When most people think of the word “pirate” they think of bearded, dirty, rotten teeth, foul mouthed criminals. Others, especially those in radio, think of “freedom”. Pirates are notoriously associated with taking orders from no one, no government, and certainly not the FCC. 

Radio is regulated by the government agency, and therefore there are rules and regulations they must follow and adhere to to ensure they are not fined, or worse, lose their license. Every terrestrial radio station on your dial must be registered and licensed. Ever since the telecommunications act of 1996, any company can purchase multiple licenses/stations in the same market, therefore removing any competition. This created oversaturation in certain markets, and media giants like iHeart, Entercom, and Cumulus began buying up stations like hoarders. Although this allowed professionals in radio to begin working at various stations simultaneously, these titans in media began implementing new “Corporate” regulations that began transforming radio from a freeing and vocal artform for truth into a corporate office where even wearing the wrong kind of tie could get you into trouble.