Pirate Radio

Having spent nearly two decades working for Capital Radio the history of (broadcast) pirate radio interests me. The large audience established by the offshore pirate stations, including Radio Caroline and Radio London, in the 1960's drew attention to the inadequacy of the radio services provided by 'Auntie' BBC and led to the opening of Radio One. Competition from commercial radio, of which LBC and Capital Radio, both in London, were the first two UK Independent Local Radio stations, followed a few years later in October 1973.

Radio Caroline from the mv Mi Amigo showing the height of the mast used for broadcasting

The Caroline ship mv Mi Amigo off the Essex coast

One of the ex World War Two forts off the Essex coast which was used by other offshore pirate broadcasters.

A group of forts off the north Kent coast used by offshore pirate stations such as Radio City

As well as providing the public with a temporary alternative to BBC radio services the offshore pirates gave excellent grounding in the skills later to be needed onshore. Many of the presenters/dj's, and to a lesser extent other staff, employed on Radio One and the ILR stations started out by working for one or more of the pirate stations.

LV18 light vessel, Harwich, which housed the studio for tribute station Pirate BBC Essex

Though not, strictly, pirate radio, worthy of mention is the excellent tribute which BBC Radio Essex paid to the former off-shore pirates during Easter 2004 on the 40th anniversary of Radio Caroline's first broadcasts. The atmosphere of those far off days was effectively re-created with jingles and music from the period and some of the former pirate dj's guesting during a week's programmes going out full time on BBC Essex's AM network and part time as the sustaining service for the BBC East of England local radio network as well as being streamed on the internet. Maybe they'll do it again, perhaps for August 14th 2007, and radio network the output more widely?

The Ross Revenge, the ship used most recently for Radio Caroline, moored in the Blackwater Estuary 13th August 2016