Pirate radio stations 1960s Insides about Pirate Radio Stations, from the 1960s to the digital age. There were no broadcasts as part of the World War II propaganda campaigns and commercial as well as community stations alongside the taxpayer funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation were available during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s - a period when the UK was experiencing a surge in illegal broadcasts during Jan 1, 2014 · Here you will find some interesting 'Off Air' clips of 'Offshore' Pirate Radio Stations of the 1960's. In November 1964 a 780-ton former WWII minesweeper named MV Galaxy anchored three-and-a-half miles off the Essex coast and became home to Radio London – “Big L”. These stations were crucial in challenging the BBC's monopoly and offering diverse musical content, often inspired by American and Radio Luxembourg formats. m. Radio London was also known as Big L and 'Wonderful Radio London' when it started broadcasting off the coast of Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England on the 16th December 1964. Pirate radio stations aren't just a London thing. In 1964, Irish businessman [Ronan O’Rahilly] did Mar 30, 2024 · Built in 1960, the Ross Revenge is a 200ft (61m) former deep sea fishing trawler that was converted into a fully-functioning radio ship. It then applied for a legal status and was granted a license in 1975. It broadcast from a converted Dutch lugger called Oceaan 7 positioned in international waters off Scarborough, North Yorkshire followed by a move to a more sheltered position off Bridlington. com/12514338952 Years ago a British Pathé film crew left Felixstowe harbour on the tender 'Offshore 1' for Emerging prominently in the 1960s, pirate radio stations began as offshore operations like Radio Caroline and Radio London, broadcasting pop music that mainstream outlets ignored. Pirate radio in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. The stations Australian radio audiences have had virtually no exposure to pirate radio. ISBN 0-8306-9268-1 ISBN 0-8306-3268-9 (pbk. Radio, Short wave. Programs on the Pirate Radio boats vol. Its evolution loosely follows that of the underground rave scene, which mainstream radio Radio Scotland was an offshore pirate radio station broadcasting on 1241 kHz mediumwave (242 metres), created by Tommy Shields in 1965. Pirate radio was revived in the '80s and later went on to provide an outlet for Black British contemporary music—jungle, UK garage, grime and the rest—genres that were largely ignored by commercial radio stations and the BBC (until the launch of 1Xtra in 2002). Radio 390 (1965–1967) was a pirate radio station on Red Sands Fort, (near Whitstable), a former Maunsell Fort on the Red Sands sandbar in the River Thames estuary. ’ “The thing that fascinated me was that it was the most powerful commercial radio station in the world. 1974: Covering Offshore Radio News for 51 years : 2025 Pirate Radio Veronica broadcast on 183 / 192 / 538 meters medium wave from the `Nordeney` off Katwiik ann zee` from April 1960 to August 1974. Pirate radio stations tuning in to underground broadcasts / by Andrew R. 2. co. Radio Free New York is a detailed history of some Brooklyn NYC-area AM and FM pirate radio stations from the 1970s to today. Offshore Pirate Radio Caroline was probably the most famous and most listened to of all the offshore pirate radio stations in the 1960s. Unlike the rock 'n' roll hipsters of 1960s British pirate radio, who aimed at a mass audience, most of Brooklyn's unlicensed broadcasters seem to be immigrants and members of ethnic and religious minorities trying to reach their own groups and neighborhoods. Furthermore, it was stated that the pirates Welcome to Offshore Echos Magazine' the English pages. The films The Boat That Rocked (2009), [10] Pump Up the Volume (1990), and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight (1979), as well as the TV series People Just Do Nothing (2014-2018), are set in the world of pirate radio, while Born in Flames (1983) features pirate radio stations as being part of an underground political movement. This is not the case for the small town radio station of CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. Tineke on Veronica: the first. While many pirate radio stations have been short-lived low-power entities operated by amateur hobbyists, others have been elaborate professional undertakings that skirted government regulation by transmitting from outside the national boundaries of the signal’s target audience. The Radio Caroline pirate ship was forced to move its base to the Netherlands, while other stations like Radio London fell silent. 