Illicit Transmissions: Engaging with the Study and Preservation of Pirate Radio

Abstract

Unlicensed broadcasting has been a surprisingly consistent phenomenon throughout the history of radio in the United States. This article sketches this history and the factors which have allowed pirate radio to flourish, and argues that radio scholars should engage more closely with the phenomenon in order to learn more about public aspirations regarding access to the airwaves. It is also incumbent on radio historians to preserve the legacy of stations that have risked persecution in order to manifest the “public airwaves” and “the public interest” as meaningful and tangible elements of radio history and contemporary practice.