I use Griffin Technology's iTrip to listen to podcasts on the way to work and back everyday on the FM station 87.9. I've heard that 87.9 is the best station to use because, according to iLounge, there are only three stations in the United States that broadcast on that frequency. However, I've noticed a strange little quirk over the past few weeks concerning 87.9 FM.
It seems that, while my iPod broadcasts my podcasts perfectly most of the time, I'll occasionally get interruptions from Howard Stern radio. Yeah, the show on Sirius radio that you normally have to pay for. How do I know it's Stern? Well, first of all, there's rampant cursing which you'd never hear on public radio. Secondly, I heard them give show ID for Howard Stern:
"You're listening to the Howard Stern show on Sirius Satellite radio."
Does this mean it's possible for a person to receive Howard Stern for free somehow? I can't pinpoint an exact place where I'm able to receive the show over the air, but I assume that someone could figure out a way to hear the show for free. I've never been a big fan of Stern, but I am interested in finding out how one would pirate satellite radio – seems pretty cool to me.
Some of the portable Sirius receivers use an FM transmitter dock to allow their use with car steros. Listeners pick a station on the dock, then tune their car’s FM radio to that station to hear the dock’s low power transmission on that channel.
There is no doubt that your recieving a signal from somebodies Sirius unit. Just about all Sirius recievers have an FM modulator in them just like the one you are using for your iPod. I guess somebody is using one at their house or office and you get the signal when driving by. Or possibly other people driving by. Maybe they have a larger antenna than normal, allowing you to hear it from far away. But I doubt its anything other than somebody listening to the show personally, rather than trying to pirate it.