-Caveat Lector-
Two articles from Austin-Statesman, which make a bit more conspiratorial
sense when read in tandem. The first is about a pirate radio station in
Austin which had been operating with no real problems for well over half a
year before being suddenly shut down by the federal government for fear of
what they might have to say during a meeting of the Fortune 500. The second
jokes about the power that the CEOs wield in having their own private police
forces protecting them physically while the FCC protects them from
criticism.
It's interesting in that there are so few available media outlets, not
so much because of technical limitations but because of regulations on who
can operate them. If there's money involved it can be tolerated, but if
it's a voice of protest being heard it's shut down. This is a much more
interesting story than anything the corporatistas might have to say.
Charles Swenson
Austin, Tejas, USA, Gaia
Pirate radio station shut down
By Claire Osborn
American-Statesman Staff
Thursday, October 5, 2000
When the Federal Communications Commission tells you to zip your lip, it
wants you to listen. Otherwise an agent may show up in your back yard with a
pair of pliers.
That's what happened Wednesday morning to a pirate radio station in Austin.
An FCC agent scaled a 40-foot radio tower in the back yard of a Northeast
Austin house and cut the cable to Radio One, an unlicensed radio station
broadcasting since May at FM 94.3, said one of the station's founding
members.
The sudden silence couldn't have happened to a more Austin kind of station.
With hip-hop and techno music and shows by the Green Party, Native
Americans, Rastafarians and natural health experts, people were just busy
trying to present their point of view.
Authorities weren't amused. The radio station, housed in a shed behind a
residence at 7526 Meadowview Lane, was violating the law by operating
without an FCC license, according to a lawsuit filed by the United States
government.
Federal communications agents declined to comment about the raid on
Wednesday in which they seized the station's equipment, including two
turntables, a cassette player, two CD players, a mixing board, a jam box and
a phone.
Noel Waggener, one of the station's founders, said the crackdown was related
to a court case involving a San Marcos pirate radio station, KIND, operated
by Joe Ptak. That station stopped operating recently after a court order,
Waggener said.
Another reason for the shutdown of Radio One, Waggener said, is that an
estimated 150 corporate leaders are coming to Austin next week for the
Fortune 500 forum.
"We expose news and information pertaining to corporations' abuse of human
rights here in America," he said.
The FCC has closed down unlicensed community-based radio stations across the
United States in the past few years, including stations in Berkeley, Calif.,
and Tampa, Fla.
Agents found out about Radio One in Austin -- tucked away behind a gray,
nondescript house in a modest neighborhood -- by reading about it on the
Internet.
According to the lawsuit filed in Austin federal court, agent Loyd Perry
logged on to Austin 360.com and read an article from The Austin
American-Statesman that described a new pirate radio station. The article
quoted Waggener saying that as a gesture of civil disobedience the station
wasn't going to apply for a license.
Perry used electronic equipment to track the source of the radio signals and
found the station, the lawsuit said.
The FCC sent the station a letter in May warning operators to shut down
because it was unlicensed, but it never received a reply, the court document
said.
But Rob Wilson, who helped found the station, said the station sent a reply
asking for a waiver.
Radio One didn't apply for a license because it costs about $20,000, Wilson
said. The FCC was offering only one or two licenses for low-powered FM
stations in the Austin area, and Radio One figured it would not get one
because of intense competition from other groups such as churches, Wilson
said.
"We wanted to give the people in the community a voice on FM airwaves,"
Wilson said.
You may contact Claire Osborn at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 445-3630.
Security Detail
By Patrick Beach
American-Statesman Staff
Thursday, October 5, 2000
As many as 150 of the country's richest moguls are coming to Austin for the
big Fortune 500 summit this month. With murmurs of protests in addition to
the usual security concerns that go with such an event, you're likely to see
more edgy-looking guys in suits than when George W. Bush comes to town to
pick up his mail.
Those would be the bodyguards, the Kevlar-vested, concealed-weapon-carrying,
surveillance-mike-talking-into paid protectors of the very rich and very
targetable. Here then, a bodyguard FAQ:
What's a bodyguard?
In Texas, it's a private security officer who, in addition to being licensed
to carry a concealed weapon, has had additional training to become a
Personal Protection Officer, or PPO.
