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			{{short description\|Illegal or unregulated radio transmissions}}
	{{Other uses\|Pirate Radio (disambiguation)}}
			{{other uses\|Pirate Radio (disambiguation)}}
	'''Pirate radio''' is illegal or unregulated ] transmission. Its ] can be traced to the unlicensed nature of the transmission, but historically there has been occasional but notable ] – fitting the most common perception of a ] – as broadcasting bases. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal ] operation. Rules and regulations vary widely from country to country. In the ] and many ], many types of radio licenses exist, and often the term pirate radio generally describes the unlicensed broadcast of ], ], or ] signals over a wide range.
			{{more citations needed\|date=April 2022}}

			] was a platform off the Dutch coast used as a pirate radio station in 1964 before being dismantled by the Netherlands Marine Corps.]]
	In some cases radio stations are deemed legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially when the signals cross a national boundary. In other cases, a broadcast may be considered "pirate" due to the nature of its content, its transmission format (especially a failure to transmit a ] according to regulations), or the transmit power (wattage) of the station, even if the transmission is not technically illegal (such as a ] or an ] transmission). Pirate radio stations are sometimes called '''bootleg stations''' (a term especially associated with ]), '''clandestine stations''' (associated with heavily politically motivated operations) or ''Free Radio'' stations.
			'''Pirate radio''' is a ] that ] without a valid license.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=21 May 2023 \|title=Pirate radio/television station \|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/pirate-radio-television-station \|website=Online Cambridge Dictionary}}</ref> In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially when the signals cross a national boundary. In other cases, a broadcast may be considered "pirate" due to the nature of its content, its transmission format (especially a failure to transmit a ] according to regulations), or the transmit power (wattage) of the station, even if the transmission is not technically illegal (such as an ] transmission). Pirate radio is sometimes called '''bootleg radio'''<ref name="Misiroglu">{{cite book \|editor-last=Misiroglu \|editor-first=Gina \|title=American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History \|date=2015 \|publisher=Routledge \|location=New York \|isbn=978-1-317-47728-0 \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iICsBwAAQBAJ&q=%22pirate+radio%22+bootleg \|chapter=Pirate Radio \|quote=An unlicensed FM station (often run by an amateur radio operator) that manages to occupy a commercial or state-run FM band is an example of a pirate or "bootleg" radio station}}</ref> (a term especially associated with ]), '''clandestine radio''' (associated with heavily politically motivated operations) or '''free radio'''.

			==History==
	==Pirate-radio history and examples==
			Radio "piracy" began with the advent of regulations of the airwaves at the dawn of the ]. Initially, radio, or wireless as it was more commonly called at the time, was an open field of hobbyists and early inventors and experimenters.
	Radio "piracy" began with the advent of regulations of the public airwaves in the United States at the dawn of the ]. Initially, radio, or wireless as it was more commonly called, was an open field of hobbyists and early inventors and experimenters, including ], ], and ]. The United States Navy began using radio for time signals and weather reports on the east coast of the United States in the 1890s. Before the advent of valve (vacuum tube) technology, early radio enthusiasts used noisy ]s, such as the first spark-gap modulation technology pioneered by the first real audio (rather than telegraph code) radio broadcaster, ], in San Jose, California, or the infamous ] used by almost all early experimenters. The Navy soon began complaining to a sympathetic press that amateurs were disrupting naval transmissions. The May 25, 1907, edition of ''Electrical World'' in an article called "Wireless and Lawless" reported authorities were unable to prevent an amateur from interfering with the operation of a government station at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard using legal means.
			The degree of state control varied by country. For example, in the UK, ]'s work was supported by the post office, but in an era of weak regulation, a music hall magician ] deliberately hijacked a demonstration.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}

			The ] began using radio for time signals and weather reports on the ] in the 1890s. Before the advent of ] technology, early radio enthusiasts used (electronically) noisy ]s. The Navy soon began complaining to a sympathetic press that amateurs were disrupting naval transmissions. The May 25, 1907, edition of ''Electrical World',' in an article called "Wireless and Lawless," reported authorities were unable to prevent an amateur from interfering with the operation of a government station at the ] using legal means.<ref name="Electrical world">{{cite book\| title=Electrical world\| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TAZRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1023\| access-date=6 March 2012\| year=1907\| publisher=McGraw-Hill\| pages=1023–}}</ref>
	In the run-up to the London Radiotelegraph Convention in 1912 (essentially an international ] on use of the radio band, non-binding and, on the high seas, completely null), and amid concerns about the safety of marine radio following the sinking of the {{RMS\|Titanic}} on April 15 of that year (although there were never allegations of radio interference in that event), the '']'' of April 17, 1912, headlined President ]'s initiative to regulate the public airwaves in an article titled "President Moves to Stop Mob Rule of Wireless."

			In the run-up to the London Radiotelegraph Convention in 1912, and amid concerns about the safety of marine radio following the sinking of the {{RMS\|Titanic}} on April 15 of that year, the '']'' of April 17, 1912, headlined President ]'s initiative to regulate the public airwaves in an article titled "President Moves to Stop Mob Rule of Wireless."{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}
	When the "Act to Regulate Radio Communication" was passed on August 13, 1912, amateurs and experimenters were not banned from broadcasting; rather, amateurs were assigned their own frequency spectrum and licensing and ] were introduced. By regulating the public airwaves, President Taft thus created the legal space for illicit broadcasts to take place. An entire federal agency, the ] was formed in 1927 and succeeded in 1934 by the ]. These agencies would enforce rules on call-signs, assigned frequencies, licensing and acceptable content for broadcast.

			===United States===
	The ] gave the president legal permission to shut down radio stations "in time of war", and during the first two and a half years of World War One, before US entry, President Wilson tasked the US Navy with monitoring US radio stations, nominally to ensure "neutrality." The Navy used this authority to shut down amateur radio in the western part of the US (the US was divided into two civilian radio "districts" with corresponding call-signs, beginning with K in the west and W in the east, in the regulatory measures; the Navy was assigned call-signs beginning with N). When Wilson declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he also issued an executive order closing most radio stations not needed by the US government. The Navy took it a step further and declared it was illegal to listen to radio or possess a receiver or transmitter in the US, but there were doubts they had the authority to issue such an order even in war time. The ban on radio was lifted in the US in late 1919.<ref></ref>
			In the US, the ] assigned amateurs and experimenters their own frequency spectrum, and introduced licensing and ]. A federal agency, the ], was formed in 1927 and succeeded in 1934 by the ]. These agencies would enforce rules on call-signs, assigned frequencies, licensing, and acceptable content for broadcast.

