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About Bilgemunky Radio Origins Bilgemunky Radio started with a love of pirate-themed music. Personally, I cut my teeth listening to sea chanties - primarily Schooner Fare - back in junior high school. This is perhaps why I never got invited to "cool" parties. In later years, my musical interests moved on to other genres, but then I found the sea again in the guise of Pirate Jenny and Captain Bogg & Salty. Far from the fun-yet-tame sea songs I remembered, these bands sang of piracy in all its glory. What's more, they didn't limit themselves to crusty, traditional ballads, but instead braved new musical waters entirely. In short, they were awsome! Years passed, and my CD collection grew. In time I discovered pirate alternative, pirate rock, pirate rap, and other pirate music that defied categorization entirely. I began writing reviews of pirate music at my website, Bilgemunky.com. And so it would have remained, but for a small online radio station known as YarRadio. YarRadio was meant to be the official radio station for Pirates of the Burning Sea - the at-the-time under construction (and at the time of this writing, STILL under construction) online pirate role playing game. The folks at YarRadio asked me to share my love of pirate music with their listeners by way of being a weekly DJ, and after some consideration I decided to give it a go. These early shows were both educational and fun, but sadly my relationship with YarRadio was doomed to be short-lived. I won't go into detail, but there was some bitterness, and I take a small amount of pride in noting that I'm still on the air, and they are not. My departure from YarRadio was followed by some months of serious research as I attempted to find the best way to do a legal "pirate" radio station. Eventually I found a home with LoudCity - an agency that handles royalties for small independent online broadcasters. This too would be a short-lived relationship, but this time it was through no fault of LoudCity nor myself. Bilgemunky Goes Full Indy The RIAA is the agency that collects royalties for all music played online. They do so with congressional approval, but - and here's the kicker - they don't require the permission of the bands on who's behalf they collect said royalties. Nor do they need the bands' permission to prosecute, persecute, or in any other way sue their way across the map, again on behalf of these very bands. And in 2007, they decided to increase the rates they charge broadcasters to crippling levels. Headlines nationwide argued if this would be the end of online broadcasting, and at the time of this writing the jury is still deliberating. But rather than wait for lawyers and politicians decide my fate, I took matters into my own hands. Always a supporter of intellectual property, but not of strong-armed beauracracies, I decided to remove myself from the equation entirely and took up an exhaustive effort to contact every independed band I played and work out my own, royalty-free arrangements. Most all bands were more than happy to participate (most never received dime one from the RIAA anyways.) Some music was bound to be lost (sadly, you will never again hear music from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on Bilgemunky Radio), but far more was secured. We can rest assured that pirate radio is here to stay!To Infinity and Beyond... Through Bilgemunky Radio, I get to share loads of great pirate music with listeners, which I adore doing. But I'm constantly looking for ways to add to the show's content. Look for upcoming contests, interviews, and other surprises as we move forward! << back |
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