Pirate Radio Crackdown in London

Sweeping raids across London this week have resulted in the termination of 44 pirate radio stations. Apparently, the UK is home to about 150 pirate stations, over half of which are in London.

I can hardly count the number of British listeners who have written to me, with similar descriptions of the abysmal state of UK radio... even in the booming metropolis of London. Perhaps pirate radio is the only haven for underground music in the UK; even those hipsters at Reuters make reference to grime getting its start on pirate stations.

In any case, maybe Paddy Roy Bates can make some room in his Sealand compound for all of London's displaced radio pirates... they are kindred spirits, after all.

Thanks Andy!

Comments

[jim]

iirc, wasn't there a great running broadcast from a pirate radio station in the north sea that was being sunk by the royal navy? or am I getting some key details wrong? I can't seem to find it in the archives.

[A pirate radio DJ]

In reply to your initial post, most underground UK dance music scenes have a lot to thank the pirate radio industry for. Pirates have and always will play a key role in broadcasting and promoting the underground dance scene in the UK. As you are most probably aware the commercial stations dont give much time for the more underground scenes in this country as I am sure this is the case all over the world. This leaves people like myself no choice but to take part in DJ'ing on pirate radio.
I have been involved with a Drum & Bass pirate station in London for the last 5 years and I have to say I am appalled by the bad press we sometimes get from the media, I know these stations are illegal but everyone involved in the running of my radio station are certainly not drug runners, behave anti socially or send out political messages to our listeners.
We are simply there to promote the music we believe in. We all have 9-5 jobs, we all pay our taxes, there may be a few stations out there who ruin it for everyone but I can certainly say the majority of the pirates out there stand for one thing only, the belief in the music they play, nothing more.
This belief runs so deep so, like it or not, we are here to stay so long as the underground dance scene warrants us being there.

[MART]

YEA THE GOVERMENT TAKE THE PISS IF THEY CANT ALLOW DECENT STATION PIRATES WILL NEVER DIE THE DTI ARE A BUNCH OF WANKERS THEY DONT BOTHER ME ID HAPPLY GO BACK TO SETIN UP ON TOWER BLOCKS IN THE NAME OF DRUM AND BASS I DONT GIVE A FUCK!!!MART FROM W.MID

[Karen]

Here is a really cool song and lyric all about pirate radio:
http://www.brenttruitt.com/wordpress/?p=21
It's Called the Radio Kings:
KAren