Thursday, July 24, 2008

Unlicensed

"Large-scale unlicensed broadcasting got a big boost in Italy in the wake of the Golden Age. Italian courts ruled that the radio licensing procedures were unconstitutional, and the field was left wide open. Anyone who could get along some gear together could go on the air, and many did. This included stations with various political points of view, commercial stations, and those whose purpose could perhaps be described as for the Hell of it...But since this is a case of state consent (through the courts) for unlicensed broadcasting, it doesn't strictly fall within the category of pirate radio."

"The FCC is seldom interested in tracking down and seizing hobbyist pirates unless there is some kind of complaint. They estimate that they close down fewer than twenty pirates a year, a small fraction of the total."

This is what Erwin said.