			The Radio Act of 1912 gave the president legal permission to shut down radio stations "in time of war". During the first two and a half years of ], before US entry, ] tasked the US Navy with monitoring US radio stations, nominally to "ensure neutrality." The US was divided into two civilian radio "districts" with corresponding call-signs, beginning with "K" in the west and "W" in the east. The Navy was assigned call-signs beginning with "N". The Navy used this authority to shut down amateur radio in the western part of the US. When Wilson declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he also issued an ] closing most radio stations not needed by the US government. The Navy took it a step further and declared it was illegal to listen to radio or possess a receiver or transmitter in the US, but there were doubts they had the authority to issue such an order even in war time. The ban on radio was lifted in the US in late 1919.<ref>{{cite web\| url=https://earlyradiohistory.us/index.html \|title=Thomas H. White. "United States Early Radio History" \|publisher=Earlyradiohistory.us \|access-date=2011-06-16}}</ref>
	In 1924, New York City station ] was accused of being an "outlaw" station by ] (then ]) for violating trade licenses which permitted only AT&T stations to sell ] on their transmitters. As a result of the AT&T interpretation a landmark case was heard in court, which even prompted comments from ] ] when he took a public stand in the station's defense. Although AT&T won its case, the furor created was such that those restrictive provisions of the transmitter license were never enforced.

			In 1924, New York City station ] was accused by the ] (AT&T) of being an "outlaw station" for violating trade licenses which permitted only AT&T stations to sell ] on their transmitters. As a result of the AT&T interpretation, a landmark case was heard in court, which even prompted comments from ] ] when he took a public stand in the station's defense. Although AT&T won its case, the furor created was such that those restrictive provisions of the transmitter license were never enforced.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}
	In 1948, the United Nations brought into being the ], of which Article 19 states
	:"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

			]
	It didn't take long for this to be challenged by various governments.
			In 1926, ] in Chicago changed its frequency to one previously reserved for Canadian stations without getting permission to make the change, and was charged by the federal government with "wave piracy". The resulting legal battle found that the Radio Act of 1912 did not allow the US government to require stations to operate on specific frequencies, and the result was the passage of the ] to strengthen the government's regulatory authority.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}

			While ] issued radio station ] with a license to broadcast, the power of its 250 ] transmitter was far greater than the maximum of 50 kW authorized for commercial use by the government of the United States of America. Consequently, XERF and many other radio stations in Mexico, which sold their broadcasting time to sponsors of English-language commercial and religious programs, were labelled as "]s", but not "pirate radio stations", even though the content of many of their programs could not have been aired by a US-regulated broadcaster. Predecessors to XERF, for instance, had originally broadcast in ], advocating "]" for improved masculinity, but moved to Mexico to evade US laws about advertising medical treatments, particularly unproven ones.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}
	In Europe, Denmark had the first known radio station in the world to broadcast commercial radio from a vessel in international waters without permission from the authorities in the country that it broadcast to (Denmark in this case). The station was named ] and began transmission on August 2, 1958. In the Danish newspapers it was soon called a "pirate radio".

			=== Europe===
	The term had been used previously in Britain and the US to describe unlicensed land based broadcasters and even ]. For example, a 1940 British comedy about an unauthorized TV broadcaster, '']'', uses the phrase "pirate station" several times.
			In Europe, ] had the first known radio station in the world to broadcast commercial radio from a vessel in ] without permission from the authorities in the country to which it broadcast (Denmark in this case). The station was named ] and began transmission on August 2, 1958. In the Danish newspapers it was soon called a "pirate radio". In the Netherlands in 1964, ''Radio Noordzee'' and ''TV Noordzee'' began broadcasting from the ] and ] acquired a new ship, a converted ] named '']''.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}

			==== United Kingdom ====
	In the 1960s in the UK, the term referred to not only a perceived unauthorized use of the state-run spectrum by the unlicensed broadcasters but also the risk-taking nature of offshore radio stations that actually operated on anchored ships or marine platforms.
			{{Main article\|Pirate radio in the United Kingdom}}

	A good example of this kind of activity was ] located in the Grand Duchy of ]. The English language evening broadcasts from Radio Luxembourg were beamed by Luxembourg licensed transmitters. The audience in the United Kingdom originally listened to their radio sets by permission of a ] issued by the British ] (GPO). However, under terms of that ~~Wireless~~ ~~Licence~~, it was an offence under the ] to listen to ''unauthorised'' broadcasts, which possibly included those transmitted by Radio Luxembourg. Therefore as far as the British authorities were concerned, Radio Luxembourg was a "pirate radio station" and British listeners to the station were breaking the law (although as the term 'unauthorised' was never properly defined it was somewhat of a legal ]). This did not stop British newspapers from printing programme schedules for the station, or a British weekly magazine aimed at teenage girls, ''Fab 208'' from promoting the "DJs" and their lifestyle (Radio Luxembourg's wavelength was 208 metres (1439, then 1440~~ ~~kHz)).		In the 1960s in the UK, the term referred to not only a perceived unauthorized use of the state-run spectrum by the unlicensed broadcasters but also the risk-taking nature of ] stations that actually operated on anchored ships or marine platforms. The term had been used previously in Britain and the US to describe unlicensed land-based broadcasters and even ]s. For example, a 1940 British comedy about an unauthorized TV broadcaster, '']'', uses the phrase "pirate station" several times. A good example of this kind of activity was ] located in the Grand Duchy of ]. The English language evening broadcasts from Radio Luxembourg were beamed by Luxembourg-licensed transmitters. The audience in the United Kingdom originally listened to their radio sets by permission of a ] issued by the British ] (GPO). However, under terms of that wireless license, it was an offence under the ] to listen to ''unauthorised'' broadcasts, which possibly included those transmitted by Radio Luxembourg. Therefore, as far as the British authorities were concerned, Radio Luxembourg was a "pirate radio station" and British listeners to the station were breaking the law (although as the term 'unauthorised' was never properly defined it was somewhat of a legal ]). This did not stop British newspapers from printing programme schedules for the station, or a British weekly magazine aimed at teenage girls, ''Fab 208'', from promoting the DJs and their lifestyle. (Radio Luxembourg's wavelength was 208 metres (1439, then 1440 kHz)).{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}

