FOREST RADIO!

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dylanross
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FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:39 pm

Hello.

I'd like to start a forest radio station. I don't know a huge amount about radio (I've built a few receivers and transmitters but nothing much really) but I think it's a pretty cool idea which probably wouldn't take (too) much time/ effort. We could have it linked with Forest Records and Radio Awesome and get all sorts of other programmes on it. We could have an audio book session similar to the film mondays! Maybe it's an idea for wherever our new home might be, or maybe it's something we can start to work on before we leave. Is anybody else interested? Does anybody have any ideas?

Dylan

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Margarida
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Margarida » Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:48 pm

YES. YES. YES.
Story Time (little poetic-philosophical-lifechanging-simple-story telling from you about your life), Forest Monster Tales (the best stories from your Forest), The Worst Song I've Ever Heard 5minute show (self-explanatory), Funky Astros (astrology and signs from dummies to dummies), Are You Talking to Me (love life, relationships and other stuff tips and general wise bonkers advice).

I could go on for hours, I've been planning a radio in my head for years now ahah

Can we make the Forest Radio happen, please please please pretty please with sugar and rainbow sprinkles on top? :D
only when the clock stops does time come to life

dylanross
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:58 pm

Nice ideas! I think horoscopes could be pretty hilarious. I think we'll be able to fill up programming pretty fast. We could play some of the best live events to come through forest thanks to the forest documentation team.

Dylan

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Margarida
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Margarida » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:14 pm

dylanross wrote:We could play some of the best live events to come through forest thanks to the forest documentation team.

Dylan
perfect!
only when the clock stops does time come to life

brittonie
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by brittonie » Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:32 pm

we could do caller interviews- or prank call interviews...
coupled with Crap tarot readings or some such nonsense.
wet, dirty and dangerous.

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Catalina
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Catalina » Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:49 pm

Radio sounds great! Want!!

p.s. I'm also great at horoscopes/ bad advice/ choosing bad songs and talking aimlessly for hours
'it's not a lie if you believe it' - George Costanza

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arizoniandreamer
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by arizoniandreamer » Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:52 am

Super! Yes yes yes YES! Do it please!!! One special invited guest every week? Maybe live streaming (as in people would do it on stage at the forest, some goldenhoury:-poetry-music-nonsense talk) and the audience could also get involved? (except weirdos :D)
online too, this way all the people who like forest but are not in edi anymore could enjoy our Real Talkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikI4fN5YurY

dai jones MUST have his own show

HGiles
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by HGiles » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:18 am

I'll pretend to be Roger McGough and do Poetry Please.

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Margarida
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Margarida » Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:03 am

arizoniandreamer wrote:
dai jones MUST have his own show
mega yes

and we could have some random vox-pop about some other random daily issues as well.
only when the clock stops does time come to life

mirja
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by mirja » Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:46 pm

utopia hour. of half/hour,
all those great and 'great' songs that made people to swear by them and want to make the world a better place.
some of them hilarious, some ace.

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boletes
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by boletes » Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:37 pm

This has my vote! Its a shame because I had a friend who set up a radiostation that really took off for him but we don't really speek anymore =/ I might be able to get some info on how to though :)

dylanross
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:12 pm

It's good to see so much positivity about the project. I'm back in England at the moment without much to do other than programming so as a break I'll look into what we'd need. Boletes, you should ask your friend too!

Lien
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Lien » Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:08 am

Yes, Yes, Yes !

You think there is space for Radio Awesome ?

What do you think of a afternoon in August of Nonsens Radio ?

Cool

Lien

dylanross
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:28 pm

I'm pretty sure radio awesome should be on there.

Still haven't looked up exactly what we need. I remember a few weeks ago I saw a radio transmitter for small radio stations which made me think "oh that's cheap", but I can't remember how much it was.

Dylan

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boletes
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by boletes » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:54 pm

So are you thinking like broadcasting in Edinburgh? thats a pretty cool idea if so because internet radio is great but theres so much of it....would be cool to pick up local transmissions and thats something that should be looked at by forest records...we're having a meeting in august i think...maybe best just message me what your thinking?

brittonie
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by brittonie » Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:21 pm

Hey neat- Dylan and I are taking on Forest Records at the moment...
The radio thing is deff going to work well with that.
:)
wet, dirty and dangerous.

ChaoticReality
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by ChaoticReality » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:00 pm

So, I was going to do this last festival and it's pretty feasible. If you made/bought a small transmitter (10W should do) and ran an aerial up the outside of the roof, you'd in theory be able to broadcast for about 10-15 miles (although in reality it will be less because there are taller buildings than us nearby). I started putting bits together for it, so if I can find where I packed them, I can donate them to the project.

