Pirate radio in Australia

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Australian radio audiences have had virtually no exposure to pirate radio. There were no broadcasts as part of the World War II propaganda campaigns and commercial as well as community stations alongside the taxpayer funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation were available during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s - a period when the UK was experiencing a surge in illegal broadcasts during the early days of acid house and the Second Summer of Love. The absence of pirate radio in Australia is primarily attributed to the relatively large number of commercial licences that were issued, particularly after World War II, as well as the existence of public (later renamed community) non-commercial broadcasting licences supported mainly by listener subscription. Additionally, the lack of availability of imported broadcasting equipment and the likely application of severe, legislated penalties including jail for offenders, would also have been a factor.

Contents

Amateur radio operators must obtain the appropriate licence of the 16 different types of radiocommunications transmitter (narrowcasting) licences [1] available from the Australian Communications & Media Authority to legally operate on a specific frequency. These licences range in cost from less than $50 up to several thousand dollars. [2]

Occurrences

A small number of the total pirate radio stations in Australia are documented. [3]

See also

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References

  1. Find out what licence you need. Australian Communications & Media Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. Apparatus Licence Fee Schedule. Australian Communications and Media Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. David Rood (29 July 2012). "Pirates plunder the high Cs". Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. ""CRUSADER" FINED £30 FOR ILLEGAL RADIO". The Argus (Melbourne) . No. 31, 743. Victoria, Australia. 28 May 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 27 September 2022 via National Library of Australia.
  5. "THIS RADIO WAS SEIZED". The Herald . No. 22, 151. Victoria, Australia. 20 May 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2022 via National Library of Australia.
  6. "They're Hunting a radio Pirate". The Daily News . Vol. LXVI, no. 22, 804. Western Australia. 13 May 1948. p. 2 (FINAL). Retrieved 27 September 2022 via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Secret Radio On Air Again". Barrier Miner . Vol. LXI, no. 17, 536. New South Wales, Australia. 5 May 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2022 via National Library of Australia.
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