	Radio Luxembourg was later joined by ~~three~~ other well known pirate stations received in the UK in violation of UK licensing, ]~~, North~~ and ~~South, plus~~ ] ~~which~~ ~~became~~ ~~Caroline~~ South and ], all of which broadcast from vessels anchored outside of territorial limits and were therefore legitimate. ], for instance (although transmitting illegally), was registered for ] and even had its address and telephone number in local telephone directories.		Radio Luxembourg was later joined by other well-known pirate stations received in the UK in violation of UK licensing, including ] and ] (subsequently Radio Carolines North and South respectively, following their merger and the original ship's relocation), ], and ], all of which broadcast from vessels anchored outside of territorial limits and were therefore legitimate. ], for instance, although transmitting illegally was registered for ] and even had its address and telephone number in local telephone directories.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}

			By the 1970s, pirate radio in the UK had mostly moved to land-based broadcasting, transmitting from ] in towns and cities.{{proveit\|date=August 2024}}
	Where actual sea-faring vessels are not involved, the term ''pirate radio'' is a political term of convenience as the word "]" suggests an illegal venture, regardless of the broadcast's actual legal status. The radio station ] located at ], ], Mexico, just across the ] from ], USA, is an example.

			==Free radio==
	While Mexico issued radio station XERF with a license to broadcast, the power of its 250 ] transmitter was far greater than the maximum of 50 kW authorized for commercial use by the government of the United States of America. Consequently, XERF and many other radio stations in Mexico, which sold their broadcasting time to sponsors of English-language commercial and religious programs, were labelled as "]s", but not "pirate radio stations", even though the content of many of their programs were in violation of US law. Predecessors to XERF, for instance, had originally broadcast in ], advocating "]" for improved masculinity, but moved to Mexico to evade US laws about advertising medical treatments, particularly unproven ones.

			Another variation on the term ''pirate radio'' came about during the "]" in ] during the 1960s. "Free radio" usually referred to secret and unlicensed land-based transmissions. These were also tagged as being pirate radio transmissions. Free Radio was used only to refer to radio transmissions that were beyond government control{{Citation needed\|reason=That doesn't seem to match up with primary sources.\|date=September 2022}}, as was offshore radio in the UK and Europe.
	===Free radio===

			The term ''free radio'' was adopted by the Free Radio Association of listeners who defended the rights of the offshore radio stations broadcasting from ships and marine structures off the ].
	Another variation on the term ''pirate radio'' came about during the "]" in ] during the 1960s. These were "'''Free radio'''", which usually referred to clandestine and unlicensed land-based transmissions. These were also tagged as being pirate radio transmissions. Free Radio was only ever used to refer to Radio transmissions that were beyond government control, as was offshore radio in the UK and Europe.

	The term ''free radio'' was adopted by the ] of listeners who defended the rights of the offshore "radio stations" broadcasting from ships and marine structures off the coastline of the United Kingdom.
	] points out:		] points out:

	{{~~cquote~~\|Technological development, and in particular the miniaturization of transmitters and the fact that they can be put together by amateurs, 'encounters' a collective aspiration for some new means of expression.~~\|200\|50~~\|Félix Guattari<ref>Félix Guattari. "Plan for the Planet". In ''Molecular Revolution. Psychiatry and Politics''. London: Penguin Books, 1984. p. 269.</ref>}}		{{quote\|Technological development, and in particular the miniaturization of transmitters and the fact that they can be put together by amateurs, 'encounters' a collective aspiration for some new means of expression.\|Félix Guattari<ref>Félix Guattari. "Plan for the Planet". In ''Molecular Revolution. Psychiatry and Politics''. London: Penguin Books, 1984. p. 269.</ref>}}

	In Europe, in addition to adopting the term ''free radio'', supportive listeners of what had been called pirate radio adopted the term ''']''', which was usually the term used by the owners of the marine broadcasting stations.

	More recently the term Free Radio implied that the broadcasts were commercial free and the station was only there for the output, be it a type of music or spoken opinion. In this context, 'Pirate' radio thus refers to stations that do advertise and plug various gigs and raves.

	==Pirate radio by geographical area ==
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in Asia}}
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in Australasia}}
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in Central America and Caribbean Sea}}
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in Europe}}
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in the Middle East}}
	{{seealso\|Pirate radio in North America}}

	Since this subject covers national territories, international waters and international airspace, the only effective way to treat this subject is on a country by country, international waters and international airspace basis. Because the laws vary, the interpretation of the term ''pirate radio'' also varies considerably.

	==Propaganda broadcasting==		==Propaganda broadcasting==
	Propaganda broadcasting may be authorized by the government at the transmitting site, but may be considered unwanted or ~~lillegal~~ by the government of the intended reception area. Propaganda broadcasting conducted by national governments against the interests of other national governments has created ] stations transmitting noises on the same frequency, to prevent reception of the incoming signal. While the ] transmitted its programs towards the ], which attempted to ] them, in 1970 the government of the United Kingdom decided to employ a jamming transmitter to drown out the incoming transmissions from the commercial station ], which was based aboard the ~~Motor~~ ~~Vessel~~ (MV) ''Mebo II'' anchored off southeast England in the ]. Other examples of this type of unusual broadcasting include the ], a ] ] which both originated and relayed broadcasts of the ] from an anchorage at the ] island of ] to ] countries. Balloons have been flown above ] to support the TV transmissions of ], which are directed at ] (~~The~~ Cuban government jams the signals). Military broadcasting aircraft have been flown over ], ] and many other nations by the ]~~. The ] financially supported a radio station broadcasting news and information into the ] from a ship anchored in international waters~~.		] broadcasting may be authorized by the government at the transmitting site, but may be considered unwanted or illegal by the government of the intended reception area. Propaganda broadcasting conducted by national governments against the interests of other national governments has created ] stations transmitting noises on the same frequency to prevent reception of the incoming signal. While the ] transmitted its programs towards the ], which attempted to jam them, in 1970 the government of the United Kingdom decided to employ a jamming transmitter to drown out the incoming transmissions from the commercial station ], which was based aboard the motor vessel (MV) ] anchored off southeast England in the ]. Other examples of this type of unusual broadcasting include the ], a ] ] which both originated and relayed broadcasts of the '']'' from an anchorage at the ] island of ] to ] countries. Balloons have been flown above ], to support the TV transmissions of ], which are directed at ] (the Cuban government jams the signals). Military broadcasting aircraft have been flown over ], ], and many other nations by the ].

