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> But why? Because radio is cool and people like broadcasting and there is an intangible quality to throwing something onto public airwaves.

dylan604 4y ago
maybe, but at the end of the day, the broadcast of the signal is the least significant bit. you can absolutely set up your control room with all of the equipment to create the broadcast, but ultimately, it is all pushed down an output port that goes to the "transmitter". whether that's an actual FM transmitter or a server that broadcasts the signal, it's the same experience. it sounds like you're tying the entire pirate experience into the concept of broadcasting illegally without a license. while that might be part of it, it was more about doing whatever, saying whatever, playing whatever. being an illegal signal was just trying to get the signal to where the audience was. The audience isn't there any more is the point.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  > it is all pushed down an output port that goes to the "transmitter". whether that's an actual FM transmitter or a server that broadcasts the signal, it's the same experience. But it's not the same experience at all. What happens to the signal in the end is the most important part of the experience. That said, I think a lot of pirate radio people simulcast over the internet as well. The internet is certainly not able to replace radio for their purposes, though. > The audience isn't there any more is the point. Sure it is. Pirate radio stations very rarely drew large audiences anyway. Most of them cover very small geographical areas. I can't imagine the audiences they can draw are much smaller than they drew in the past.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Given that most pirate stations aren't monetized anyway, they don't care if people listen or not. Like with most hobbies, people do it for the process, not the outcome. These are anoraks having fun, trying to build better masts, better transmitters, and just pushing their own skills forward, even if the information isn't necessarily useful for anything else. Growing up in Liverpool, I've got a lot of appreciation for countercultural pirate stations ala Radio Caroline. Nobody has to listen, they just need to have fun doing it to make it worthwhile.

dylan604 4y ago

maybe, but at the end of the day, the broadcast of the signal is the least significant bit. you can absolutely set up your control room with all of the equipment to create the broadcast, but ultimately, it is all pushed down an output port that goes to the "transmitter". whether that's an actual FM transmitter or a server that broadcasts the signal, it's the same experience. it sounds like you're tying the entire pirate experience into the concept of broadcasting illegally without a license. while that might be part of it, it was more about doing whatever, saying whatever, playing whatever. being an illegal signal was just trying to get the signal to where the audience was. The audience isn't there any more is the point.

JohnFen 4y ago
> it is all pushed down an output port that goes to the "transmitter". whether that's an actual FM transmitter or a server that broadcasts the signal, it's the same experience. But it's not the same experience at all. What happens to the signal in the end is the most important part of the experience. That said, I think a lot of pirate radio people simulcast over the internet as well. The internet is certainly not able to replace radio for their purposes, though. > The audience isn't there any more is the point. Sure it is. Pirate radio stations very rarely drew large audiences anyway. Most of them cover very small geographical areas. I can't imagine the audiences they can draw are much smaller than they drew in the past.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Given that most pirate stations aren't monetized anyway, they don't care if people listen or not. Like with most hobbies, people do it for the process, not the outcome. These are anoraks having fun, trying to build better masts, better transmitters, and just pushing their own skills forward, even if the information isn't necessarily useful for anything else. Growing up in Liverpool, I've got a lot of appreciation for countercultural pirate stations ala Radio Caroline. Nobody has to listen, they just need to have fun doing it to make it worthwhile.