Pirate radio stations have operated in various countries of Asia, often putting over political or nationalist points of view. Offshore stations have attempted to reach China or overseas Chinese residents. Citizens' Radio is an unlicensed Hong Kong pro-democracy station. In Taiwan, what are known as "underground radio" stations have broadcast both pro- and anti-government opinions. Large numbers of unlicensed stations have functioned in the Philippines, of which 107.9 U-Radio (2006–2013) is among the best known. Finally, Radio First Termer was briefly operated by and for U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1971.

China

In mainland China, setting up a private radio or TV station will not be permitted, broadcasting stations can only be set by local government. However, everyone can easily purchase a portable FM transmitter for special application. So that someone is going to sell drugs via private FM transmission called Black Radio, which means illegal radio broadcasting in China. Some illegal stations make a lot of jamming to public stations and airplanes' communications.

A number of offshore radio stations have reportedly operated from the South China Sea, mainly for political purposes and these include Voice of the People's Liberation Army; Radio Flash; The October Storm; Rediffusion Central; Popular of Peking. In 1990–1991, two other offshore radio stations intended for a Chinese audience made news in the world's press.

One of them was Radio Tiananmen, a station that was to be based aboard the MV Sarah (Lichfield I) to be renamed Liberty that had been the former home of Radio Newyork International that broadcast briefly during two consecutive years in late 1980s from an anchorage off Jones Beach, New York. The idea was to anchor the ship in international waters off the Northeast coastline of the US and to broadcast on behalf of the thousands of Chinese students studying in the US in support of their fellow students who had demonstrated in Tiananmen Square. The idea faltered when the backers were told that the United States government would oppose an independent political station of this type.

The other station was created in France and sponsored by , a French magazine and The Face, a British magazine together with support from contributors in Hong Kong. The group called themselves "Federation for Democracy in China" and they bought a ship, which they renamed, Goddess of Democracy, which was also the name of the proposed station. When the vessel sailed from La Rochelle, France it was intended for the ship to dock and that is where studios, transmitters and radio antenna would be installed. However, the project was abandoned after political and financial problems.

Hong Kong

In 2006, Citizens' Radio was founded by a group of pro-democracy activists, including Tsang Kin-shing and legislator Leung Kwok-hung, also known as "Long Hair". It broadcast on weeknights from Chai Wan on 102.8 MHz FM.

On 30 November 2009, FM101, a station based in Kwun Tong commenced broadcasting, according to the South China Morning Post (1 December 2009). It was heard in the east of Kowloon and the east of Hong Kong Island. The station's founders include Leung King-wai, Tsang Chun-Ying and Kwok Yiu-Cheong. The latter two were formerly presenters for Citizens' Radio, but Citizens' Radio was not involved in its foundation, according to founder Tsang Kin-Shing.

India

Taiwan

In reference to unlicensed land-based stations, the term underground radio is in common usage in Taiwan. The World United Formosans for Independence reportedly studied the possibility of broadcasting from the Philippines, but no concrete action materialised.

The underground radio movement began in the liberalising political milieu following the lifting of the decades-long martial law. Historically, most of the stations have opposed, in some manner, the political establishment represented by the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Republic of China (ROC) framework, in favour of the then opposition movement broadly consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and allied social movements. These so-called pan-green radio stations are mostly based in central and southern Taiwan with most listeners being hard-core pan-green supporters who despise Kuomintang rule and the potential for Chinese unification. A few stations positioned themselves on the opposing end of the political spectrum, generally favouring the ROC status quo advocated by the New Party and "non-mainstream factions" within the Nationalist Party. With the DPP formerly in power, and ultimate Taiwan independence and sovereignty is the stance taken by most underground radio stations, Taiwan was one of the rare examples in the world of underground radio stations being pro-government.

Programming generally is of a vertical blocking format, with live call-ins taking up a good portion of air time. On some stations, slots are allocated to local community and activist groups. The most prominent segment of the audience comes from rural working class, males usually middle-aged and beyond. Taiwanese Hokkien is by far the most commonly used language on the air, although Mandarin and, much less frequently, Hakka are also used. Underground radio stations cover their expenses by selling unorthodox drugs or medicine in a humorous and entertaining manner to keep the listeners hooked between actual programming.

Most if not all underground stations favour a mechanism to gain legal status but many balk at the costly requirements, which they believe to favour corporate and Nationalist-owned broadcasters. Government policy has always treated underground radio as an illegal enterprise, even after the DPP came to power. Official responses have been more varied, alternating between levying fines and confiscating equipment to tolerating their presence. Most stations are able to set up backup broadcast points within days of government raids. Commercial stations are known to file official complaints against pirate stations, whose signals are said to interfere with legal broadcasts.

Philippines

Licensed radio operations in the country are supervised by the National Telecommunications Commission and the same agency (along with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) has been involved in raids cracking down unlicensed stations. Despite the proliferation of pirate radio in various times and the agency's proper counteractions, the most documented notorious hub of unlicensed operators have been predominantly within Metro Manila; while others are from Pampanga, Cebu and in some parts of Mindanao.