54—dc20 89-28579 CIP TAB BOOKS offers software for sale. p. Radio Caroline broadcast from international waters throughout the decade, with early DJs including Dave Lee Travis Sep 28, 2017 · T he British pop invasion that took over American airwaves in the 1960s might never have happened, On March 28, 1964, the pirate radio station made its first broadcast, unsure of who could Relevant pages of Pirate Radio Hall of Fame: 11th JANUARY: Radio London's mv Galaxy washed inside the three mile limit in a gale. Built in 1960, the Ross Revenge is a 200ft (61m) former deep sea fishing trawler that Sep 20, 2023 · In the 1980s, pirate radio stations in London broadcasted from tower tops with a discreet and creative attitude, learned from the first stations of the 1960s. These stations broadcast from ships and old WW2 forts around the cost of the British Isles. "cat. to North of England, Midlands A study of the phenomenon of pirate radio stations in international waters along the coasts of Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. The output from the BBC was so restrictive and oppressive in a way that today’s youngsters could never imagine, yet here was a new laid-back station which played music created by young people for young people. cm. Now, it typically broadcasts from land, but it still owns a ship that it uses from time to time—though the current owner and station manager told us, at this point, that ship is just a figurehead. Kennedy. Analysis of the causes of this episode in radio history that set the privatization of radio and television broadcasting into motion. Press cutting Press cutting: 20th JANUARY: Radio Caroline South ship, mv Mi Amigo, washed up on Essex coast and badly damaged. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands, to stimulate the sales of radio receivers by providing an alternative to the Netherlands state-licensed stations in Hilversum. Although these forts weren’t in international waters, there was some initial confusion and debate over their legal status. Dec 3, 2021 · The number of pirate radio stations grew in the 1970s and included Radio North Sea International as well as Laser 558. Those radio pirates were inspired, in part, by the fact that the BBC played almost no rock music, and was also a monopoly, so there were no licensed Pirate radio in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations such as Radio Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. 21 Dec 7, 2010 · Radio Caroline first started broadcasting in 1964 but was joined a month later on May 9th by a pop radio station, Radio Atlanta which later merged with Radio Caroline, due to Radio Caroline’s audience base, becoming Radio Caroline South. She was followed by a host of other radio stations based on boats and marine structures dotted around the coast. S. " On the Eastern shores of Matakohe-Limestone Island lie the derelict remains of a once-famous floating pirate radio studio. In contrast to pirate radio stations which broadcast illegally, border blasters are generally licensed by the government upon whose soil they are located. Pirate radio in the UK The popularity of free radio in the UK rose in the early 1960s, with pop music stations broadcasting from offshore ships or disused sea forts . Aug 2, 2017 · Pirate Gold: The Real Story Behind the Offshore Radio Stations of the 1960s - Kindle edition by Lister, Brian. Radio 270 was a pirate radio station serving Yorkshire and the North East of England from 1966 to 1967. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Pirate Gold: The Real Story Behind the Offshore Radio Stations of the 1960s. TK6533. The pirate stations had helped shape a revolution in listening habits in the UK, but it was the BBC that inherited the Mar 28, 2024 · Radio Caroline was not the first European radio station to circumvent legislation by mooring a vessel in international waters. 1960 saw the launch of Radio Veronica and, within Dec 28, 2018 · But they call it pirate radio for a reason. Y58 1990 384. Over time several more offshore radio stations were established, including Radio London and Swinging Radio England. Section 301 and 511 of the Communications Act requires an FCC license or authorization for the operation of a broadcast station. Mar 28, 2024 · In the 1960s, Blackburn, 81, who presents Sounds Of The 60s and Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour on Radio 2, worked on the pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London. Everything was going well and in the spirit of the 60s until in 1967, the law came knocking. RADIO CAROLINE 64:- Carl Conway, Jerry Leighton, Doug Kerr, Gerry Duncan, Chris Moore, John Junkin, Simon Dee Tom Lodge Nov 13, 2009 · The film Pirate Radio , which opens in the U. V. Mar 15, 2021 · 1960. The 1960s pirates: a comparative analysis of Radio London and Radio Caroline ROBERT CHAPMAN Anyone who can remember anything at all about pirate radio in the 1960s can usually remember two names: Radio Caroline and Radio London are synonymous with the offshore era. These three Radio stations in large music cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Nashville normally set the standard for the most popular music. m to 9 p. The film has an ensemble cast consisting of Philip Seymour Hoffman , Bill Nighy , Rhys Ifans , Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh . the so-called pirate radio stations. The station remains off the air until the ship can be towed back into international waters. In his new film, The Boat That Rocked , Richard Curtis replays those heady days when music, fashion and youth were redefining British culture. At the time, these stations were not illegal because they were broadcasting from international waters. Between them they accounted for the majority of the audience who listened to the pirates, and the majority of the sponsors who advertised on them. Between them they accounted for the majority of the audience who Jul 18, 2018 · Take note landlubbers – this is what pirate radio looked like in the 1960s. Due to anti-pirate legislation, Veronica chose to close down on 31 August 1974. In 1995, a UPS driver in Brooklyn named Dave Cintron liked hip-hop and wanted to be a DJ. But all this changed in the 1960s, thanks to an offshore pirate radio station called Radio Caroline. Yoder. These original broadcasts from Pirate Radio Veronica were recorded via reel to reel tape in the sixties and seventies and have been enhanced / converted to MP3 format as technology has allowed - MP3 format plays on most modern CD players, Ipods Apr 1, 2009 · Pirate Radio takes a great story – the hugely popular offshore radio stations that illegally broadcast pop and rock in 1960s Britain New York Post November 13, 2009 A circle of swashbuckling radio enthusiasts in the United Kingdom who have kept the rogue seaborne radio station, Radio Caroline, afloat now for the past 60 long years. These stations provided a platform for playing rock and pop music that was often censored or ignored by traditional broadcasters like the BBC. Nov 13, 2009 · The film Pirate Radio , which opens in the U. The American-financed pirate station was to give Radio Caroline – the original UK pirate, launched seven months before – a serious run for its money, playing an all-day diet of the best 60’s pop (Beatles, Stones, Who The early Sixties saw mainland Europe address the lack of youth-oriented shows in their own countries by setting up privately-owned offshore 'pirate' radio stations to broadcast the music that they wanted to hear, transmitting unlicensed broadcasts from ships anchored outside territorial waters. Over the past 80 years, they've popped up all These pages tell the story of offshore 'pirate' radio from 1958 to 1970. 60s pirate radio was a European (not just British) phenomenon and it was driven by the familiar logic (and established capital) of US radio. A recent photo, taken many years after the catwalks connecting the towers were removed as a safety hazard, and showing the towers in far rustier condition than they were in the 1960s. Radio Veronica, still an iconic radio operator in The Netherlands, started as a pirate radio station in 1960. Radio City was a British pirate radio station broadcasting from Shivering Sands Army Fort, one of the abandoned Second World War Maunsell Sea Forts in the Thames Between 1964 and 1968, a number of pirate radio stations opened around the coasts of the UK, operating just outside territorial waters. See full list on radiofidelity. Early 1960s British rock and roll fans could still get a fix of their music even though the BBC wouldn't program it. What was radio like back then? In the days before Radio One. Pirate radio broadcasting 3 Radio frequency allocation. By September 1967, the power of the pirate radio stations had all but gone. Jan 27, 2022 · Since the Maunsell fort was put in place, it has served as a base of operations for a pirate radio station in the 1960s, a family home for a self-proclaimed royal family in the 1970s, and as a Anyone who can remember anything at all about pirate radio in the 1960s can usually remember two names: Radio Caroline and Radio London are synonymous with the offshore era. They were not illegal until the Marine Offences Act was passed in 1967. Feb 16, 2022 · It’s the only station from the 1960s pirate radio era that’s still around. 1965: Britain's Pirate Radio Stations#OnThisDay 1965: Radio stations blasting out rock & pop music on ships at sea became hugely popular as the BBC didn't ca Pirate radio stations emerged prominently in the UK during the 1960s, with notable examples like Radio Caroline and Radio London, which broadcasted from ships anchored in international waters. 