	==~~New~~ ~~media~~ ~~pirate~~ radio==		==Piracy in amateur and two-way radio==
	Pirate radio has long been synonymous with AM (LW,MW & SW) and FM (VHF) unlicensed broadcasting and "border blasting" in most parts of the world. With the advent of the internet, many conventional AM/FM radio stations have also taken to simulcasting via the web. These range from public broadcasters, licensed commercial radio, and in some countries, the 3rd tier of low power license exempt radio stations.

			Illegal use of licensed radio spectrum (also known as ''bootlegging'' in ] circles)<ref name="Gibilisco1997">{{cite book\|author=Stan Gibilisco\|title=TAB Encyclopedia of Electronics for Technicians and Hobbyists\|url=https://archive.org/details/tabencyclopediao0000gibi\|url-access=registration\|date=1 January 1997\|publisher=McGraw-Hill\|isbn=978-0-07-024190-9}}</ref> is fairly common and takes several forms.
	Despite pirate radio being known for over the air transmission, a new type of so called "pirate radio" stations now operate on-line. The distinguishing feature is that these on-line pirates will usually not pay music copyright fees, like most of their AM/FM pirate cousins.
	These on-line stations will usually attract a small and loyal audience and may go unnoticed by the authorities, unlike the real AM/FM pirates who can easily be heard and traced on a conventional radio. The common term for this type of operation is better served by the term "Studio Pirates" rather than pirate radio, as no real radio transmitter is used.

			*Unlicensed operation—Particularly associated with amateur radio and licensed personal communication services such as ], this refers to use of radio equipment on a section of spectrum for which the equipment is designed but on which the user is not licensed to operate (most such operators are informally known as "bubble pack pirates" from the sealed plastic retail packaging common to such walkie-talkies). While piracy on the US GMRS band, for example, is widespread (some estimates have the number of total GMRS users outstripping the number of licensed users by several orders of magnitude), such use is generally disciplined only in cases where the pirate's activity interferes with a licensee. A notable case is that of former United States amateur operator ] operating under the revoked ] KG6IRO<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.w5yi.org/ama_news_article.php?id=85 \|title=W5YI Report \|publisher=W5yi.org \|access-date=2011-06-16}}</ref> who was successfully prosecuted by the FCC for unlicensed operation and malicious interference.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Apologetic Radio Jammer Jack Gerritsen Gets Seven Years, Fines\|url=http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/09/19/100/\|work=ARRL Web\|date=Sep 19, 2006\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402214226/http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/09/19/100/\|archive-date=April 2, 2007}}</ref> A subcategory of this is free banding, the use of allocations nearby a legal allocation, most typically the 27 MHz ] using modified or purpose-built gear.
	A recent case of on-line studio pirate was seen in the UK. Hitz Radio(UK) (not to be confused with HitzRadio.com in the United States) managed to attract large amounts of mainstream media publicity in early 2007. This publicity resulted from ], the owner of the station, nominating Hitz Radio for various business awards. After this publicity, many people with radio industry knowledge began to probe the station, which had claimed "millions of fans" and tens of thousands of listeners on-line. These claims, along with others, were part of the portfolio put forward for the business awards. When industry insiders checked these claims, it resulted in the UK music copyright agencies ] and ] chasing back fees owed by ] and Hitz Radio. That in turn resulted in the audience claims to be false, based upon the amount of back dated fees owed for copyright.
			*Inadvertent interference—Common when personal communications gear is brought into countries where it is not certified to operate. Such interference results from clashing frequency allocations, and occasionally requires wholesale reallocation of an existing band due to an insurmountable interference problem; for example, the 2004 approval in Canada of the unlicensed use of the United States ] frequencies due to interference from users of ]/GMRS radios from the United States, where ] had to transfer a number of licensed users on the GMRS frequencies to unoccupied channels to accommodate the expanded service.
			*Deliberate or malicious interference—refers to the use of two-way radio to harass or jam other users of a channel. Such behaviour is widely prosecuted, especially when it interferes with mission-critical services such as ] or ].
			*Illegal equipment—This refers to the use of illegally modified equipment or equipment not certified for a particular band. Such equipment includes illegal ]s for ], antenna or circuit modifications on walkie-talkies, the use of "export" radios for free banding, or the use of amateur radios on unlicensed bands that amateur gear is not certified for. The use of ] gear for inland mobile radio operations is common in some countries, with enforcement difficult since marine VHF is generally the province of maritime authorities.