Have any of the Fortune 500 CEOs, in fact, contracted with Austin security
firms to watch their backs while they're here?
We'd tell you, but then we'd have to kill you.
No, really.
Many top CEOs contract their own security details that travel with them.
However, it's conceivable that if Michael Dell's guy eats some bad tuna
fish, Dell could hire an Austin firm for the day.
Are you saying Michael Dell has bodyguards? Cool.
"I probably shouldn't mention specific company names, but there are large
computer companies in Austin that have their own officers, and I have
trained some of those," says Sam Langford, owner of Austin Security Concepts
Inc.
Does bodyguard training include learning the lyrics to "I Will Always Love
You"?
I have a gun. Are you sure you want to be asking that?
What about "Have Gun, Will Travel"?
Um . . . yes. Although that was technically called "The Ballad of Paladin."
"A soldier of fortune is a man called Paladin," right?
"Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?" Right.
OK, I need a bodyguard. How much will it run me?
In Austin, generally anywhere from $45 to $75 an hour for each PPO. Not
cheap, but if somebody is legitimately worried about safety and security,
the value is incalculable.
And what happens after I hire you to protect me?
Jeff White of Austin's Statewide Patrol says it goes like this: There's a
background interview to determine why the subject feels she or he needs
protection. Then the firm determines whether the principal needs one guard,
or four, or 10.
"You put one guy or two guys on somebody who needs 10, not only is your
client compromised but so are your guys," says Kevin Moore of Emerald P.I.
(www.emeraldpi.com).
Itineraries and travel routes are reviewed and, in some instances, locations
are reconnoitered in advance.
Says White: "I've ridden in limos and I've ridden in bulletproof Suburbans."
Langford: "They would provide executive security, plan the visit, coordinate
with local law enforcement, coordinate their security efforts along with the
itinerary of the client. It varies with the person. There are PPOs that will
travel with the person. Traveling outside the state of Texas is a little
trickier because gun laws vary from state to state."
Every situation is different.
"Whoever the individual is, each person has a unique threat assessment,"
says Moore. "The CEO of Coca-Cola is going to have a different assessment
than the president of Colombia or Michael Dell. You want to have as much
information about the person and where they're heading. No one likes
surprises. If there is a surprise, they'd like to have the ability to
respond and have a backup."
Let's say I want to be a bodyguard. What kind of cool gear would I have?
White has a wireless surveillance microphone ($200), a Glock ($475),
concealment holsters ($250) and, of course, the the hopefully named
bulletproof vest ($400).
"I wouldn't guard a taco stand in this town without my vest on," White says.
And what's involved in the training?
We'd tell you, but --
You used that joke already.
Right. Well, there's the diamond formation, a fairly self-explanatory method
for surrounding the client with four PPOs. There's proper takedown of
suspects, use of the force continuum (from verbal warning to deadly force),
specialized shooting and the like. Officers also learn to be wary of
potential diversions -- a scuffle on the other side of the room might, in
fact, be aimed at distracting the PPOs.
"You always have to be aware," White says. "Not obsessed or paranoid, but
aware."
Prospective CEO-guarding PPOs also are required to take a personality
inventory test and undergo a psychological evaluation to make sure they
don't have, you know, significant mommy issues or something.
What glamorous bodyguarding assignments has White had?
Well, he kept an eye on some really expensive photographs at a private
gallery opening. He's wearing a suit, walking around, looking at the
photographs, saying, "I find this piece very interesting."
"I'm not an art critic, I'm just a bodyguard. I had no idea what I was
talking about," he says.
What if somebody starts shooting?
Not likely at an art gallery, but, according to "The Worst-Case Scenario
Survival Handbook," the thing to do is get as far away from the shooter as
rapidly as possible. The book also recommends running in a zigzag pattern to
make yourself more difficult to tag.
And gunfights go on for hours and hours, right, like in a John Woo movie?
Get real. Most gunbattles, says White, are over in three seconds. And
they're never in slow motion.
How many PPOs are there in Texas?
According to the Texas Commission on Private Security, 396.
And people are attracted to this line of work because of . . .
"The intrigue," White says. James Bond and all that. At the same time, "It's
not so cool. It's very serious. You can't get caught up in the glitz of
riding in the limo. You follow your guy to the bathroom."
You may contact Patrick Beach at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 445-3603.
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