A retired software engineer in Chicago is running a pirate radio station aimed at those who can’t sleep.
Bill Milosz transmits his signal on 89.7 MHz from the roof of his apartment building, according to DNAInfo.
“Audio Noir” airs 50-year-old police mysteries and thrillers from Milosz’s own collection. He describes himself as an insomniac and told the outlet listening to the programs distracts him enough so that he can fall asleep and he thought it might work for others. That’s why he started streaming the programs online.
Usually around 3 a.m., online listening peaks at about 3,000. He periodically broadcasts a station ID and seeks donations to help pay for his broadcast equipment as well as streaming costs.
But then the 60-year-old mounted a six-foot antenna on his building’s rooftop and he began broadcasting illegally, according to the account. The 89.7 MHz frequency is also used, legally, by a licensed Christian music station in nearby Kankakee.
Milosz doesn’t believe his 20-watt broadcasts interfere with that of the other station.
The FCC hasn’t caught up to Milosz yet, possibly because no local station has complained. The agency has a list of enforcement actions against pirates on its website.
This isn’t his first pirate station — Milosz founded an AM station in his parent’s basement when he was in high school, and was twice visited by FCC agents, according to the account.
