What's pirate radio?

Question

What's pirate radio?

Answer 1

Most of these answers are mostly correct. Pirate radio is simply someone broadcasting without a license or broadcasting in excess of the limitations of their license.

But I must take issue with the gentleman above me - rnervous.

Marconi did not invent nor discover radio. Radio evolved as part theory, part discovery and part invention.The hypothesis and discovery of the possibility that radio could exist was made by James Maxwell who set forth the theory of magnetic waves. Then Heinrich Hertz created these waves in a laboratory setting.

Once the existence of the waves became known, several men fought for years over patents to various types of transmitters, receivers and their associated components for these waves. Included were, yes, Marconi, plus Edison, Tesla and many, many others.

It finally came down to Tesla and Marconi, with Marconi winning a Nobel Prize and being awarded the majority of the patents. Tesla fought it and eventually the case was won by his estate (tragically just months after his death in the early 1940s). By then radio was a well-established medium.

It was quite the controversy back in the day. Tesla the good guy, Marconi the bad guy who wrongly got all the credit - as you have demonstrated with your statement.

As to the FCC and conglomorates - I am no big fan of either, but there must be governmental control of the airwaves or there would be utter chaos. Stations would be overbroadcasting one another endlessly (this has actually happened in a modern western country as recently as several years ago in Italy until they got it straightened out - and it's still not completely right, amico).

Licenses in the US are for protection of a large investment in equipment, personnel, real estate and, yes, the license itself (which is the franchise). Though not cheap, they are not Gazillions of dollars either - usually. The cost is based on the size of the station (its power), the location and good will (how popular the station is and a multiple of how much ad revenue it generates). Actually in New York or LA it might be a Gazillion these days.

Mostly you have to find someone willing to sell you a frequency they own, as all the good ones are more or less taken (more on LP in a minute for those ready to jump me).

Then, once you've worked a deal, the FCC must approve your taking on that frequency in that geographic area and determine that you are capable of operating the station(s). That's where the fees go - to pay for the commission and its staffers and research. It's government, thus non-profit. The gazillions of dollars (sometimes) goes to the seller.

There are countless ways for ordinary individuals to broadcast legally. Low Power FM is one way, the internet is another, Ham operators might take exception to the answerers statement.

Not that I totally disagree. Terrestrial Radio has become boring and stale in many cases - but there are exceptions. But rather than gripe about it in YA, why not go out and make your way in the world and develop a radio show and/or station that is so compelling that you'll teach the Clear Channels and Cumulusses of the world a lesson, hmmm?

More on this is available through your favorite search engine so I'll shut up - as I'm sure now I'm starting to bore.

-a guy named duh

Answer 2

Pirate radio operators are primarily people that are tired of the system and want to be able to broadcast freely without the government telling them what to do.

Pirate radio is as the others have said unsanctioned radio by the FCC.  The operators do not have a license to broadcast (read didn't pay millions of dollars to pay off the FCC to have a right to broadcast).  The FCC though has made it nearly impossible for people to be able to broadcast their views and opinions since the only ones that can afford a license are big conglomerates that don't care anything about radio but just want to make money off of people.

That's essentially why radio sucks so bad and there is no diversity on radio at all.  No matter what town you go in all of the stations are running the same stuff over and over.  

The inventor of radio Marconi never envisioned that his creation would be destroyed by corporate sell outs.  The idea of radio was so that people could communicate with each other, but that's no longer possible in today's current climate so some people take it upon themselves to buy a transmitter, literally $500 and some equipment and broadcast until they are caught.

That's a little more about pirate radio that you don't usually get to hear.  Most pirate radio operators ensure that their stations are not interfering with the "paid slots" but the problem comes in when one gets to be really popular, the corporate stations call the FCC because they see their profits disappearing because these other stations are actually taking listeners away because they are doing what radio was originally designed to do, let people communicate with each other.

That's what really behind pirate radio and pirate radio operators.

Answer 3

Radio stations that do not have a license, and are commonly mounted in ships or vans so they can keep on the move and avoid getting zeroed in on.

Answer 4

its radio stations that broadcast without a license, ofcom regulates the license & its needed to make sure stations frequencies dont interupt each other & that broadcasts dont offend.

its usually consisted of wanna be dj's some good & some absolutly awfull.

the good ones use it to publicise themselves in the club circuit

Answer 5

you could be referring to KDKA in Pittsburgh - home of the Pittsburgh Pirate radio broadcasts?  that's some good pirate radio right there.  

or perhaps you are referring to scott shannon's lame attempt to inject life into LA radio int eh late 80s with his brand of "pirate radio" on the commercial FM airwaves.

it is also possible that you are referring to those who seek to "pump up the volume" of certain styles of music and entertainment and information - by taking to the airwaves "sans" government sanctioning.  these signals that hoist the jolly roger, also sometimes called clandestine, micropower, or "free radio" stations - have numerous rasons for operating.  sure, some are disgruntled radio dj wannabees, but others are serious about free speech and might feel a lack of a certain type of programming compels them to take to the airwaves.  

Andrew Yoder has written several books about pirates.  look him up on amazon.  in addition, b-side films just put out an excellent film (available dirt cheap) about pirate radio stations.  also my friend runs a site that specifically looks at pirates and other such stations (link below).  check em out.