Earlier cases

In 1931, the 9th Philippine Legislature enacted Act No. 3846, which would regulate radio stations and radio communications in the Philippines. The law became effective in February 1932. According to Section 2, a permit, granted by the Secretary of Commerce and Communications, is needed for the installation of a station.

In 1966, the Radio Control Board started the investigation on the presence of some clandestine and unlicensed radio stations in several parts of the country, following their discovery. Such operations meant violation of the aforementioned provision. Disturbed by the report, president Ferdinand Marcos ordered the Secretary of Public Works and Communications to expedite its inquiry into the case and to prosecute guilty parties. In 1967, Marcos formed a committee to update pre-World War II radio laws, and later ordered a crackdown on illegal stations. Reports indicated that some 18 radio transceivers, 11 of them apparently unlicensed, were found operating in eastern coast of Luzon, were owned by naturalized Filipinos of Asian origin, and had a power output ranging at 300–500 watts.

In 1987, the National Tax Research Center found out that among the commercial broadcast stations (including radio), 70% of them were not subject to franchise taxes. These were initially operated through permits from Broadcast Media Council (BMC), issued during martial law era, and did not have any franchises granted by the legislature. Upon abolition of BMC in 1981, Marcos ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to allow these stations without franchise to operate up to June 30, 1983, under a provisional authority. However, operations continued thereafter; hence such were considered illegal.

Radyo Bandido

Radyo Bandido, a clandestine radio station The station, staffed by the team from Veritas with the guidance of then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, was operational from the 23rd until the fall of the Marcos administration on the 25th.

At present, the station continues to legally operate as DZRJ-AM, adapting the name Radyo Bandido.

Radyo Sierra Madre

On December 26, 1987, an unprecedented, clandestine radio broadcast was made by the Communist Party of the Philippines to mark its 19th anniversary.

"Radyo Sierra Madre" had at least two more broadcasts in 1988. The second one—at 9 p.m. of January 30 Another—on February 8, from 6–10 p.m., and marked by quarter-hour hourly breaks—was where the National Democratic Front of the Philippines sought for a "coalition government."

The broadcasts were monitored at 106–106.5 MHz, were transmitted from a mobile communications equipment. as the military likewise believed that the other two came from the same vehicle sailing somewhere between Dipolog and Bohol.

Another case of radio broadcasting involving the communists was "Radyo Gil-ayab" ("gil-ayab" is an Ilocano term for "blaze"), existed by 2003–2004 in the Cagayan Valley. It is uncertain if it was a licensed broadcast.

FM 90.3 MHz, Marikina

Station DWPM-FM particularly a forum aired on May 3, 1993.

Candazo alleged that on May 20, the NTC extended the temporary permit for the municipality, making it retroactive a day following its expiration on April 7. The permit was eventually revoked in late June.

filed a case against Cañete at the central office in Manila, the order was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023, ending the dispute with the "legitimate" MCC.

Negros Oriental stations

In January 2016, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas–Negros Oriental chapter filed a complaint with the provincial office of the NTC against at least 14 alleged illegally-operating FM radio stations in the province. Based on their monitoring, these stations aired commercials and blocktime programs without paying taxes to the government, and lacked locally-issued permits; while some were reportedly owned by politicians seeking media mileage during the election period. By June 2022, six of them have been formally licensed by the NTC:

  • Bais: DYDB 88.9 Magic FM
  • Tanjay: 98.3 FM; 103.8 FM; 101.9 FM; and 102.5 Connect FM.
  • Tayasan: 98.1 Muews Radio

Mindanao area

In the first half of 2018, the monitored the operations of at least 35 illegal radio stations in Davao Region, with five of them allegedly set up prior to the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). As a cease and desist order was recommended for almost all stations, it was only given to six of them, all located in Davao The commission admitted that most of these stations were instrumental in the presidential campaign of Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. The number of such stations reportedly increased, mostly being installed by politicians for their campaign and operating in houses or establishments, In 2024, , stating the same concern, reported that while investigations were ongoing, several unauthorized stations had ceased operations following orders on cease-and-desist orders and show-cause. It cited availability of broadcast equipment online that allowed such operations.

On the other hand, in October 2024, the launched an operation against unlicensed radio stations in Northern Mindanao that broadcast fake news and questionable political commentaries, as well as legitimate stations with expired franchises. They also noticed that the subject stations, along with others, are operational during the height of election campaigns.

Vietnam

Radio First Termer was a pirate radio station which operated in January 1971 in Saigon during the Vietnam War.

The station was hosted by a United States Air Force sergeant (born August 15, 1948) calling himself "Dave Rabbit".).

The station played "hard acid rock" such as Steppenwolf, Bloodrock, Three Dog Night, Led Zeppelin, Sugarloaf, the James Gang, and Iron Butterfly, bands which were popular among the troops but largely ignored by the American Forces Vietnam Network. The music was mixed with antiwar commentary, skits poking fun at the U.S. Air Force and Lyndon B. Johnson, and raunchy sex and drug oriented jokes.