Popular Indian Pirate Radio Station Made with $1 Equipments Shut Down!

Raghav Mahato created his own pirate FM radio station from used and recycled items for just $1, probably the cheapest transmission equipment in the world.

"It took a long time to come up with the idea and make the kit which could transmit my programmes at a fixed radio frequency. The kit cost me 50 rupees (just over $1)," says Raghav.

The transmission kit is fitted on to an antenna attached to a bamboo pole on a neighbouring three-storey hospital.

A long wire connects the contraption to a creaky, old homemade stereo cassette player in Raghav's radio shack. Three other rusty, locally made battery-powered tape recorders are connected to it with colourful wires and a cordless microphone.

His village FM station (Raghav FM Mansoorpur 1) was heard by thousands of villagers. The Indian government, however, was not amused and shut his station down.

Check out the story here: BBC Article 1 | Article 2 (via WFMU's Beware of the Blog)