1960's UK "Pirate" Radio

[mrhoover]

Bit off topic but might be of interest.

BBC Radio 4 show just been aired about Kenny Everett who started his
career in the mid 1960's on the "Pirate" radio station Radio London Big L
in the North Sea.There are a lot of jingles played from the time.
The station was based on the WABC 770 Pop/Rock music format of the time
& backed by investors from Texas & had similar jingles.
I remember it well,got me interested in radio.

Since there was no commercial radio in the UK at the time Radio London
had huge audiences (& Radio Caroline its main rival).There was no law
at the time to stop them as they broadcast in international waters
until the boundaries were extended in 1967.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/archivehour

Kenny Everett was a bit ahead of his time making his own jingles,cutting
up loops of tape etc.

Clicking on the above link will replay the show for a week from today.

Hugh

[Mike-CT]

I was in the navy stationed in Iceland when I heard Radio London, which was on 1115khz, if I remember. I heard R. Caroline from Iceland and Morocco. I remember it was "Wonderful Radio London" with WABC type jingles. Caroline is a legend on 1520khz. I had tapes of both which I converted into mp3s. Caroline is here at http://fmdx.usclargo.com/hearditonam/

[mrhoover]

Hi Mike

Tried listening to your audio files but my browser/realplayer said it couldn't
download from your site.They look very interesting.

Radio Caroline is still about,on satellite in Europe and streaming audio

www.radiocaroline.co.uk/

There used to be a Radio Caroline North ship off the Isle of Man
and Radio Caroline South ship off the UK east coast.Everything was in
"meters" then.R Caroline south was 259,just higher in frequency than
Big L 266 which as you say would have been 1115 (sometimes
they varied a bit).

Big L shut in August 1967 when it became "illegal" but Caroline went on
for some time.Great shame.BBC came up with "Radio 1" which used a lot of the
same DJ's and similar jingle packages but there was limited airtime
initially & terrible interference in S England from Radio Tirana Albania
at night on 1214KHz or "247 meters".The pirates could put in a good signal
but not the BBC !!

Radio London's site is here

http://www.radiolondon.co.uk/

Has lots of offshore radio links.They used a converted US Navy minesweeper
from World War 2,the MV Galaxy

Hugh

[mrhoover]

There seems to be a movie coming out next year set in 1966
about a pirate radio ship in the North Sea called "The Boat That
Rocked"

http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/newsArticle.php?newsID=202

Hugh

[mrhoover]

Pirate BBC Essex in the UK is on the air this weekend with a lot of the DJ's
from the pirate ships of the 1960's,it's Radio Caroline's 45th anniversary!


Link to the main site is here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2007/08/01/pirate_bbc_essex_listen_live_feature.shtml

You can listen and watch here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/ondemand/essex/realmedia/pirates?bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&size=4x3

Hugh

[mrhoover]

Quite a lot of photos of the event are here

http://www.offshore-radio.de/PBBCE2009/index.htm

and the shows can be downloaded.

Hugh

[Michael Evans]

If a BBC radio station calls itself Pirate a good start for a bit of reminising and getting your attention lets not forget for one moment the station for this feature is BBC Essex forget the word pirate they never were the BBC bit is an ident for the powers to be eg the GPO DTI Ofcom or the PTT telling them its part of the great BBC monoply and not a pirate station, I hate this idea, and fell like saying play your tapes as thats what there got to put to air during a flash back spot, some presenters were not even on any pirate ship or gun fort we also get a mixed bunch of guys now in there late 60s playing at -
off shore radio on a light ship with a radio link back to....... BBC Radio Essex, what I hate is at the top of the hour you get BBC local news!!!! and a
"BBC pirate radio essex" jingles how silly is that, now I never tune in, I would rather play my tapes. Mike Evans. MBR ex Land base pirate.