			==Examples of pirate radio stations==
	==Piracy in amateur and two-way radio==
			<!--List members have to have a Misplaced Pages article per ]. Not a station guide. Over the air broadcasting only, internet is not radio -->

			*], ], Minnesota, USA
	Illegal use of licensed radio spectrum (also known as bootlegging in CB circles) is fairly common and takes several forms.
			*], ], ], USA
	*Unlicensed operation—Particularly associated with amateur radio and licensed personal communication services such as ], this refers to use of radio equipment on a section of spectrum for which the equipment is designed but on which the user is not licensed to operate (most such operators are informally known as "bubble pack pirates" from the sealed plastic retail packaging common to such walkie-talkies). While piracy on the US GMRS band, for example, is widespread (some estimates have the number of total GMRS users outstripping the number of licensed users by several orders of magnitude), such use is generally disciplined only in cases where the pirate's activity interferes with a licensee. A notable case is that of United States amateur operator Jack Gerritsen operating under the revoked ] KG6IRO<ref>http://www.w5yi.org/ama_news_article.php?id=85 W5YI Report</ref> who was successfully prosecuted by the FCC for unlicensed operation and malicious interference.<ref>http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/09/19/100/ ARRL News Stories</ref> A subcategory of this is free banding, the use of allocations nearby a legal allocation, most typically the 27 MHz ] using modified or purpose-built gear.
			*], United Kingdom
	*Inadvertent interference—Common when personal communications gear is brought into countries where it is not certified to operate. Such interference results from clashing frequency allocations, and occasionally requires wholesale reallocation of an existing band due to an insurmountable interference problem; for example, the 2004 approval in Canada of the unlicensed use of the United States ] frequencies due to interference from users of ]/GMRS radios from the United States, where ] had to transfer a number of licensed users on the GMRS frequencies to unoccupied channels to accommodate the expanded service.
			*] 102.8 FM, Hong Kong
	*Deliberate or malicious interference—refers to the use of two-way radio to harass or jam other users of a channel. Such behaviour is widely prosecuted, especially when it interferes with mission-critical services such as ] or ].
			*], London's first black music radio station
	*Illegal equipment—This refers to the use of illegally modified equipment or equipment not certified for a particular band. Such equipment includes illegal ]s for CB radio, antenna or circuit modifications on walkie-talkies, the use of "export" radios for free banding, or the use of amateur radios on unlicensed bands that amateur gear is not certified for. The use of ] gear for inland mobile radio operations is common in some countries, with enforcement difficult since marine VHF is generally the province of maritime authorities.
			*] California, United States

			*], North Sea
	==Examples of known pirate radio stations==
			*], ]
	{{globalize/UK\|date=November 2010}}
			*], a legal radio station billed as Pirate Radio ] (with a mailing address at a ] in ])
	<!--References please, or at least a link to a referenced article. Not a station guide. over the air broadcasting only, internet is not radio -->
	*], ~~Saigon,~~ ~~Vietnam~~ ~~1971~~		*], ]
			*], ], Oregon, USA
	*] London rock station.
	*] California, USA
	*], United Kingdom and online at impact875.co.uk
	*] California, USA
	*]
	*]
	*], United Kingdom
	*], United Kingdom (Now licensed and legal)
	*], United Kingdom
	*], United Kingdom (1960's Pirate Ship)
	*], United Kingdom		*], United Kingdom
	*], United Kingdom		*], United Kingdom
	*], United Kingdom		*], United Kingdom (now licensed and legal)
	*], United Kingdom		*], United Kingdom
	*], ~~United~~ ~~Kingdom~~		*], Saigon, Vietnam 1971
			*], New Zealand (ship, Tiri 1 and Tiri 2) (now licensed and legal)
	*], United Kingdom
	*], United Kingdom (~~Short~~ ~~Lived~~)		*], United Kingdom (now licensed and legal)
	*], Denmark		*], Denmark
	*], Dublin		*], Dublin
	*]		*]
			*], Jones Beach, New York, United States (1987 and 1988 pirate ship)
	*] 90.2, London United Kingdom
			*], Dublin 1981–1986
	*], London (Gained a licence in 2010)
	*], United Kingdom		*], United Kingdom (1960s pirate ship)
			*], Poland (1982–1989)
	*], from Portugal, originally a pirate radio, it was legalized during the 1989 forgiveness of private radios (since these weren't allowed in Portugal).
			*], Netherlands
	*], London's first black music radio station.
			*], London (gained a license in 2010)
	*] 102.8 FM, Hong Kong
			*], United Kingdom
	== In popular culture ==
			*] London
	=== Movies ===
			*], ], Portugal (now licensed and legal)
	* In the motion picture '']'' (1983), two different radical feminist groups voice their concerns to the public with pirate radio stations. One group, led by an outspoken white lesbian, operates "Radio Ragazza". The other group, led by a soft-spoken African-American, operates "Phoenix Radio".
			*], ], ] 1993–1997
	* Christian Slater's character in the movie '']'' (1990) runs a pirate radio station from his basement.
	* '']'' (~~2006) is a documentary of US~~ pirate ~~radio.~~		*], Israel (pirate ship)
			*], United Kingdom
	* The 2009 movie '']'' (released in the USA and Canada as ''Pirate Radio'') is a fictional film about ].
			*], Ireland
	* In the 2010 '']'' Original movie '']'', Captain Jack runs a Pirate radio station from his boat.

	=== Novels ===
	* In the best selling novel '']'', rebels use a pirate radio station called "Potterwatch" to inspire the population to join them against the then-Death-Eater-controlled Ministry of Magic. They also use it to report whatever deaths the legitimate (meaning "Voldemort-controlled") media deem unworthy of mention.
	*In the Daniel Pinkwater novel ''Looking for Bobowicz'' the main characters, Nick Itch, Bruno Ugg, and Lorretta Fischetti, listen to a pirate radio station called WRJR (Radio Jolly Roger) run by Vic Trola, otherwise known as Arthur Bobowicz.

	===TV===
	* In the '']'' Season 5 (1991) episode "Pirate Radio", Pirate Radio is something everyone listens to and Krang uses it to hypnotise people into walking through an inter-dimension portal into Krang's Chasm.
	* In an episode of '']'' ("Father of the Bribe", Season 6, Episode 109), Dale runs a pirate radio station and is then forced to sell it to Octavio.
	* In an episode of '']'', captain Murphy runs a pirate radio station using the emergency transmission equipment, until it is shut down by the FCC, whose draconian tactics are satirised.
	* In an episode of '']'', Hal finds a radio transmitter which he used to broadcast a pirate radio-station when he was in college (under the alias "Kid Charlemagne"). He decides to start his pirate radio broadcast again, without the knowledge of his family.
	* In '']'' episode ], Bart, Lisa, Milhouse and others start a pirate radio station to broadcast a programme called "We Know All Your Secrets", which contains scurrilous gossip and the secrets of Springfield's adult population in ] accents.
	* In the ''Secret Agent'' / ''Danger Man'' series episode "Not So Jolly Roger" (1964) British secret agent Patrick McGoohan portrays a pirate DJ at station Radio Jolly Roger. The episode credits ].
	* In an episode of the 2000 show '']'', the title character opens a pirate rock music station of his own—one that quickly begins consuming all his time and energy.
	* The 1965 TV series '']'' features a pirate radio station named KLA, which operates from an unlicensed manned satellite, in the episode "Ricochet".
	* The Australian TV soap '']'' currently features Zeke Kinski working at the "Pirate Net" station
	* In the ] episode of '']'', the Goodies operate both a pirate radio station and a pirate ], with plans to operate a pirate bus service, a pirate bank and finally (by towing the entire nation outside the 5-mile limit) a pirate state.
	* The Canadian TV show '']'' was about four high school students who set up their own pirate station in competition to the official high school radio station.
	* '']'' is a 2004 ] ] investigating the underground music scene on council estates in the United Kingdom, in which pirate radio plays a part.

