Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ken Hansen (N2VIP), who shares a link to the following news item on BGR India:
China to crackdown on unauthorised radio broadcasts
Reportedly, in a national campaign aided by more than 30,000 airwave monitors, in over past six months, more than 500 sets of equipment for making unauthorised radio broadcasts were seized in China.[…]
“The broadcast power of pirate radio stations can be 2,500 to 5,000 watts, which is several hundred of times that of commercial radio, and the signal can be received 300 km away,” the China Daily reported citing the department as saying. Pirate radios may also pose a threat to communication between aircraft pilots and ground controllers as their frequency band neighbours that of flight navigation signals and can create interference, the department said.
Under Chinese law, the unauthorised use of radio frequency bands can attract up to seven years in prison.
I wonder why they don’t set up AM stations? The power requirements are lower, the range is greater, and it would be much harder to get caught if they were mobile.
Sounds like a fairly complete fabrication to me. Three to five kilowatts is “several hundred of times that of commercial radio”?!?! Apparently the “author” has no clue about radio…
Also, it is highly unlikely any of these are operating on HF, since one of our stalwart DXers, especially in the Far East, should have been able to hear quite a few 5 kw’ers on shortwave.
I think the authorities are playing “the safety card” to crack down on pirate radio stations; not quite butin the same vein on the FCC cracking down on FM pirates here. Absolutely nothing to do with any other safety than the safety of commercial revenue.
3 to 5kW pirate stations in China is not unusual. They don’t operate on HF but rather FM. The crack down always happens when someone for ministry in charge of cracking down on this is newly appointed.
These stations for the most part are based in Southern China. in 2nd and 3rd tier cities. In a first tier city like Beijing or Shanghai you would be shut down immediately. But with the amount of corruption you find in 2nd and 3rd tier cities you can operate and because it is more than likely the police and are on the take. The owners of the station just shut down and move to a another location. In some cases I’ve visited. They have more than one location.
For the most part the SAFRT ( State Administration of Film Radio and Television) give up after a while. If there are no interference issues with civil or military aviation.
The reason you see the vast majority of these stations in South China is because in places like Guangzhou, which the main technology center for China. This is where all these FM transmitter companies are located. If you check out sites like eBay or just do a google search for FM transmitters China you will get pages and pages of sites like FM user that sell FM transmitters from 5watts all the to 5kW. And these companies are scattered all around Guangzhou and other parts of South China like a dime a dozen.
in China stations like the pirates in the story are not owned by someone. But rather owned by the businesses that are selling medicine like male erection products and wacko medicines like if you they their product you penis will grow in length and girth and female products as I the one I heard this summer “will make you moist and more sexually appetizing” (direct translation).
Pilot friends who work for Singapore Airlines have told me that it’s not unusual to hear these stations interfering with civil aviation traffic.
Also in China these stations are the true definition of commercial stations. The legal stations are either China National Radio stations, provincial people’s stations or city owned stations, which are all government owned. State stations do have advertising, but the reality it’s not needed as they will never go under. But the pirates need to make money. The money doesn’t just go to the station. But the vast majority go to paying off officials.
obvious false news