somebody was playing the greatest prank ever, in which case I hope they won’t stop. :)
This morning? Dave Matthews, Beastie Boys and David Bowie. I wish they’d (whoever "they" are) webcast, so I could listen at home.
My guess is that whatever it is has a very short continued life span thanks to your posting about it on a public forum and contacting the FCC.
I didn’t contact the FCC. :) I visited their website.
"Hello? FCC? There’s a radio station that I love. Is it legal?"
Perhaps the FCC site is a little behind – I know, it’s hard to imagine a government entity running at less than 100% effeciency, but it could happen.
Also, this might explain the whispered rumors about Waldo being seen around town sporting a spiffy aluminum "hat."
Bless them. I am of course speaking of the recent item on the market which will jam a CelPhone within a certain range.
Of course everybody in the world ( except we who must suffer inane conversations during our lunch or dinner at our favorite spot) is against the jamming, for obvious reasons ,but I hope it can be worked out so the talkers and the anti-talkers may coexist.
I suggest a don’t ask don’t tell policy re public discussions on this topic… the station is too good to be real… don’t look a gift horse in the mouth…
mmmm, in fact, i bet its gone by now! if we’re really lucky this person will try again in a little while and everyone will stay quiet. i know you mean well, waldo, but even a post like this one would have made the guy nervous, ah reckon.
Of course, to be fair, it is being broadcast. :) My mentioning it on a news blog has quite a smaller audience than what appears to be the potential audience of the radio station.
(Point taken nonetheless.)
Dude… I am in NEW YORK and I read your post… your posts can be read all over the world! Small "pirate" radio stations cover what? less than a 10 mile radius assuming they are running less than 100Watts and are not up on a mountain? Your POTENTIAL audience is tremendously larger, assuming you have something interesting going on. I’m NOT saying you are interesting, by the way.
If I find a really great small restaurant somewhere I will tell a couple trusted friends and send some business to it but the LAST thing I’m going to do is blab it up in a real or virtual news forum and call over much attention to it. The next thing you know the place gets ‘popular’ they cram too many tables in, the chef quits because he can’t take time to pee (and/or wash his hands afterwards), the service and quality go downhill… OR the prices go WAY up and you can’t get in without booking ahead a week , a month or a year…. anyway… whatever it was it won’t be that any more. Oh – but it’ll happen eventually because there are always people like you around who don’t know how to keep a good thing under wraps – but it’s always a little sad when a secret gets out.
It’s not there now – is it?
I think the last song anyone heard from them was …. ‘Goodbye Cruel World’ from Pink Floyd’s The Wall… and that would have been… sometime late in the evening of the 24th… the good thing lasted about 4 days from your post. How long would it have lasted had you not made that post?