	===Video games===
	* In the video game series '']'' and '']'', the player receives instructions, objectives, and updates via pirate radio operated by a mysterious man known as "DJ Professor K".
	* In the video game '']'', the Wildstyle radio station is purportedly a pirate radio station.
	* In the video game '']'' the player can tune into "Galaxy News Radio" operated by Three Dog. This station plays 50s style music, satirical humor, and also news blurbs about the progress of the character. The player can also complete a quest which adds to the station's broadcasting power, allowing all residents of the Wasteland to hear the transmissions. Galaxy News Radio used to be a TV News Station, as shown in ''"]"''
	* In the video game ] there is a station called Pirate Radio that you can listen to during space travel.

	=== Audio ===
	*In the ] audiostory ], the Doctor broadcasts the final message of a 1960s Pirate Radio station named Radio Bravo.

	*The Toasters, a ska revival band, produced a song called "Pirate Radio" about the singer listening to pirate radio station late in the night.

	*Pauline Black with Sunday Best released the recording "Pirates on the Airwaves" in 1984 . The lyrics mention "From the tops of tower blocks, tune your radio to rock, all night long."

	* ]' 1987 solo album '']'' is centered around a fictional pirate radio station in Los Angeles, called Radio KAOS (hence the album name). ] is an actual callsign of a Washington State community radio station, broadcasting from the Evergreen State College in Olympia.

	* In the ] album '']'' the track "Pirate's Anthem" describes the controversy over pirate radio.

	* On their album ''Root Hog or Die'', ] and ] recorded the track "Pirate Radio", about an off-shore station named "Radio Free America" that is shut down by the FCC and the ]. In concert, Mojo Nixon has stated that this was about "a pirate radio station in New York City", probably ].

	* In an upbeat folk song called "The Pirate Radio Song" by ], (on his album entitled ''Hang A Flag In the Window'') a call to freedom of speech and information is voiced, as the chorus states: "Seize the airwaves! Seize the Time! 'Cause lying to the people is the real crime. When its all owned by corporations and theirs is the only word; we will seize the airwaves, speak freely and be heard." This song was copyrighted by David Rovics in 2002, and was posted by himself for on www.soundclick.com on May 26, 2005.<ref></ref> David Rovics stated that this song is "Dedicated to the good people seizing the airwaves throughout the US and the world, but it especially goes out to the folks at Free Radio Santa Cruz."<ref></ref>

	* ]'s ], while deserted on Plastic Beach, has used pirate radio to host his own radio show (which is called Pirate Radio) debuting clips of new Gorillaz songs from their third album, '']''. He has also revealed hints as to what has happened to the rest of the members of the band. On the show, he usually plays songs by 1980s gothic and punk bands.<ref></ref>

	* The Japanese ] series '']'' inspired a collection of remixed of music from the show's soundtrack entitled ''Cowboy Bebop Remixes: Music for Freelance''. The tracks are presented in the form of a deep space pirate radio broadcast from "Radio Free Mars".

			==In popular culture==
	*In ]'s 2010 concept album, ], the pirate radio DJ Dr. Death Defying broadcasts between certain songs to comment on the story as it progresses.
			The films '']'' (2009),<ref>Overseas re-titles included ''Pirate Radio'' (US), ''Good Morning England'' (France), ''Radio Rock Revolution'' (Germany), ''The Rock Wave'' (Russia), and ''I Love Radio Rock'' (Italy).</ref> '']'' (1990), and '']'' (1979), as well as the TV series '']'' (2014-2018), are set in the world of pirate radio, while '']'' (1983) features pirate radio stations as being part of an underground political movement. Pirate radio is also a central plot point of the video game '']'' and its sequel '']''.
			The video game '']'' features the character Regulus, the captain of the pirate radio station "APPLe."

	== See also ==		== See also ==
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Latest revision as of 21:40, 16 December 2024

Illegal or unregulated radio transmissions For other uses, see Pirate Radio (disambiguation).

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Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially when the signals cross a national boundary. In other cases, a broadcast may be considered "pirate" due to the nature of its content, its transmission format (especially a failure to transmit a station identification according to regulations), or the transmit power (wattage) of the station, even if the transmission is not technically illegal (such as an amateur radio transmission). Pirate radio is sometimes called bootleg radio (a term especially associated with two-way radio), clandestine radio (associated with heavily politically motivated operations) or free radio.

History

Radio "piracy" began with the advent of regulations of the airwaves at the dawn of the age of radio. Initially, radio, or wireless as it was more commonly called at the time, was an open field of hobbyists and early inventors and experimenters. The degree of state control varied by country. For example, in the UK, Marconi's work was supported by the post office, but in an era of weak regulation, a music hall magician Nevil Maskelyne deliberately hijacked a demonstration.

The United States Navy began using radio for time signals and weather reports on the east coast of the United States in the 1890s. Before the advent of vacuum tube technology, early radio enthusiasts used (electronically) noisy spark-gap transmitters. The Navy soon began complaining to a sympathetic press that amateurs were disrupting naval transmissions. The May 25, 1907, edition of Electrical World',' in an article called "Wireless and Lawless," reported authorities were unable to prevent an amateur from interfering with the operation of a government station at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard using legal means.

