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New to Area: What's MIXX96?

A

Alex Browne

Frequent Participant
Driving through north Miami today, and picked up a station playing Caribbean music at 96.1 called "Mixx96." Looks like it's an Internet streamed station, but is the broadcast component a real station or a pirate? Can't find it on the usual radio lists.
 
Alex Browne said:
Driving through north Miami today, and picked up a station playing Caribbean music at 96.1 called "Mixx96." Looks like it's an Internet streamed station, but is the broadcast component a real station or a pirate? Can't find it on the usual radio lists.
Click to expand...

Could be pirate because there's NO 96.1 station here in Miami.
 
They are undocumented, put out a respectable signal, and have been there for quite a while.
One of these days, i will hunt them down if and when I muster up the initiative.
Usually though, I only look for stations with programming that I like, there are too many that I do not.
Any stations not found on the usuall radio lists are undocumented, without exceptions.
By undocumented, I mean that they have failed to notify government agencies
of their intent to serve the public convenience and necessity...yet.
 
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Yes, it was a respectable signal for some miles, and their website indicates they have been in operation for a long time (at least as an Internet stream). And they had commercials, promoting an upcoming cruise they were sponsoring, and a bar. Just no legal ID -- and likely no license, either!
 
Alex Browne said:
Yes, it was a respectable signal for some miles, and their website indicates they have been in operation for a long time (at least as an Internet stream). And they had commercials, promoting an upcoming cruise they were sponsoring, and a bar. Just no legal ID -- and likely no license, either!
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Some years ago, another pirate parked itself next to Power 96. They got advertising from a lot of clubs, and the sales pitch was "if you don't advertise, we'll have people come and start fights in the club and call the police".
 
Alex Browne said:
And they had commercials, promoting an upcoming cruise they were sponsoring...
Click to expand...
Constantly pushing that cruise, non-stop.

Anyone ever hear "Michael the Black Man" on 102.3?
He has been there for (rock of) ages.
 
Mixx 96 has been a pirate radio institution that has been brought down but always find a way to get their signal back up. They serve a purpose playing pretty god reggae music and giving a voice to the English speaking Caribbean community. It's unfortunate they have not applied for LPFM. I would definitely prefer they have a frequency than some of the corporate owned station that offer nothing to anyone in the community.
 
jbrasco951 said:
They serve a purpose playing pretty god reggae music and giving a voice to the English speaking Caribbean community. It's unfortunate they have not applied for LPFM. I would definitely prefer they have a frequency than some of the corporate owned station that offer nothing to anyone in the community.
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And how large is the English speaking Caribbean community? Certainly not large enough for a licensed station that complies with not just FCC rules but ones about minimum wage, taxes, permitting, etc.

There are a number of formats in a variety of languages that are "missing" in Miami but which will not be offered because the audience base is not large enough to sustain them via commercials or donations.

There are no more commercial channels available in the area, so nobody else could have Mixx's dial position. That station is unregulated and illegal.
 
DavidEduardo said:
And how large is the English speaking Caribbean community?
Certainly not large enough for a licensed station...
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WAVS serves Broward and northern Miami-Dade counties and has a construction permit to add W263CJ.
 
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ai4i said:
WAVS serves Broward and northern Miami-Dade counties and has a construction permit to add W263CJ.
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Right. I tend to forget limited coverage AMs.
 
Alex Browne said:
Driving through north Miami today, and picked up a station playing Caribbean music at 96.1 called "Mixx96." Looks like it's an Internet streamed station, but is the broadcast component a real station or a pirate? Can't find it on the usual radio lists.
Click to expand...

As jbrasco951 stated:

jbrasco951 said:
Mixx 96 has been a pirate radio institution...
Click to expand...

They have been around since the mid-90s (probably even before that). I used to listen to that station on Saturdays for their soca music.
 
Mixx 96 out there has been on since at least 2005 when I lived there. When I lived in Dania Beach again in 2010-11 it was off...it was one of the only frequencies that wasn't jam-packed and I could pick up WRXK out of Ft Meyers with regularity.

