WBCQ Shortwave Transmission Station, Maine

WBCQ The Planet, is a shortwave station in northern Maine, that transmits a wide (perhaps the widest) variety of programs on legal shortwave. It is the only licensed (non-pirate) shortwave station dedicated to free speech, and is managed by former pirate radio broadcaster Alan Weiner. In 1986 Weiner became well known for operating an unlicensed radio station on a ship in international waters off the shore of New York City, which was raided and destroyed by federal authorities within a few days. Since then he has built up a powerful free speech shortwave and AM station that broadcasts legally on property he owns in Monticello, Maine. He has a 500,000 watt Continental transmitter, and a few additional 50,000-watt transmitters. Programming, especially religious programming, pays the electric bills, but WBCQ will consider almost any content that is sent to them. There are less than a dozen large shortwave radio stations broadcasting internationally from the continental USA. Most of them are transmitting Christian programming to some of the estimated 250 million people in remote parts of the world that still listen to shortwave radios.