In the run-up to the London Radiotelegraph Convention in 1912, and amid concerns about the safety of marine radio following the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15 of that year, the New York Herald of April 17, 1912, headlined President William Howard Taft's initiative to regulate the public airwaves in an article titled "President Moves to Stop Mob Rule of Wireless."

United States

In the US, the 1912 "Act to Regulate Radio Communication" assigned amateurs and experimenters their own frequency spectrum, and introduced licensing and call-signs. A federal agency, the Federal Radio Commission, was formed in 1927 and succeeded in 1934 by the Federal Communications Commission. These agencies would enforce rules on call-signs, assigned frequencies, licensing, and acceptable content for broadcast.

The Radio Act of 1912 gave the president legal permission to shut down radio stations "in time of war". During the first two and a half years of World War I, before US entry, President Wilson tasked the US Navy with monitoring US radio stations, nominally to "ensure neutrality." The US was divided into two civilian radio "districts" with corresponding call-signs, beginning with "K" in the west and "W" in the east. The Navy was assigned call-signs beginning with "N". The Navy used this authority to shut down amateur radio in the western part of the US. When Wilson declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he also issued an executive order closing most radio stations not needed by the US government. The Navy took it a step further and declared it was illegal to listen to radio or possess a receiver or transmitter in the US, but there were doubts they had the authority to issue such an order even in war time. The ban on radio was lifted in the US in late 1919.

In 1924, New York City station WHN was accused by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) of being an "outlaw station" for violating trade licenses which permitted only AT&T stations to sell airtime on their transmitters. As a result of the AT&T interpretation, a landmark case was heard in court, which even prompted comments from Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover when he took a public stand in the station's defense. Although AT&T won its case, the furor created was such that those restrictive provisions of the transmitter license were never enforced.

In 1926, WJAZ in Chicago changed its frequency to one previously reserved for Canadian stations without getting permission to make the change, and was charged by the federal government with "wave piracy". The resulting legal battle found that the Radio Act of 1912 did not allow the US government to require stations to operate on specific frequencies, and the result was the passage of the Radio Act of 1927 to strengthen the government's regulatory authority.

While Mexico issued radio station XERF with a license to broadcast, the power of its 250 kW transmitter was far greater than the maximum of 50 kW authorized for commercial use by the government of the United States of America. Consequently, XERF and many other radio stations in Mexico, which sold their broadcasting time to sponsors of English-language commercial and religious programs, were labelled as "border blasters", but not "pirate radio stations", even though the content of many of their programs could not have been aired by a US-regulated broadcaster. Predecessors to XERF, for instance, had originally broadcast in Kansas, advocating "goat-gland surgery" for improved masculinity, but moved to Mexico to evade US laws about advertising medical treatments, particularly unproven ones.

Europe

In Europe, Denmark had the first known radio station in the world to broadcast commercial radio from a vessel in international waters without permission from the authorities in the country to which it broadcast (Denmark in this case). The station was named Radio Mercur and began transmission on August 2, 1958. In the Danish newspapers it was soon called a "pirate radio". In the Netherlands in 1964, Radio Noordzee and TV Noordzee began broadcasting from the REM Island and Radio Veronica acquired a new ship, a converted fishing trawler named MV Norderney.

United Kingdom

Main article: Pirate radio in the United Kingdom

In the 1960s in the UK, the term referred to not only a perceived unauthorized use of the state-run spectrum by the unlicensed broadcasters but also the risk-taking nature of offshore radio stations that actually operated on anchored ships or marine platforms. The term had been used previously in Britain and the US to describe unlicensed land-based broadcasters and even border blasters. For example, a 1940 British comedy about an unauthorized TV broadcaster, Band Waggon, uses the phrase "pirate station" several times. A good example of this kind of activity was Radio Luxembourg located in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The English language evening broadcasts from Radio Luxembourg were beamed by Luxembourg-licensed transmitters. The audience in the United Kingdom originally listened to their radio sets by permission of a wireless license issued by the British General Post Office (GPO). However, under terms of that wireless license, it was an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to listen to unauthorised broadcasts, which possibly included those transmitted by Radio Luxembourg. Therefore, as far as the British authorities were concerned, Radio Luxembourg was a "pirate radio station" and British listeners to the station were breaking the law (although as the term 'unauthorised' was never properly defined it was somewhat of a legal grey area). This did not stop British newspapers from printing programme schedules for the station, or a British weekly magazine aimed at teenage girls, Fab 208, from promoting the DJs and their lifestyle. (Radio Luxembourg's wavelength was 208 metres (1439, then 1440 kHz)).

Radio Luxembourg was later joined by other well-known pirate stations received in the UK in violation of UK licensing, including Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta (subsequently Radio Carolines North and South respectively, following their merger and the original ship's relocation), Radio London, and Laser 558, all of which broadcast from vessels anchored outside of territorial limits and were therefore legitimate. Radio Jackie, for instance, although transmitting illegally was registered for VAT and even had its address and telephone number in local telephone directories.

By the 1970s, pirate radio in the UK had mostly moved to land-based broadcasting, transmitting from tower blocks in towns and cities.

Free radio

Another variation on the term pirate radio came about during the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco during the 1960s. "Free radio" usually referred to secret and unlicensed land-based transmissions. These were also tagged as being pirate radio transmissions. Free Radio was used only to refer to radio transmissions that were beyond government control, as was offshore radio in the UK and Europe.

The term free radio was adopted by the Free Radio Association of listeners who defended the rights of the offshore radio stations broadcasting from ships and marine structures off the coastline of the United Kingdom.

