Pirate radio stations have operated in various countries of Asia, often putting over political or nationalist points of view. Offshore stations have attempted to reach China or overseas Chinese residents. Citizens' Radio is an unlicensed Hong Kong pro-democracy station. In Taiwan, what are known as "underground radio" stations have broadcast both pro- and anti-government opinions. Large numbers of unlicensed stations have functioned in the Philippines, of which 107.9 U-Radio (2006–2013) is among the best known. Finally, Radio First Termer was briefly operated by and for U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1971.
China In mainland China, setting up a private radio or TV station will not be permitted, broadcasting stations can only be set by local government. However, everyone can easily purchase a portable FM transmitter for special application. So that someone is going to sell drugs via private FM transmission called Black Radio, which means illegal radio broadcasting in China. Some illegal stations make a lot of jamming to public stations and airplanes' communications.
A number of offshore radio stations have reportedly operated from the South China Sea, mainly for political purposes and these include Voice of the People's Liberation Army; Radio Flash; The October Storm; Rediffusion Central; Popular of Peking. In 1990–1991, two other offshore radio stations intended for a Chinese audience made news in the world's press.
One of them was Radio Tiananmen, a station that was to be based aboard the MV Sarah (Lichfield I) to be renamed Liberty that had been the former home of Radio Newyork International that broadcast briefly during two consecutive years in late 1980s from an anchorage off Jones Beach, New York. The idea was to anchor the ship in international waters off the Northeast coastline of the US and to broadcast on behalf of the thousands of Chinese students studying in the US in support of their fellow students who had demonstrated in Tiananmen Square. The idea faltered when the backers were told that the United States government would oppose an independent political station of this type.
The other station was created in France and sponsored by , a French magazine and The Face, a British magazine together with support from contributors in Hong Kong. The group called themselves "Federation for Democracy in China" and they bought a ship, which they renamed, Goddess of Democracy, which was also the name of the proposed station. When the vessel sailed from La Rochelle, France it was intended for the ship to dock and that is where studios, transmitters and radio antenna would be installed. However, the project was abandoned after political and financial problems.
Hong Kong In 2006, Citizens' Radio was founded by a group of pro-democracy activists, including Tsang Kin-shing and legislator Leung Kwok-hung, also known as "Long Hair". It broadcast on weeknights from Chai Wan on 102.8 MHz FM.
On 30 November 2009, FM101, a station based in Kwun Tong commenced broadcasting, according to the South China Morning Post (1 December 2009). It was heard in the east of Kowloon and the east of Hong Kong Island. The station's founders include Leung King-wai, Tsang Chun-Ying and Kwok Yiu-Cheong. The latter two were formerly presenters for Citizens' Radio, but Citizens' Radio was not involved in its foundation, according to founder Tsang Kin-Shing.
India
Taiwan In reference to unlicensed land-based stations, the term underground radio is in common usage in Taiwan. The World United Formosans for Independence reportedly studied the possibility of broadcasting from the Philippines, but no concrete action materialised.
The underground radio movement began in the liberalising political milieu following the lifting of the decades-long martial law. Historically, most of the stations have opposed, in some manner, the political establishment represented by the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Republic of China (ROC) framework, in favour of the then opposition movement broadly consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and allied social movements. These so-called pan-green radio stations are mostly based in central and southern Taiwan with most listeners being hard-core pan-green supporters who despise Kuomintang rule and the potential for Chinese unification. A few stations positioned themselves on the opposing end of the political spectrum, generally favouring the ROC status quo advocated by the New Party and "non-mainstream factions" within the Nationalist Party. With the DPP formerly in power, and ultimate Taiwan independence and sovereignty is the stance taken by most underground radio stations, Taiwan was one of the rare examples in the world of underground radio stations being pro-government.
Programming generally is of a vertical blocking format, with live call-ins taking up a good portion of air time. On some stations, slots are allocated to local community and activist groups. The most prominent segment of the audience comes from rural working class, males usually middle-aged and beyond. Taiwanese Hokkien is by far the most commonly used language on the air, although Mandarin and, much less frequently, Hakka are also used. Underground radio stations cover their expenses by selling unorthodox drugs or medicine in a humorous and entertaining manner to keep the listeners hooked between actual programming.
Most if not all underground stations favour a mechanism to gain legal status but many balk at the costly requirements, which they believe to favour corporate and Nationalist-owned broadcasters. Government policy has always treated underground radio as an illegal enterprise, even after the DPP came to power. Official responses have been more varied, alternating between levying fines and confiscating equipment to tolerating their presence. Most stations are able to set up backup broadcast points within days of government raids. Commercial stations are known to file official complaints against pirate stations, whose signals are said to interfere with legal broadcasts.
