Fybush: Hot 97 (87.7) raided, shut down

[blackgold]

That's where I read of the shutdown, on Scott Fybush's North East Radio Watch (free to read
part of it, subscription to read all of it) Link is above but I have no more info about the shutdown
(which has indeed happened before but they sometimes get back on). Don't know if equipment was
taken away, etc. I guess they got a fine when they were on 97.5 but still haven't paid it.

Oops I just found some info. The date on it is March 16 and the info in it comes from an email
http://jamaicangroupiemet.com/2012/03/stress-in-boston.html

>>It is said that when the FCC pulled into the studio yesterday, they were greeted by interns and   Paul ‘Genius’Perreria who was said to have outwitted the FCC and left the station hastily and left interns and other staff members to face the heat alone.  Also said is that the FCC is looking to make arrests as the station copied mechanisms and mannerisms of the famous radio station Hot97 New York and pretended to operate legitimately.

Well, the man who runs the stations saved his own skin and left his workers to face the music alone.  Shame on him running out on them!

(There also is a repro of a tweet from Hot 97 saying they were having "problems with the stream")
Maybe they still broadcast online...I'll have to check to see if they're indeed off air (even north
of Boston I could often pick them up)
Many of the comments to the linked article above are written in a dance-hall Jamaican slang.
(Remember pass the dutchie 'pon the left han' side by Musical Youth? Orig. song referred to
drug paraphrenalia while "dutchie", a cooking pot, was substituted)

[WNTIRadio]

ANYONE who ever worked at "Hot 97" should be blacklisted from ever getting a job again in real radio.

They all knew what they were doing...

[N.E. Streetz]

How dear someone answer to a job opening they saw in a local newspaper .

[reelyreal]

Shame. Stations should take a look at stations like this, it's a good way to be succesful. Standing out, and having airstaff that people enjoy over say the competitor.

Once more, with feeling:  If it really were successful, it would already be on a licensed station.  Got it now?

They are succesful.

Tens of thousands of listeners.
Thousands of facebook fans.
Extensive air staff
Succesful online stream
Decent studios
Complete website

Already beats our top two rated Philadelphia FM's in terms of what it offers, may not have as big an audience.

Success in the radio business isn't defined by the number of listeners you have.  Success in commercial radio, at a minimum, is making enough to cover your legally obligated expenses and still turn a profit.  Maybe it's possible in Boston, but it sure wouldn't be easy.  It'd be a big risk.  I don't see any operator with the tools to execute the format and a station in dire straits to execute it on.

[RadioPhillyFan]

In the early 90's, in Scranton (Market Rank 71 today, that area is getting rather large) they had a pirate fm on 97.5 for Months It moved from two towers, as I recall. Once WB, then Scranton. This station still had no raid; nor notice by the FCC.

  pirates can even go un-noticed by the FCC in a top 10 market like Boston.

It was between 500-1000 watts, it didn't cause any interference to 97.5 Philadelphia. 97.5 can go about 50 miles outside of Philly, it's one of the weakest Philadelphia FM's. Scrantons 97.5 pirate was only a 5,10,15 mile strong signal. I remember almost DJing for it, but then it "went away" it's studios were a small apartment bought out just for the purpose.

It was an Active Rock, I believe Slice 97, and they always said "Giving you a slice of real rock" as their motto

It broadcasted from an antenna on the top of a tree somewhat between Scranton and WB.

It actually lasted four months.

Two locations (Tall tree and a three story house in WB to begin with)

I thought this was remarkable, but in this day and age it's more remarkable what Hot 97 has done. Even if it is illegal.

[dumber than a box of hair]

My proof is Facebook. Go to the site.
Extensive is a matter of opinion.
There are no numbers for Hot 97 but the fact they have 14k facebook fans and a few listeners on this board suggest they've got some people listening.

Thanks, I needed a laugh.  Facebook is hardly a valid metric for the success of a radio station.  And even if that number were valid, according to Arbitron even dinky little religious station WEZE gets 15,200 listeners daily, in the 6+ demo.  Kiss and Jam'n together cume over a million a day.

If you couldn't already tell, I'm not impressed.

[RadioPhillyFan]

I am pretty unfamiliar with the Boston market. I do respect it highly however.

Now, I'm not saying that Facebook is an accurate method at all, it's an intimiation it has 14,000 listeners at least. That's only those who liked it on Facebook.

I don't have much proof. But a few people on this board have explained they've been a listener for years to Hot 97. It's got the appearence of a succesful station, surely! I can't back up such a "virgin fact". I mean by virgin fact; I have no proof, no market knowledge, whatsoever.

[Will]

Facebook "likes" for a radio station are a misleading metric. 

My old Top 40 station in Burlington has 15,000 likes.  The country station that represents 1/6th and maybe even 1/5 of the market's listening has half as many likes.  So why does the Top 40 station have so many "likes?"

I'd say this is a big reason why:  http://www.likeable.com/2010/06/what-to-do-when-your-wall-is-under-attack/

Elvis Duran (that nice fellow who does that little show in New York) told his listeners that 95 Triple X was stealing his material word for word.  So he encouraged his listeners to "like" their page for the purposes of leaving nasty comments on their wall.  How many of those people do you believe bothered to "unlike" Triple X after their hit-and-run attack egged on by Elvis?

Of course, let's not forget that perhaps the best explanation is often the simplest one.  To wit:  People are (expletive) stupid.  There's probably a bunch of Hot 97 fans that blindly "liked" the Boston imitation instead of the legitimate one in New York, and never thought twice about it.

[N.E. Streetz]

Hot 97 Photos http://hot97boston.smugmug.com/

[HD Ready]

Hot 97 Photos http://hot97boston.smugmug.com/

Wow! You can buy their pictures too!