One thing I would take care with (not to be a killjoy or anything) is that unless you have a license, broadcasting radio is illegal in the UK under several laws, but most recently the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006:
It is unlawful—

(a)to establish or use a wireless telegraphy station, or

(b)to install or use wireless telegraphy apparatus,

except under and in accordance with a licence (a “wireless telegraphy licence”) granted under this section by OFCOM.
With a lower power transmission, I doubt we'd have to worry about it, but I wouldn't put it past the authorities to be doing checks, especially during festival time and under Chapter 4, you can be prosecuted just for having the equipment, whether or not you're actually using it. They can also prosecute the person responsible for the building being used as a transmission site as well as anyone who has helped:
(2)A person commits an offence if—

(a)he participates in the management, financing, operation or day-to-day running of the broadcasting station knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that unauthorised broadcasts are made by the station;

(b)he supplies, instals, repairs or maintains wireless telegraphy apparatus or any other item knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that unauthorised broadcasts are made by the station;
It's even breaking the law to advertise the station, which could include this thread (given that it's in a public area of the message board):
(i)he publishes the times or other details of unauthorised broadcasts made by the broadcasting station, or (otherwise than by publishing such details) publishes an advertisement of matter calculated to promote the station (whether directly or indirectly), knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that unauthorised broadcasts are made by the station.
Penalties are up to 6 months and up to £250,000 fine.

Like I said, I don't think it will be an issue and I was going to have a go at doing something like this last year but ran out of time/energy so would love to help if it gets up and running as a viable idea.
Mike

Dawnsio 'mlaen i'r gwres prynhawn a rwy'n addo erbyn yfori byddai wedi mynd, hwyl fawr i pawb, hwyl fawr i pawb...

dylanross
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:23 pm

Thanks very much for that information Mike, it's good to know the legal side of stuff. Any idea how much it costs to obtain a license/ what the requirements are?

I think a 10 mile-ish radius sounds good- it should cover Edinburgh city (at least the center, where I think most of our customers/ foresty people live).

Don't have time to say much else but I have plenty of thoughts which I'll post asap.

Dylan

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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by ChaoticReality » Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:57 pm

dylanross wrote:Any idea how much it costs to obtain a license/ what the requirements are?
You can get a Restricted Service License for a month, but it costs about £1000 for a 1W broadcast and about £2000 for up to 25W plus various Ofcom fees etc (about £500) so it's pretty much out the question for us.
Mike

Dawnsio 'mlaen i'r gwres prynhawn a rwy'n addo erbyn yfori byddai wedi mynd, hwyl fawr i pawb, hwyl fawr i pawb...

brittonie
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by brittonie » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:11 pm

i don't think we need one- it seems like we should only broadcast throughout the building...
wet, dirty and dangerous.

dylanross
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by dylanross » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:17 pm

I think broadcasting through the building is a good idea for the festival project, but in the future it would be good to have a city-wide radio station being broadcast from the forest.

Dylan

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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by ChaoticReality » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:38 pm

brittonie wrote:i don't think we need one- it seems like we should only broadcast throughout the building...
If by broadcast you mean "wire in a lot of speakers all round the building" then yes. If you mean actually broadcast then even if it's low power enough to be confined within the building, they could potentially still fuck you about the license, although it's highly highly unlikely.
Mike

Dawnsio 'mlaen i'r gwres prynhawn a rwy'n addo erbyn yfori byddai wedi mynd, hwyl fawr i pawb, hwyl fawr i pawb...

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Jimmy Bastard
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by Jimmy Bastard » Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:49 pm

Don't no government own the air.

This is very fucking cool, I would love to see it happen, I think it has been mooted a number of times, myself included,
I got as far as branding it
Radio Motherfucker
[MF FM]
Mother Fucker Frequency Modulation

but I had neither the technical nouse nor the driving chops to see it through.
But I would be more than chuffed to put together 1 hour of broadcast quality programming slotted in within its schedule.
If you operate sans license then maybe you should change your name from Forest Radio to some alternative, Hotel Du FM might be a siggestion.
Back in the not so distant day I recall a documentary on pirate radio, it made for equal part grim and hilarious & often embarrassing viewing, gangster wannabe frontings and such, hold on, it's up on Youhole, well worth a watch I should say
Towerblock Dreams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7FldOQ2DwQ
Anyways.
Go. Go. Go.
Pep Up The Turmoil

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boletes
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by boletes » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:13 pm

We could try and get a grant, buy a licence and relly on local sponsors to keep it going.....or we could do it pirate...forest is a collective so if anyone cared theres nobody to really pin down right? I doubt anyone would care anyway cause we'd not be making money. Maybe theres a loophole somewhere :p

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boletes
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Re: FOREST RADIO!

Post by boletes » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:20 pm

Or go the internet radio route like http://www.live365.com/pro/index.html and post flyers around edinburgh....probably the easiest but least cool option.

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