Phantom FM Off The Air

BrianD

Hi

Phantom FM is temporaily off the air. Apologies for the break in transmissions. Service will resume shortly.

Thanks for your patience.

EdBanger

what happened guys??

roxy

I tuned in and Mickey Joe was blasting out - fuzzy like. Got the shock of my life.

Shorty

F ucking B astards!

http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=49158

DerekD Goldfish

Good luck hope you're back on the air ASAP

Amz

Really genuinely sorry to hear that!

Let us know if there's anything at all we can do to help!

I've emailed a few people about this and they've drafted letters for our local TDs if that's any good to ye.

Anyway best of luck!

A.M
x

therecklessone

I'd say something like "I can't believe it", but this is Ireland, so its entirely believeable.

I assume there has been some commercial pressure put on Comreg...or am I just paranoid?

Here's hoping its a short break.

ozone6280

WE need to do somthing about this. I am listening to Freedom now online are they back on air in Dublin or not. Rise up and tell the Goverment what you think.... A grose misuse of taxpayers money raiding these stations all they had to do was send then a notice by mail. I dont mind raiding Stations if they are causing intereference and been a nusance. You need to send your local TD a letter or the minister for Communications a letter expressing your views politely and asking him to see if he can do somthing . We need to show our support for Phantom fm in their time of Need. Real Radio is been Shut down......

Stand up and be Counted !!!!
Now is the Time!!
Do you want Phantom or not ?
Let the people in control know now!!!!!

AS billy Paul Song goes "Only the Strong Survive"

BrianD

Well one of counting ye all is by downloading our Phantom FM mobile phone logo!! Available to 085/086/087 customers with Nokia handsets! There is no charge to you to receive the logo - your friends at Phantom FM pay for it all! Thousands downloaded already!

Click on the link below and then enter your number!

Free Phantom FM Nokia Logo

Or Join our Phantom Supporters Club today!

Join pH Club

Thanks if you have already joined - it takes a while to load all members into our PC so please be patient.

tiggertigger

If there's anything more we can do
post it here
(I draw the line at firebombs -
but only coz my shirt is flammable)

Morn

Gosh, I've been waiting for a decent reason to firebomb someone... just say the word

uberwolf

thats pants! i went looking for it this morning to no avail, least i know why. You prob suffer from this regularly or does this tiime seem more serious?

joey D

hope yez find another secluded mountain top den from which to keep going lads and lassies, 91.6 is currently offering a fuzzy concoction of RnaG and 2fm... ugh!

Tyrrial

RIGHT!!! THATS IT!


we all know that there's only one way to solve this problem... suicide bombings... so anyone up for it?

damn the evil government of DOOM!!!

midnorthfourzer

ah g'wan lads....flick the big red switch on again...am dying a slow and painful death here...sure Comreg and Fianna FAIL are all listening to Country 106...huge fans they are...the dial is stuck on it..rusted solid i tells ya...they won't notice ye...


<straps on explosive jacket and runs for the door>

stimpson

I kinda guessed this time would come..... I don't think we should take this sitting down.

OK, time for action - Pete Reid - if you have any objections to this please let us know.

OK, write to your TD's, newspapers, taoiseach, Minister for Communications, Minster for Arts, Sport and Tourism, and anyone else you think might listen.

Don't do form letters - write your own individual letter and include your contact details. The www.irlgov.ie website no longer has TD's contact email addresses (probably because people used them!), but I'll try and dig em up on the web. E-mail addresses of Members are usually of the form: firstname.surname@oireachtas.ie and you can find out who the feckers are at http://www.fightfees.com/campaign.php?UID=1
and while you're at it you can complain about 3rd level fees!!!

You can always write and post like your parents used to do - most of these idiots wouldn't know what to do with a mouse anyway - and they are less likely to ignore snail mail.

