Radio Gangs

Radio Gangs are an Iranian phenomenon, and one that they've begun to spread to the rest of the world. Restrictive speech laws around the turn of the century met the proliferation of primitive radios and the realization that Djinn could enhance, intercept, and transmit radio waves. The result was home radio enthusiasts turning into home radio groups, turned into illegal broadcasting groups. People banding together, technical specialists working with Djinn to broadcast whatever they wished to the world, beyond easy reach of censors and legislators.
Crackdowns were attempted, but Iran has the highest Djinn population on the planet and finding and charging the correct people was rarely easy. Still, the pressure turned the Radio Gangs from rough clubs and social gatherings to tight-nit groups of people who trusted each other not to snitch to the police. Changed their purpose from general broadcasting to more specific, more political protest against speech censureship and banned media lists. Instead of quashing the Radio Gangs, the crackdown, and especially the Radio Regulation Act of 1907, made them formal, tight knit, and ever more resistant to coercion.
The result was a proliferation of radio gangs that drove many municipal radio stations out of business. Airwaves were simply too clogged, and no-one could guarantee that any given frequency would be clear for broadcasting at any given time. Some radio gangs even began to operate out of derelict radio stations, repurposing abandoned equipment for their own ends. Stiff jail terms made the issue worse, and proved a horrific public relations disaster for the Tudeh party.
By the turn of the decade, the government gave up. Radio Gangs were decriminalized, levied fines forgiven, and eventually even censorship laws relaxed. For all intents and purposes, the Radio Gangs had won, and were merely expected to operate on approved frequencies.
While speech laws have loosened significantly, the Radio Gangs haven't really gone away. They're young adults in broadcast skimmers, writing circles on rooftops or in basements, or amateur theologians debating through the night. The stigma and allure of the taboo has faded, transferred to still-illegal broadcast skimmers, but the simple thrill of being able to broadcast to the world still remains.

History

1903 - "Umm Haqq", a women's broadcasting circle dedicated to women's issues and sharing banned poetry, becomes the first true radio gang.
1907 - Radio Gang Regulation Act passes. Immediately makes the problem so much worse.
1911 - General bans on broadcasting on public frequencies without a license replace previous criminal statutes on radio gang membership. Radio Gangs are de-facto decriminalized.
1915 - The Shah forgives three million denars in unpaid fines related to Radio Gangs, neutering censorship legislation
1917 - The Broadcast Freedom Decree passes the Assembly, ending most censorship laws

Founding Date

1903

Type

Broadcasting, Radio