Screens at the BUEI Tradewinds Auditorium on March 22 at 6.30 p.m. and on March 24 at 9 p.m. at the Little Theatre.In Pirate Radio USA film maker Jeff Pearson attempts to channel the light-hearted but high impact tone of documentary successes like Bowling for Columbine and Super Size Me but doesn’t quite get it right. The documentary focuses on the plight of small community radio stations that are unable to obtain licences from the Federal Communications Commission. He questions if Americans actually have free speech if they are not able to take to the airwaves.

The film’s narrator, DJ Him, reels off dates and facts about how corporate media has managed to strangle small independent radio stations but often it’s just too much. While there are some interesting facts in the midst of the information overload they often get missed.

DJ Him and his sidekick DJ Her travel across America for a six-year period meeting various radio pirates but the film misses the common person element. Many of the DJs speak about how producing community radio is an inalienable right under the constitution. They lament the stifling of their freedom of speech and the FCC’s heavy handed ways at shutting down independent stations. However, the film rarely tells the viewer why independent radio is important to them. Only a few times does it illustrate that the small radio stations transmit messages and stories ignored by mainstream media.

The highlight of the 80-minute documentary is the 1999 Seattle World Trade Organisation meetings. The protests and riots that ensued were beamed across the world via large corporate stations. However, the film takes a look at it from an independent media perspective and sheds light on what the overwhelming experience may have been like.

DJ Him heads into the middle of protests and captures people in peaceful protest who are blocking every entrance to the building. The camera also catches what appear to be the first tear gas bombs being thrown by the Police and retreat that protesters make. Coughing, fog and confusion are all caught by DJ Him. He then shows people breaking windows and causing mayhem the next day. The strongest point made during the whole film is when DJ Him says that mainstream media told the story in another order. He shows footage of the mainstream coverage which says that protesters got violent and Police had no choice but to use force. It is at this point that the message becomes clear, independent radio is needed to allow messages unfiltered by corporate interests to reach the masses. However, the WTO footage only lasts 20-30 minutes.

The film is not a disaster, but it’s also not a masterpiece. It doesn’t push you to question and fails for the most part to explain exactly why you need independent media. The message is there, but it’s often lost in the midst of a sea of facts and radio pirates talking about their rights. The film is good for anyone who is unaware that media monopolies control much of the information that Americans receive. If you already knew that it’s not really worth the time because its simply not strong enough.