Go to your local TD's clinic and let them know how you feel. Places/times can be found here http://www.fightfees.com/usi/clinics.html

Failing all that, pick up the phone and ring them. They are YOUR public representitive and are answerable to YOU.

Take a look at http://www.54degrees.com/advocacy_create.html
for other ideas on how to do this kind of thing.

Above all, when contacting these people, BE POLITE, ARTICULATE and TO THE POINT. The last thing we want is for them to think we are unwashed hippie types (I know a lot of you are - no offence!).


It's your radio station boys and girls - don't let them take it away without a fight.

_____________________________

That was a partly political broadcast
on behalf of the Stimpson party
_____________________________

acquiescefc

Kuntz

thedrowner

anything we can do to help just ask.

jeaney....who was on air when it happened? thatd be awful...

bort

ah boo!
i want my phantom
will there be any sort of public demonstrations organised?

MoeJay

While the government keep handing out licences to stations like sh!te FM, c*untry FM and spin 103.hate, the stations which serve the public of Dublin much better have to put up with draconian measures like the UK saw back in the late '60s. It just goes to show that the more things change etc etc...

In another 10 years time there's going to be tribunals about the handing out of FM licences in Dublin in the 1990s, and it's going to show that those with the fattest envelopes are those who got through. SRH anyone?

It is time Phantom FM held another phundraiser and got a Senior Counsel on their side. The whole Country FM debacle should have been followed up a long time ago and the whole ComReg situation laid bare. I mean, bringing in the heavies and destroying equipment? Why? What does that achieve?

In the meantime we are stuck with sub-par state broadcasting (just listen to triple j in Australia if you want good state radio), and 98FM (where Irish music = Moloko [please!] ) and FM104 along with all the others I've mentioned. Need I say more?

Pete Reid and the rest of the team down there, you guys do a great job. I respect the time and the effort you all put in to make Phantom FM the best station in Dublin by a mile. But you have to act now. This has gone on long enough. If you believe really in the vision of having Phantom as a viable, legal, and popular service it's time you called in all your sponsors, all those favours and start making it happen! You know that there is masses of support around Dublin and further afield. Let's make Phantom happen!

MJ.

billy the squid

In another 10 years time there's going to be tribunals about the handing out of FM licences in Dublin in the 1990s, and it's going to show that those with the fattest envelopes are those who got through. SRH anyone?

Remember the Century Radio strand of the flood tribunal. The tribunals you speak of have already started.

I have to say that I would love to see phantom come back. If only because it is different to the muck that all the other stations in this country churn out.

I hope to God that ye can get through this with all your gear intact i read on Radiowaves that Choice FM was disemboweled by comreg yesterday.

BrianD

At this point in time, we would appreciate it if you did not bombard either the relevant authorities or other licenced radio stations with emails/telephone calls at this point in time.

WE understand your fustration with the situation but such an action would be counterproductive.

While we review the situation and plan our next steps we thank for your continued loyalty and support.

PS - The web site will continue to be active so please continue to send us your listings!

Wookie

I would just like to add my voice to the many others. - I am completely lost without Phantom FM!

When you do decide what your next step is please let us know what we can do.

Cheers

Vert

**Gets a flashback**

Oh do i see some more petitions coming on lol.

Brerrabbit

I agree with most of whats been said here, especially with Moejay regarding the good work of Phantom (Yez have kept me happy on and off for the last 5 years or so).

Its little things like this that piss me off about living in Ireland (little things like institutionalised corruption ). Also it seems like a bit of a waste of police time (especially in light of how garda overtime is being slashed (no pun intended - see next) and operation "stop people from being stabbed on the streets" is being drastically curtailed as a result.(Which some might say would be a pretty important job of the police - protecting citizens- rather than enforcing a law which seemingly (I say "seemingly" because I'm speaking with very little knowledge of the whole radio set up) enforces the will of a rather small and corrupt group (whatshisname who introduced the measures back in the day (cant remember his name), larger radio stations and (becasue presumably there was a few brown envelopes passed about; This IS Ireland after all, brown envelopes are like our national emblem almost) some corrupt politicians.

