An interesting debate has arisen on the Shortwave DX Blog as to what free radio quintessentially amounts to; what if anything, its definition can be concluded to be.
As you can imagine opinions differ, and whilst I don't pretend the following to be an exhaustive list of the variables from which one can decide what at heart constitutes a true free radio station, here goes:
- A station using its own transmitter, studio, and antenna from a remote location such as a private dwelling, or out in the field.
- An individual or collective who record programmes to be broadcast from facilities not of their own. These could belong to another free radio (unlicensed and technically illegal) station, or an operator licensed to broadcast on for example shortwave.
- An established free radio station previously known for using their own broadcasting equipment and location but who are now letting a relay operator take the strain. This might be a station who had previously broadcast for many years but left the scene, only to return but without the hitherto means or personal circumstances to get on air. I would say Weekend Music Radio is an example of this.
- Legal stations from mediumwave, FM, DAB, or online-only relayed onto shortwave by usually unknown operators, often without the legal station's knowledge and for no apparent reason than perhaps to test a rig and antenna without divulging their own identity.
- A usually active free radio station synonymously known for broadcasting by way of their own equipment but using the facilities of another free radio station, identity known or otherwise.
- A operator known for being relayed by another, but who eventually goes the whole hog of acquiring / constructing their own rig and antenna.
There have been numerous examples of the above, albeit some more than others. The debate stemmed from Free Radio Service Holland simultaneously broadcasting on five frequencies for their recent Christmas programme. This is a station of significant vintage, albeit one that now only broadcasts a couple of times a year, and nowadays allegedly via the facilities of an unknown operator(s). I believe the same can be said about Radio Titanic, in theory active for 50 years, but only fleetingly on air in recent times. This then precipitates another debate: can a station realistically say it had been broadcasting for a certain length of time if it only takes to the air once a year, using its own transmitting equipment or otherwise? Some stations may have broadcast more times in two years than others have done in fifty, but would otherwise be considered differently.
I have previously interchangeably used the terms Free Radio and Pirate as synonyms of each other, but can a pirate station be called as such if it doesn't take the attendant risk of having its own transmitter and antenna? Having rethought the issue, to me at least, free radio seems to be a more appropriate title for those who don't run the risk of being visited by the authorities.
What, then, is a free radio / pirate station? As a purist, I regard it as someone who takes the risk of broadcasting their own live or pre-recorded programmes via their own(ed) equipment. Now, that doesn't man that the aforementioned won't consist of monotonous non-stop music; I do not see a link between great programmes and how they are broadcast, but an extra cachet is certainly attached to those who transmit their own programmes, even if some relay 'stations' can sometimes sound better. Perhaps in these instances the operator is more relaxed knowing he cannot be raided at any moment! As I have said in a previous post, it was rare for a station operator to have reached technical mastery whilst having charisma behind the mic, spinning great tracks and even taking calls live on air. Live Wire Radio would be the obvious example from the 1990s who ticked all the aforemtioned boxes.
I fully understand that for some, great programming trumps all other variables attached to being involved in free radio, an attitude I have some sympathy with. However, to me at least, authentic pirate radio starts and ends with the mystery of the person behind the mic broadcasting from an unknown location having first constructed / bought their own transmitting equipment, and back in the day having a remote Salisbury / Wuppertal / Merlin, Ontario-type maildrop. Nowadays in most cases the latter is replaced by an email address.
I am sure there is some satisfaction of hearing themselves on air derived by those who send tapes to Shortwave Radio in Germany or similar, but call it pirate or free radio, only stations true to the component parts of what to me the genre consists of made the scene so compelling in the 1990s. Again this is a highly subjective strand of the hobby with no right or wrong answers but simply opinions, none of which in the end matter a jot.
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