Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission for entertainment or political purposes. While pirate just refers to the illegal nature of the broadcasts, there have also been notable pirate offshore radio transmissions.

Pirate radio generally describes the unlicensed broadcast of FM radio, AM radio, or short wave signals over a wide range. 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 station identification according to regulations), or the transmit power (wattage) of the station, even if the transmission is not technically illegal (such as a web cast or an amateur radio transmission). Pirate radio stations are sometimes called bootleg stations (a term especially associated with two-way radio), clandestine stations (associated with heavily politically motivated operations) or free radio stations.

A radio station is a set of equipment necessary to carry on communication via radio waves. Generally, it is a receiver and/or transmitter, an antenna, and some smaller additional equipment necessary to operate them. Radio stations play a vital role in communication technology as they are heavily relied on to transfer data and information across the world.

More broadly, the definition of a radio station includes the aforementioned equipment and a building in which it is installed. Such a station may include several "radio stations" defined above (i.e. several sets of receivers and/or transmitters installed in one building but functioning independently, and several antennas installed on a field next to the building). This definition of a radio station is more often referred to as a transmitter site, transmitter station, transmission facility or transmitting station. An example of this definition is Bethany Relay Station of the Voice of America which had seven broadcast transmitters and could broadcast up to seven independent programs (even produced by different broadcasters) simultaneously, as well as several communications transmitters and receivers.

Radio broadcasting is a unidirectional wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both. Audio broadcasting also can be done via cable radio, local wire television networks, satellite radio, and internet radio via streaming media on the Internet. The signal types can be either analog audio or digital audio.

In 2009, there were 3,494 radio broadcasting stations in the United States.

History

The earliest radio stations were simply radiotelegraphy systems and did not carry audio. For audio broadcasts to be possible electronic detection and amplification devices had to be incorporated.

The thermionic valve was invented in 1904 by the English physicist John Ambrose Fleming. He developed a device he called an "oscillation valve" (because it passes current in only one direction). The heated filament, or cathode, was capable of thermionic emission of electrons that would flow to the plate (or anode) when it was at a higher voltage. Electrons, however, could not pass in the reverse direction because the plate was not heated and thus not capable of thermionic emission of electrons. Later known as the Fleming valve, it could be used as a rectifier of alternating current and as a radio wave detector. This greatly improved the crystal set which rectified the radio signal using an early solid-state diode based on a crystal and a so-called cat's whisker. However, what was still required was an amplifier.

The Boat That Rocked (retitled Pirate Radio in North America, Good Morning England in France, Radio Rock Revolution in Germany, Rock Wave in CIS region, and I Love Radio Rock in Italy) is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis, with pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s as its setting. The film has an ensemble cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, and Kenneth Branagh. Set in 1966, it tells the story of the fictitious pirate radio station "Radio Rock" and its crew of eclectic disc jockeys, who broadcast rock and pop music to the United Kingdom from a ship anchored in the North Sea while the British government endeavours to shut them down. It was produced by Working Title Films for Universal Pictures, and was filmed on the Isle of Portland and at Shepperton Studios.

After the world premiere in London's Leicester Square on 29 March 2009, the film was released in United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 April 2009. It was a commercial failure at the British box office, making only US$10.1 million in its first three months, just a fifth of its US$50 million production cost. It received mixed reviews, with most criticism directed at its muddled storyline and 2¼-hour length. For its North American release the film had its running time cut by 20 minutes, and was retitled Pirate Radio. Opening 13 November 2009, it was still commercially unsuccessful in the US, earning only US$8 million. When the worldwide theatrical run was finished in January 2010, the film had grossed US$36.3 million.

Mars Ill is an emcee/DJ hip-hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of Gregory Owens (Manchild) and Nathan Corrona (DJ Dust). They are also part of the hip-hop collective and supergroup Deepspace5.

Coming together in 1998, Mars Ill has released several albums and EPs through independent record labels and two albums on Gotee Records. Their success in the underground hip-hop movement in the early 2000s led to their performing at Scribble Jam in 2003 and 2004 and, ultimately, their signing to Gotee.

History

Beginnings

Before Nate and Greg met, Nate was the DJ for deadpoetsociety, a hip hop group based out of Indianapolis. The group consisted of three members, Nate Corrona (DJ Dust), Michael Porter (Rahlo), and Joel Wilson (Thin King), and performed at various venues in and around Indianapolis and the Mid-West from 1995 to 1999. In 1998, Nate attended a hip hop conference in Florida and met Greg Owens, who was at the time an MC for The Pride, living in Atlanta. Greg was then asked to be a part of deadpoetsociety and subsequently toured with the group until around the end of 1999. At that point, Joel had left the group to return to his home in England, and the three current members all decided to change the group name because, as Greg mentioned in an interview, "there [are] a lot of Dead Poets Society's around.". Nate then decided to move to Atlanta, feeling that the group would have better opportunities in that city, musically and ministry-wise. Michael chose to stay in Indianapolis and soon afterward began his own group, The BackSoil Project.

Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission.

Pirate Radio may also refer to:

See also