Could all the pirate stations in Dublin (if not Ireland) which were affected, work together in some way to fight this? I know that may sound a bit naive, but I don't see why not.. Especially as many of them have quite distinct audiences- thats a lot of combined listeners, might be effective.

and can someone explain to me the purpose of these rather draconian measures? (Seriously I don;t know a thing about it before I form an opinion I want to know what the story is in Ireland with radio station licenses etc)

Is the licensing system in place solely to protect police frequencies, airlines etc (which is a pretty good reason -except that this is ireland and general arseness and corruption alterit)?

Well yee (phantom that is and probably the other pirates- although I know phantom is one of the more estblished ones; applied for license 6 times etc) have my support. (Cause I know you were waiting for it with baited breath well dont worry I'm here so we can start the protest now

(Sorry about the nested bracets, long text and poor grammar but I feel rather strongly about this.)

thedrowner

hey br. glad ur finally one of us now.

i think i might get you lynched by telling everyone here about our argument on tuesday. but i prefer ur in one piece than torn limb from limb so i wont ;P

BrianD

Transmissions & Programming Suspended

In the light of recent ComReg action against unlicensed radio stations in the Dublin area, Phantom FM have voluntarily ceased transmissions on our FM frequencies. We hope to resume full service as soon as possible.

Phantom FM has had to operate in an unlicensed state since its inception in 1996. Over 30 volunteers produce an alternative rock music programming service that is both unique and popular in the Dublin radio market. The station has consistently championed local artists by providing valuable access to the airwaves and affordable media space to promote their gigs and recordings. Click here to learn more about the profile of the station.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has consistently failed to understand the importance of this service and its popularity amongst Dublin listeners.. In the meantime, it continues to reward existing license holders with additional franchises which fail to perform and provide listening choice for Dubliners. The BCI has argued that is unable to license any additional services, such as Phantom FM, due to a lack of FM frequencies in Dublin.

On Tuesday, ComReg (who regulate the airwaves and responsible for the allocation of FM frequencies) decided to take action against unlicensed broadcasters, which unfortunately includes Phantom FM. Although, Phantom FM was not directly affected by these "raids", the management of Phantom FM decided that it would be prudent to cease transmissions. As a result, neither our FM signal in Dublin nor our web stream is currently available.

Phantom FM is currently reviewing the situation regarding the resumption of services. Our spirit and drive to provide the radio service that you enjoy so much will not be broken. Please check back to phantomfm.com regularly for details. In the meantime, we sincerely apologise for the loss of service and we thank you for your continued loyalty and patience.

We'll be back soon!

The staff and management of Phantom 91.6FM - Music That Matters.

butterflywings

the piss that qualifies for representation of an irish public in this glorious little democracy of ours should be seriously and violently attacked ASAP. They really cant do this.
(i would be calmer but my valium script's just run out &I no longer have my daily dose of the beauty of decent music to keep me sane.)



I am the angel of death, the hour of purification is nigh

romey

go mj! couldnt have said it better my self!:p

Tyrrial

come back soon. i'll boycott radio untill you return don't worrie

Rockiemalt

so, sorry to not no whats going on.. but i can get u online & the car radio but not my own. how long r u back on air for & stuff?

Funkstard

This is such a fooking joke. The government are trying desperatly to get they youth to vote, to be interested in politics, yet at the same time they're doing all they can to shut down radio stations like phantomFM, a station with a legion of youth followers. It just gets me so frustrated, the government is so f***** hypocritical, i feel like going to bertie and punching him and saying ''JESUS BERTIE WILL YOU LEARN TO SPEAK, WTF IS WITH ALL THIS ''WELL I EH WELL EH!!!''

and there's basically jack we can do, short of storming the dail....


AAAARRRRRRGGGHGHHHH!!!!!!!!!