'Original' pirate radio station returns. Radio portal; Pirate radio in Europe emerged as unlicensed radio broadcasting stations, often operating from offshore vessels or undisclosed land-based locations. Title. 2 compilation disc: Radio London - Galaxy - 1966 Tony Blackburn 1 hour Radio Scotland - Comet - 1967 Bob Spencer 1 hour Swinging Radio England - Olga Patricia - 1966 Johnnie Walker . These “pirates” rapidly won an enormous and enthusiastic audience. Scattered skeletal piles of rusting metal is all that remains of the shipwrecked Tiri, once the beating heart of Radio Hauraki and the centre of a political and media storm of the swinging sixties. Remarkably, only established artists and certain genres would be played. UK pirate radio stations operated outside of the UK’s two-mile radius on ships and old war towers, taking advantage of a legal loophole. Sunday was the forty-sixth anniversary of Radio Caroline, one of the most famous UK pirate stations of the 1960s, and the inspiration for the recent movie Pirate Radio a/k/a The Boat That Rocked. More documentaries about the UK's 1960's offshore radio stations: "The Unruly Waves" (BBC-1973) As a teenager in the early 1960s, Radio Caroline introduced me to music I didn’t know existed. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. ) 1. Apr 13, 2016 · Land based pirate radio stations during the 1960s and early 70s were extremely popular. Feb 19, 2024 · With Radio Caroline and Radio London both turning 60 in 2024, here's a piece on the much-loved pirate radio stations from the Uncut archives. uk/?,80A look at some of the original Offshore Pirate Radio Stations that broadca pirate radio, unlicensed radio broadcast intended for general public reception. (Image: Mirrorpix) The Frederica was renamed MV Caroline shortly after the pirate radio station was first founded and was anchored just off the coast of Felixstowe, in Suffolk. Radio Caroline The first British pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, was founded by Ronan O'Rahilly in 1964 - he chose the name of… Tamam Shud Tamam Shud began life as a Newcastle (Australia) instrumental band called The Four Strangers. Most accounts centre on the ship based stations with only passing reference to those on the wartime forts, but this book brings the story of Radio City at Shivering Sands to startling life with immense warmth and a sense of family intimacy only possible for an author closely involved. Pirate radio in Ireland has had a long history, with hundreds of pirate radio stations having operated within the country. I. The station was on the former lightship L. Dec 2, 2024 · I recently received this recorded BBC radio documentary programme about the 1960s pirate radio stations called “The Pirates Of Pop” from my friend, John Ker, who says the tape was given him many years earlier by Graham Bunce, who in 1966 worked for pirate Radio City and later joined the BBC as Engineer and Studio Manager until his In an earlier House of Commons debate (in June 1966), the government had said that the pirate ships were a danger because of radio frequency interference to emergency shipping channels, and to overseas radio stations and the pirates were paying no royalties to artists, composers or record companies. Sep 2, 2024 · Some pirate stations, like Radio 390, Radio City, and Radio Essex, set themselves up on abandoned WW2 forts in the Thames Estuary. Nov 22, 2010 · CDs of original broadcasts are available here: http://www. However, it was in the mid 1980s and 1990s that paved the way for pirate radio stations that would have the biggest impact in the UK - loosely following the sounds of the underground rave scene, which again, the BBC wouldn’t "The mid 1960s saw an extraordinary explosion of British pop music but the only radio stations broadcasting it were based on 'pirate' ships, like Radio Caroline, anchored off the coast. FRC welcomes new members. A comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960s Apr 16, 2015 · Not available in your country? Try https://vimeo. Amongst the most legendary of the early pirate radio stations, Radio Caroline is remembered for giving sixties youth a soundtrack to the decade. Explore challenges, resilience, and the diverse sounds of rebellion. The reality was a little different. This documentary programme about 1960's offshore Radio 270, "A Life on the Scarborough Pirate Radio Waves", is produced & presented for BBC Radio York by Barry Parker. Some pirate radio stations were active both in Liverpool and Wirral in the late 1960's and early 1970's, but in the late 