It was one of the most powerful pirate stations out there at the time. Had a MySpace (remember those?) and a killer signal that made it from Ft. Lauderdale down to across the causeway in Bal Harbour.

Now when I think of 'Mixx 96', I think of the Olympia, WA licensed station with a killer signal across Puget Sound...had to really exercise the thinking muscle to remember this one!

Wonder how many times they've been busted only to pop back up?

Radio-X
 
Another mix is now in North Dade,
an LPFM called Mix 99.5 (WBUJ-LP) from Barry college.
 
Alex Browne said:
Driving through north Miami today, and picked up a station playing Caribbean music at 96.1 called "Mixx96." Looks like it's an Internet streamed station, but is the broadcast component a real station or a pirate? Can't find it on the usual radio lists.
Click to expand...

There's been some pirate vs. FCC activity in the area. This was the most recent post in the threads about "pirate stations" so I decided to post here.

The FCC on Wednesday, July 26, issued a pair of forfeiture orders to two illegal Haitian-Americans for broadcasts.

One was for a $15,000 penalty to Vilnord Simon at 103.1 MHz in North Miami, Fla., 103.1 MHz belongs to WUGR-LPFM and its on a tower located near the Calder Casino. Simon received a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture … and ignored the NAL.

Off I-95 in Lake Worth,Wilner Lundi was fined $15,000 for operating pirates radio on 91.5 MHz and 104.7 MHz. He ignored the NAL’s as well.

Then there was a recent bust with a station at 88.7 interfering with 88.9 WDNA as well, based on DNA’s complaints.

As of March 2017, the FCC issued over 1,500 warnings; out of 168 proposed fines, only 93 turned into almost a half-million in fines. The best part: half of the 93 pirates were in Florida – 46’ish, and South Florida has an estimated 30 odd pirates operations across the tri-county.

Personally, I’m always scanning the FM band on a long quad-county trip through South Florida. I have a good enough ear (I think) to differentiate a pirate vs. an LPFM, and I can pick up at least two-dozen pirates on a given trip. On a person note: To be honest, though, I feel the LPFM’s aren’t much better than the over modulated, mic-swallowing, wall-to-wall 20 spot “screamer” stop sets of the pirates; the LPFMs are all pretty sloppy in the programming, production, and hosting. And I keep hearing “calls to action” and actual “spots” on the air on the LPFMs—a license violation. And they miss their hour IDs, or give them out incorrectly. In terms of quality, I feel the Latin/Spanish LPFMs are better than the Haitian Caribbean ones, but not by much.

However, if you hop on the web, you can find really, nice, professional done LPFMs that stream on the web. Just not here in South Florida. So I am not anti-LPFM; I just wish the licenses issuing had a better quality control apparatus. One of the excellent ones (at least for Florida); I tuned into WJUP 103.9 on a recent trip. This was formerly WJTW-LP at 100.3 and was a fantastic LPFM. Dick Farrell from WBZT 1230's old days had a daily show on it; the new mid-day host at 95.9 the Palm (Kathy 'something') was WJTW/WJUPs midday host and GM...so that tells you of its high quality right there. I was VERY sad to hear WJTW was sold; and now, the church operators of WOIB-LPFM run it ....needless to say, it's awful. The quality is so bad at WOIB, I'd swear it was a "pirate," if not for knowing it is a "legal" station. Such a shame to see a quality LPFM bite the dust.
 
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Poor Radio Dude said:
As of March 2017, the FCC issued over 1,500 warnings; out of 168 proposed fines, only 93 turned into almost a half-million in fines. The best part: half of the 93 pirates were in Florida – 46’ish, and South Florida has an estimated 30 odd pirates operations across the tri-county.
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'Da Blaze' on 88.7 has been in operation for years and continues to broadcast despite being fined at least once by the FCC. When does the FCC move from monetary forfeiture to jail time for repeated violations?
 
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