Philippines Licensed radio operations in the country are supervised by the National Telecommunications Commission and the same agency (along with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) has been involved in raids cracking down unlicensed stations. Despite the proliferation of pirate radio in various times and the agency's proper counteractions, the most documented notorious hub of unlicensed operators have been predominantly within Metro Manila; while others are from Pampanga, Cebu and in some parts of Mindanao.
Earlier cases In 1931, the 9th Philippine Legislature enacted Act No. 3846, which would regulate radio stations and radio communications in the Philippines. The law became effective in February 1932. According to Section 2, a permit, granted by the Secretary of Commerce and Communications, is needed for the installation of a station.
In 1966, the Radio Control Board started the investigation on the presence of some clandestine and unlicensed radio stations in several parts of the country, following their discovery. Such operations meant violation of the aforementioned provision. Disturbed by the report, president Ferdinand Marcos ordered the Secretary of Public Works and Communications to expedite its inquiry into the case and to prosecute guilty parties. In 1967, Marcos formed a committee to update pre-World War II radio laws, and later ordered a crackdown on illegal stations. Reports indicated that some 18 radio transceivers, 11 of them apparently unlicensed, were found operating in eastern coast of Luzon, were owned by naturalized Filipinos of Asian origin, and had a power output ranging at 300–500 watts.
In 1987, the National Tax Research Center found out that among the commercial broadcast stations (including radio), 70% of them were not subject to franchise taxes. These were initially operated through permits from Broadcast Media Council (BMC), issued during martial law era, and did not have any franchises granted by the legislature. Upon abolition of BMC in 1981, Marcos ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to allow these stations without franchise to operate up to June 30, 1983, under a provisional authority. However, operations continued thereafter; hence such were considered illegal.
Radyo Bandido Radyo Bandido, a clandestine radio station led by Radyo Veritas 846 kHz personnel, Jesuit priest James Reuter and disk jockey June Keithley, played a vital role in the 1986 EDSA Revolution that resulted to the ouster of president Marcos.
Seventeen people, led by Keithley, gathered secretly to open a station atop the shuttered Jacinto-Tanco building—then housing the facility of DZRJ-AM 810 kHz—in Santa Mesa, Manila, shortly after the government forcibly shuttered all opposition broadcast stations including the Catholic-run Veritas, at that time one of the few covering the revolution, on the early morning of February 23. The station, staffed by the team from Veritas with the guidance of then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, was operational from the 23rd until the fall of the Marcos administration on the 25th. The president once attempted to prevent their operation, ordering one of his crack teams led by Bobby Ortega to find the station, but failed.
At present, the station continues to legally operate as DZRJ-AM, adapting the name Radyo Bandido.
Radyo Sierra Madre On December 26, 1987, an unprecedented, clandestine radio broadcast was made by the Communist Party of the Philippines to mark its 19th anniversary. Named "Radyo Sierra Madre, ang Tinig ng Malayang Pilipinas" ("Radio Sierra Madre, [the] Voice of the Free Philippines"), what was believed to be their first attempt to use a commercial radio band for propaganda purposes during the communist insurgency was later reported becoming the first successful broadcast to the public.
Their message, intended to be aired at 3 p.m., was postponed until 9 p.m. The 35-minute broadcast had a pause after 30 minutes, which suggested the use of a cassette tape. In an apparent pre-taped message, rebels criticized human rights abuses of the administration of president Corazon Aquino; accused the United States of interference; and praised Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba which they likewise greeted on the upcoming anniversary of the 1958 communist revolution. The broadcast began and ended with protest songs, revolutionary music, and socialist anthem The Internationale.
"Radyo Sierra Madre" had at least two more broadcasts in 1988. The second one—at 9 p.m. of January 30—lasted for about 30 minutes and included an interview in relation to the strength of the New People's Army. Another—on February 8, from 6–10 p.m., and marked by quarter-hour hourly breaks—was where the National Democratic Front of the Philippines sought for a "coalition government."
The broadcasts were monitored at 106–106.5 MHz, apparently unused FM radio frequencies; and were characterized having a weak signal, thus listening and understanding to these, particularly to the second one, became difficult. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) later learned that the first two, initially believed to be originated from Metro Manila, were transmitted from a mobile communications equipment. Meanwhile, the third one was reportedly transmitted from a ship located in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte; as the military likewise believed that the other two came from the same vehicle sailing somewhere between Dipolog and Bohol.
On February 23, in a hearing by the Philippine Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, the AFP disclosed "taking action" on these broadcasts that reportedly incited the people to rebellion, though it refused to mention what it was referring to.