[AktiviX] Dutch government tussles with pirate radio stations
Paul Mobbs
mobbsey at gn.apc.org
Mon Mar 1 12:35:53 UTC 2004
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- From Politech:
Subject: Dutch Gov't Wants to Shutdown Pirate Radio Before It Can be
Legalized Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 12:04:48 -0500
From: David Solomonoff <dsolomon at nycap.rr.com>
On May 23, The Dutch government auctioned off radio frequencies
to the highest bidders as part of their new Zerobase Radio Frequency
Policy. As a result only the biggest, most commercially and mainstream
oriented stations are able to exploit Dutch radio frequencies for the eight
year term of the licenses. The auction was preceded by "Project Etherflits"
in March -- a crackdown on
pirate radio stations which are technically illegal but were previously
tolerated. Studio
equipment was confiscated and large fines imposed on the operators. Most
stations have now been forced off the air.
The ZeroBase Policy acknowledges only two kinds of radio: public and
commercial. Any radio formats that don't fit within either of these
categories have in effect become
criminal organizations and can never be granted a legal broadcasting permit.
Now the mayor of Amsterdam has granted permission to use police and
riot-control forces to get rid of the country's last remaining Free Radio
stations. Radio 100, http://www.radio100.nl/_eng/, Radio Patapoe,
http://freeteam.nl/patapoe/ and Radio de Vrije Keyser,
http://www.vrijekeyser.nl/ are all based in Amsterdam. On Monday February
9th the Telecom authorities tried to raid Radio Patapoe. Their attempt
failed because they were unable to locate the transmitting equipment but they
promised to return.
The justification for the crackdown has been the prevention of interference
with licensed broadcasters. Ironically the Dutch government was so anxious
for space to be found for additional commercial stations - meaning extra
revenue - that interference
between licensed radio stations has become a serious problem in many areas of
the country. Due to poor planning on the part of the government access to
existing transmitters for powerful commercial stations has been allocated
very poorly. And there is a shortage of suitable sites in the Netherlands
where broadcast transmitters
can be installed without falling foul of planning and environmental
regulations.
But since radio pirates transmit at unused frequencies and without
interference (owing
to their limited range) they do not interfere with commercial broadcasters
- -except to
compete for listeners as Telecom officials admit in the case of Radio
Patapoe.
Until 1964 there were no legal commercial radio or television stations in the
Netherlands and the government programming was extremely limited. Free Radio
culture in the Netherlands has played an important role in filling that gap.
It remains
innovative, popular and highly valued as an important cultural and political
resource.
As result of a huge outcry Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Laurens-Jan
Brinkhorst has been ordered to investigate easily accessible ways to give
permits to local free frequencies. This widely supported resolution
specifically aims to make room for existing free radios and radio pirates.
Yet the phenomenon itself, with its importance to
a healthy democracy, is about to disappear. It will be hard to get back once
it's gone.
Radio Patapoe is requesting letters in support of their continued existence
which can be used
to make the case for legalization of pirate radio. Letters can be sent to
patapoe at freeteam.nl
- --
David Solomonoff
dsolomon at nycap.rr.com
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- -------------------------------------------------------
==========
"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for
this party nor against the other but we are for justice and mercy and
truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation,
and that goodness, righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity
with God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
(Edward Burroughs, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice')
Paul Mobbs, Mobbs' Environmental Investigations,
3 Grosvenor Road, Banbury OX16 5HN, England
tel./fax (+44/0)1295 261864
email - mobbsey at gn.apc.org
website - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mobbsey/index.html
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