One of the more imaginative and exciting facets of broadcast radio over the years is that of pirate radio. If you're 45 years old or more and were resident in the UK during the sixties then you'd have been lucky enough to experience it all first hand. This year's 'Broadcast Special' is a potted history of illicit broadcast radio, both offshore and land-based, at home and abroad. It's a rousing tale that's part inspirational but one whose darker side includes shady business deals, sabotage, death by drowning, and a fatal shooting. So, why did offshore radio come into being? Governments throughout the world had always maintained an iron grip over their country's broadcasting infrastructure. The chances of a private operator obtaining a licence was, in most regions, nil. With networks being provided by government-approved entities, and tight controls by the record industry regarding the amount of contemporary music these stations could play, an alternative was sought. The answer was to broadcast from beyond territorial waters - in Britain's case, in excess of three miles from the coast.
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