After the FCC shut them down the duo turned to late-night prank calls, lighting up Long John Nebel & Candy Jones on WMCA, Larry King, phone operators, random strangers, and more.

0:00 – Intro & who Hank Hayes and Jim Nasium are1:15 – The first pirate transmission experiment (“Penny Lane” by The Beatles)3:00 – Growing into a full AM station heard across the eastern U.S.8:30 – 50+ years of pirate radio (December 1975 beginnings)12:00 – The FCC takes notice & introduction of Judah Mansbach16:00 – Classic Judah Mansbach answering-machine threat18:00 – Why they did pirate radio (fun + filling the gap in commercial radio)20:00 – Hank’s short stint in legal radio and why it failed27:00 – The salumeria “sympathy?” story after the CBS appearance32:40 – Watching the full CBS No Holds Barred segment (Hank as Hal Hall, Jim as Larry McCrae, Judah Mansbach & Alexander Zimny)1:31:00 – Radio New York International (RNI) ship footage begins – boarding The Wave and the Sarah1:34:00 – The ship tower, FM antennas (103.1), and transmission line1:35:45 – Below decks: the studio, WPIX mixing board, and row of transmitters1:45:00 – Pete’s Sake calls in (GeoCities, Judah email, RNI memories)1:56:00 – News coverage: all charges against RNI dropped after the raid1:59:00 – Aftermath – Al Weiner gets legal license (WBCQ Monticello, Maine)2:03:00 – Closing, subscribe calls & classic RNI-style sign-off

Brooklyn Pirate Radio Giants Hank Hayes, Jim Nazium, and Pete Sayek reunite for an epic Episode 17 of The Pirate Radio Guy Podcast! Dive into their wild stories from Brooklyn pirate WHOT, WFAT, WCPR to professional gigs at the ABC Radio Networks!They share hilarious tales of satellite rollouts with StarGuide receivers, Chris Tobin's legendary $50/hour hustle that launched Hank's freelance career, near-misses programming real stations including WGCH's Dennis Jackson bowing to hank on his knees, broken promises at weddings, DIY mixing with tape decks and a Gemini board, and the chaotic day the FCC busted their plans.From pirate radio freedom to corporate radio constraints, "yellow notepad" pre-approved bits .vs spontaneous comedy, and endless equipment fails—this nostalgic conversation is packed with laughs, radio history, and Brooklyn grit. Perfect for fans of classic radio, pirate broadcasting, 70s/80s DJ culture, and behind-the-scenes engineering stories.Insight: Hank & friends' detailed proposal to turn WVNJ (future Z100) into a top 40 hit station with Empire State transmitter—elements of which were later adopted—dismissed as too risky by the brain surgeon owner.New York City in the early 80s had no true contemporary hit radio station. Hank Hayes and crew spotted the gap and delivered a sharp proposal for WVNJ (which became Z100): launch Top 40, move the transmitter to the Empire State Building (license in NJ be damned), and dominate within months.The owner—a top brain surgeon—called it "spitting in the wind" and stuck with his "radio guy." Months later, Z100 launched with Top 40 and the Zoo format, borrowing elements from the pirates' energetic WHOT Brooklyn style. Episode 17 is full of these "we were right" radio war stories, the tension between bold innovation and risk aversion, and how pirate creativity influenced mainstream broadcasting.Timestamps (approximate):00:00 Intro & ABC Radio Days07:00 ABC StarGuide Satellite Project & Chris Tobin Stories22:00 Pirate Radio Roots & Kingsborough College29:00 Real Radio Reality Check at 1400 WSTC37:00 Dennis Jackson, WNYQ & Kneeling Moment50:00 Z100 Proposal & "Spitting in the Wind"1:05:00 FCC Busts & Missed Opportunities1:12:00 Early Equipment: Tape Deck Mixing to Gemini Board1:30:00 Stromboli Cam & Future PlansSubscribe for more pirate radio history, rare airchecks, and unfiltered radio stories!