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40 Years of Commercial Radio

 
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:58 pm    Post subject: 40 Years of Commercial Radio Reply with quote

In a new series designed to look back at commercial radio in Britain - commemorating the year that London's Capital Radio came on air - Radio 2 will no doubt set out to convince us that commercial radio has been with us for only 40 years (the clue's in the title!). In its promotional material, the BBC is claiming that commercial radio started in the UK 40 years ago. No it didn't.

What's the betting that the previous eleven years are erased from history. Radio Caroline came to air on Easter Sunday 1964, closely followed by a string of other stations, most of whom radiated their signals from ships moored outside UK territorial waters (at that time 3 miles) and delivering a service of commercial radio to British listeners like they'd never heard before. With the so-called 1960 "pirates" (who weren't broadcasting illegally until 1967) we wouldn't have had government-licenced commercial radio in 1973 or - perhaps for a long time after.

We'll see just how much credit they're given in the series, which starts on Thursday at 10.00pm. I won't hold my breath.
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ruddlescat



Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In fairness Colin Radio 2 did include quite extensive coverage of the history of the pirate stations quite recently but as you say it might just conveniently overlook the link between the original pirates and what later followed in 1973

I dare say we'll soon find out Smile
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ruddlescat wrote:
In fairness Colin Radio 2 did include quite extensive coverage of the history of the pirate stations quite recently but as you say it might just conveniently overlook the link between the original pirates and what later followed in 1973

I dare say we'll soon find out Smile


Yes, I'm sure that the importance of the role played by the pirates won't (can't?) be overlooked, but the promotional stuff is what caught my attention - the assertion that commercial radio "started" in the UK in 1973. In fact, commercial radio started in the 1930s with broadcasts from the likes of Radio Normandy, IBC and Radio Luxembourg which, although they were transmitted from stations on the European mainland, were mostly produced in London studios and aimed very much at a southern England audience.

As you say, we'll find out...
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Lord Evan Elpuss



Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 3417
Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ruddlescat wrote:
In fairness Colin Radio 2 did include quite extensive coverage of the history of the pirate stations quite recently but as you say it might just conveniently overlook the link between the original pirates and what later followed in 1973

I dare say we'll soon find out Smile

They did it twice. Firstly in 1997, which Noel Edmonds narrated. Then a more abridged single programme in about 2003.
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Lord Evan Elpuss



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PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And you might be interested in this weeks The Peoples Songs plenty about pirate stations.
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