Félix Guattari points out:

Technological development, and in particular the miniaturization of transmitters and the fact that they can be put together by amateurs, 'encounters' a collective aspiration for some new means of expression.
— Félix Guattari

Propaganda broadcasting

Propaganda broadcasting may be authorized by the government at the transmitting site, but may be considered unwanted or illegal by the government of the intended reception area. Propaganda broadcasting conducted by national governments against the interests of other national governments has created radio jamming stations transmitting noises on the same frequency to prevent reception of the incoming signal. While the United States transmitted its programs towards the Soviet Union, which attempted to jam them, in 1970 the government of the United Kingdom decided to employ a jamming transmitter to drown out the incoming transmissions from the commercial station Radio North Sea International, which was based aboard the motor vessel (MV) Mebo II anchored off southeast England in the North Sea. Other examples of this type of unusual broadcasting include the USCGC Courier (WAGR-410), a United States Coast Guard cutter which both originated and relayed broadcasts of the Voice of America from an anchorage at the Greek island of Rhodes to Soviet bloc countries. Balloons have been flown above Key West, Florida, to support the TV transmissions of TV Martí, which are directed at Cuba (the Cuban government jams the signals). Military broadcasting aircraft have been flown over Vietnam, Iraq, and many other nations by the United States Air Force.

Piracy in amateur and two-way radio

Illegal use of licensed radio spectrum (also known as bootlegging in CB circles) is fairly common and takes several forms.

Unlicensed operation—Particularly associated with amateur radio and licensed personal communication services such as GMRS, this refers to use of radio equipment on a section of spectrum for which the equipment is designed but on which the user is not licensed to operate (most such operators are informally known as "bubble pack pirates" from the sealed plastic retail packaging common to such walkie-talkies). While piracy on the US GMRS band, for example, is widespread (some estimates have the number of total GMRS users outstripping the number of licensed users by several orders of magnitude), such use is generally disciplined only in cases where the pirate's activity interferes with a licensee. A notable case is that of former United States amateur operator Jack Gerritsen operating under the revoked call sign KG6IRO who was successfully prosecuted by the FCC for unlicensed operation and malicious interference. A subcategory of this is free banding, the use of allocations nearby a legal allocation, most typically the 27 MHz Citizen's Band using modified or purpose-built gear.
Inadvertent interference—Common when personal communications gear is brought into countries where it is not certified to operate. Such interference results from clashing frequency allocations, and occasionally requires wholesale reallocation of an existing band due to an insurmountable interference problem; for example, the 2004 approval in Canada of the unlicensed use of the United States General Mobile Radio Service frequencies due to interference from users of FRS/GMRS radios from the United States, where Industry Canada had to transfer a number of licensed users on the GMRS frequencies to unoccupied channels to accommodate the expanded service.
Deliberate or malicious interference—refers to the use of two-way radio to harass or jam other users of a channel. Such behaviour is widely prosecuted, especially when it interferes with mission-critical services such as aviation radio or marine VHF radio.
Illegal equipment—This refers to the use of illegally modified equipment or equipment not certified for a particular band. Such equipment includes illegal linear amplifiers for CB radio, antenna or circuit modifications on walkie-talkies, the use of "export" radios for free banding, or the use of amateur radios on unlicensed bands that amateur gear is not certified for. The use of marine VHF radio gear for inland mobile radio operations is common in some countries, with enforcement difficult since marine VHF is generally the province of maritime authorities.

Examples of pirate radio stations

Beat Radio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
BMIR, Black Rock City, Nevada, USA
Britain Radio, United Kingdom
Citizens Radio 102.8 FM, Hong Kong
Dread Broadcasting Corporation, London's first black music radio station
Free Radio Santa Cruz California, United States
Laser 558, North Sea
Mix FM, Ottawa
KQLZ, a legal radio station billed as Pirate Radio Los Angeles (with a mailing address at a P.O. Box in Avalon)
Pirate Cat Radio, San Francisco Bay Area
Portland Radio Authority, Portland, Oregon, USA
Radio 270, United Kingdom
Radio 390, United Kingdom
Radio Caroline, United Kingdom (now licensed and legal)
Radio City, United Kingdom
Radio First Termer, Saigon, Vietnam 1971
Radio Hauraki, New Zealand (ship, Tiri 1 and Tiri 2) (now licensed and legal)
Radio Jackie, United Kingdom (now licensed and legal)
Radio Mercur, Denmark
Radio Milinda, Dublin
Radio North Sea International
Radio Newyork International, Jones Beach, New York, United States (1987 and 1988 pirate ship)
Radio Nova, Dublin 1981–1986
Radio Scotland, United Kingdom (1960s pirate ship)
Radio Solidarity, Poland (1982–1989)
Radio Veronica, Netherlands
Rinse FM, London (gained a license in 2010)
Swinging Radio England, United Kingdom
Thameside Radio London
TSF, Lisbon, Portugal (now licensed and legal)
Twilight FM, Hull, East Yorkshire 1993–1997
Voice of Peace, Israel (pirate ship)
Wonderful Radio London, United Kingdom
Freedom FM, Ireland

In popular culture

The films The Boat That Rocked (2009), Pump Up the Volume (1990), and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight (1979), as well as the TV series People Just Do Nothing (2014-2018), are set in the world of pirate radio, while Born in Flames (1983) features pirate radio stations as being part of an underground political movement. Pirate radio is also a central plot point of the video game Jet Set Radio and its sequel Jet Set Radio Future. The video game Reverse: 1999 features the character Regulus, the captain of the pirate radio station "APPLe."

References

"Pirate radio/television station". Online Cambridge Dictionary. 21 May 2023.
Misiroglu, Gina, ed. (2015). "Pirate Radio". American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-47728-0. An unlicensed FM station (often run by an amateur radio operator) that manages to occupy a commercial or state-run FM band is an example of a pirate or "bootleg" radio station
Electrical world. McGraw-Hill. 1907. pp. 1023–. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
"Thomas H. White. "United States Early Radio History"". Earlyradiohistory.us. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
"WJAZ "wave pirates" publicity photograph". Popular Radio. May 1926. p. 90.
Félix Guattari. "Plan for the Planet". In Molecular Revolution. Psychiatry and Politics. London: Penguin Books, 1984. p. 269.
Stan Gibilisco (1 January 1997). TAB Encyclopedia of Electronics for Technicians and Hobbyists. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-024190-9.
"W5YI Report". W5yi.org. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
"Apologetic Radio Jammer Jack Gerritsen Gets Seven Years, Fines". ARRL Web. Sep 19, 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2007.
Overseas re-titles included Pirate Radio (US), Good Morning England (France), Radio Rock Revolution (Germany), The Rock Wave (Russia), and I Love Radio Rock (Italy).

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