DJ Snipes, now legit, on the day FCC came knocking about pirate radio station

by Christian Brown

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Daryl Jones, aka DJ Snipes, made a name for himself in Clarksville for about seven years with his pirate radio station, drawing lots of fans by mixing beats and broadcasting over the airwaves – without a license.

He also made a name for himself with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which led the agency to pay Jones a visit.

‘One thing Clarksville didn’t have’

Jones, one of three DJs taking the mic on 99.1 The Fort, grew up in Miami, where they had an underground DJ who he looked up to his entire life. When he moved to Clarksville around 20 years ago, he realized that while there were a couple of hip-hop radio stations out of Nashville, Clarksville didn’t have one of its own.

So he took a cue from his Miami hero and created his own. For several years, Jones operated an underground/pirate radio station from his home in New Providence, and the city embraced him, he said.

After a while, Jones moved to north Clarksville off of Airport Road. But that new location drew a bit more federal attention.

“Now I have the Army base on one side of me, and I have the airport on the other side. … It didn’t take long. The FCC is knocking on my door, and they have the police with them. They were telling me they need to come inside and said, ‘You’re playing illegal music on the radio, so we’re allowed to come inside.’ I said, ‘If you were allowed to come inside, you wouldn’t have knocked.'”

Jones said he knew they needed a warrant to enter the premises. But he compiled with their request to turn off his unlicensed radio station. A month later, the FCC sent Jones a letter warning him not to do it again.

By the time he received the follow-up letter, though, he had already transitioned his station from the radio to an app specifically designed for him and his music.

Then, a few months ago, the opportunity to host a show on the new 99.1 The Fort fell into his lap.

“This is better than anything I could have expected … But Kevin (Miskimins) told me I’m the only one in the 5 Star Media building that has had the chance to meet the FCC, and let’s keep it that way.”