1970's several big pirate radio stations began to appear in Wirral. Offshore-Pirate-DJ-List. Sep 18, 2021 · Radio Caroline the ship that was used for pirate radio station in 1964. Radio Caroline broadcasted from 6 a. uk/?,156,260's Offshore Pirate Radio Essex broadcast on 222 meters medium Aug 14, 2017 · The first pirate radio station was Radio Caroline, founded by Irish entrepreneur Ronan O’Rahilly. New music emerges in their city, than gets released on their local radio stations, and the music becomes a smash hit. And the British The Free Radio Cafe focuses on pirate radio stations broadcasting from North America and Europe, with forums for loggings, QSLs, shortwave and FM broadcasting. Sep 3, 2023 · Various popular names found themselves searching for employment on the newly-launched Radio 1 station from the BBC – which was designed in part as an acceptable alternative to pirate stations. Britain's first offshore radio station, Radio Caroline, began broadcasting at Easter 1964 from a ship anchored just outside UK territorial waters. m and 12 midnight to 2 a. Previously the fort had been used by Radio Invicta (c June 1964 – February 1965) and K-I-N-G Radio (March – September 1965). The Beginning. Nov 20, 2019 · That station was so strong in those days, man, that it used to come into New York like a local,” Smith said in Fowler’s ‘Border Radio. Dutch-born Tineke de Nooij (1941-) was first female DJ on Radio Veronica (1960 -1974), the first pirate radio ship Norderney. ] May 19, 2024 · In the 1960s, if you were a teenager in the United States, a big part of your life was probably music. nostalgiastore. Here are a few recollections of those happy day Jan 21, 2021 · History of Bell Radio-TV Corp The history & products of the Bell Radio-TV Corp in New Zealand; Interval Signals Online Interval signals, signature tunes, airchecks and identification announcements from international, domestic and clandestine radio stations around the world Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive Open Free Radio Archive Jun 5, 2019 · Joining Radio Luxembourg in the mid 1960s were Radio Caroline, Radio Atlanta and Radio London — three stations that broadcast from vessels just outside British waters, Designed to circumvent BBC regulations on what music could be played, Caroline and its sisters broadcast all day to a British public dying for Top 40 music. Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and was on air for over fourteen years. The phenomenon began in the mid-20th century and became widespread in the 1960s and 1970s, gaining popularity in countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A brief overview of how and why pirate radio stations operated in the 1960s If you have any level of interest in Britain’s pirate radio years, this book is essential reading. Mar 3, 2023 · The pirate radio stations also became known for their raucous atmospheres and rock n’ roll parties. They broadcast from just outside English territorial waters. [ 1 ] Pirate Radio London was along side Radio Caroline when it came to popularity in the 1960s. These stations proved to be extremely popular with the population, who had been starved of both good programming and a strong, listenable signal from the Listen to original Pirate Radio Essex broadcasts here: http://www. Jan 19, 2017 · The UK’s pirate radio story starts with Ronan O’Rahilly’s Radio Caroline back in the 1960s, famously avoiding the authorities by broadcasting from international waters, but it was really the 1990s that paved the way for pirate radio in this country. Originally part of the Dutch State Broadcasting System, Radio Veronica became a Aug 19, 2024 · I n their early days, radio stations were not quite what they are today. Pirate radio stations are freebooters from offshore, outside the territorial waters of the nation they target, or ones that are illegally operating in defiance of national law within its sovereign territory. Radio 270 wasn't the only offshore pirate station in the poptastic 1960s Sep 16, 2022 · Pirate radio stations have a long tradition in British youth culture, from the boats moored in international waters in the 1960s, to Jungle stations perched on inner city tower blocks. Radio 270 was the only offshore Yorkshire pirate radio station, broadcasting for 18 months between 1966 and 1967. Jun 1, 2021 · A pirate radio station (also known as free radio, bootleg radio and clandestine radio), is essentially a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. Oct 18, 2020 · Before BBC Radio Scotland was Radio Scotland 242: a trailblazing pirate station that broadcast non-stop pop records spun by local DJs - and transformed radio in the process. Comet, [1] which had been fitted out as a radio station in Guernsey using RCA technology and engineers, [2] it was anchored at locations off Scotland, usually outside territorial waters. Due to past lax enforcement of the rules, the lack of commercial radio until 1989, and the small physical size of the country, pirate radio stations proliferated for a number of years. From when she was just 19 she worked here. Sunday mornings were great fun with several medium wave pirate statio Interestingly, Norway and Finland did not, at that time, actually have any pirate stations! Radio Syd continued to broadcast after the Riksdag passed the Swedish Pirate Radio Act, 'Lex Radio Nord', which forbade Swedes owning radio transmitters and also banned broadcasts from international waters if they interfered with Swedish Radio. . The group released one well-regarded surf… Wanda Jackson Wanda Jackson started her career as a dare Nov 13, 2009 · The Boat That Rocked: Radio Caroline, broadcast at sea from the vessel Mi Amigo, was one of the many pirate-radio stations that anchored off the coast of England during the 1960s. Radio 270 car window sticker from 1967. Aug 13, 2017 · Back in the 1960s, when pop and rock were taking over the music scene, British teenagers had to turn to pirate radio stations to hear bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Published. It began broadcasting from a ship off Essex in March 1964. Teddy Boys Disaffected English youth in the 1950s and 1960s who greased up their hair and wore leather clothing; comparable to the Southern U. The Boat That Rocked (titled Pirate Radio in North America [5]) is a 2009 comedy-drama written and directed by Richard Curtis about pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. ” In 1960, Smith, now better known as Wolfman Jack, arrived in Del Rio, Texas with some east A legendary pirate radio station is to host a special three-day broadcast to mark its 60th anniversary. Feb 12, 2024 · I recently received this recorded BBC radio documentary programme about the 1960s pirate radio stations called “The Pirates Of Pop” from my friend, John Ker, who says the tape was given him many years earlier by Graham Bunce, who in 1966 worked for pirate Radio City and later joined the BBC as Engineer and Studio Manager until his Between 1964 and 1968, a number of pirate radio stations opened around the coasts of the UK, operating just outside territorial waters. It was anchored five miles from the east coast in international waters. Mar 8, 2018 · Here's a brief history of a movement that spawned iconic stations such as Kiss FM and Rinse. Stations operate without a license from the Federal Communications Commission, which was (and is) keen to find pirate radio stations — and shut them down. The first of them was Radio Caroline, which started transmissions at Easter 1964, soon to be followed by a dozen or so more stations. Unauthorized or “pirate” radio stations generally involve an individual operating an over-the-air radio station in the AM or FM frequency band without an FCC license that exceeds the unlicensed radiated emission limits found in part 15 of the Commission’s rules. Those pirate stations, anchored just outside British waters, provided, it seems, the soundtrack to a social revolution. Radio Mercur (Denmark, 1958-62), Radio Nord (Sweden, 1960-62) and Radio Veronica (the Netherlands, 1960-74) were the earliest of seven continental pirates that preceded Caroline. com These self-contained snippets of the Sixties contained tunes and catchphrases that were, in many cases, even more memorable than the records being played by the stations and there can't be many of us for whom at least one of these doesn't bring back memories of the halcyon days of pirate radio. They have been split up purely to improve their loading speed therefore the years stated are only approximate as they do tend to overlap to some extent. on Friday, has a raucous premise: enterprising disc jockeys commission a leaky sea vessel to start a pirate radio station just outside of English The first British pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, was founded by Ronan O’Rahilly in 1964 – he chose the name of the station in honour of the daughter of the first Roman Catholic President of the United States of America, John F. For information and a catalog, please con- Oct 22, 2018 · Pirate radio ships and other stuff in the 1960s. This feature first appeared in Take 144, dated May 2009. The station was founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to give popular music to the masses, something that the BBC failed to do then. A compilation of five pirate radio stations that broadcast from boats moored off the east coast of Britain from 1964 to 1973. dosfghrhdgfzgiipjxiaocjcjtlebiyzaxdafnzjtpqkjotj