Monday, August 27, 2007

Notorious Online

Just heard from the Notorious FM crew that they haven't gone away since the raid ... Notorious Online is now an online web radio station.

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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Pakistan FM Bradford

The RSL on 87.7 audible in Leeds and down the A1, has been identified as Pakistan FM Bradford.

Pakistan FM Bradford website

In other news...

An unidentified station on 87.8 was heard this evening, very weakly, between junction 32 and 30 of the M1 (southbound).

Leeds pirate Radio Frequency 88.1 is back, with a strong signal reaching as far as junction 30 of the M1 (fading in and out as I travel, though).
Near junction 1 of the M18, it is strong enough to read the RDS = RF88-1FM.
Interestingly, not heard in Leeds at 4pm, but heard at 4:45pm near Rotherham, implies they start broadcasting between 4 and 5pm (4:30?).
Around4:50pm, has been heard playing rave music with MCing over the past few days.


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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

40 years on

Today, 40 years have passed since the Marine Offences Act was passed. This piece of proto-Blairite legislation effectively outlawed the offshore pirates - although it couldn't stop a station from broadcasting from International Waters, it forbade any British person or company to work on, supply or advertise on, or even publuish programme details of, an offshore pirate radio station.


Back in the 1990s, I made the mistake of defending the Labour party for their role in passing this piece of hated legislation. Now, after 10 years of having to live under a New Labour government, I find myself eating the words I said at the time. (Although even a large helping of sauce can't relieve the nasty taste in my mouth, from having once supported a party which has pissed on all our civil liberties - not just those of free radio fans).

One point I made at the time, however, I do stand by. The Tories have been no better, no kinder to free radio. Not only did they not repeal the MOA, they actually strengthened the laws against pirate radio in 1984 and 1990, instigated Eurosiege '85 (the attempt in 1985 to starve Laser 558 and Radio Caroline off-air), and made it legal for the DTI to confiscate records and CDs used on a free radio station.

Again, Labour have not repealed any of the draconian anti-pirate legislation passed by the Tories. In addition, under New labour, we have seen ASBOs placed on pirate radio operators, and station operators sued for supposedly stealing listeners from ILR's.

So, who would I now rather see in power, the Tories or New Labour?

Why do two residential buildings and a rat-borne medieval disease spring to mind ...

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Saturday, August 11, 2007

Sundial FM 87.7

New RSL from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Sundial FM 87.7, heard this afternoon.

Heard around 5pm near junction 32 on the M1 motorway, heading south.
Weak signal in Clowne.

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Friday, August 10, 2007

RDS plugged in

It seems some of the micro-transmitters, to enable reception of your mp3 player on a car radio, now have RDS.

While stuck in motorway traffic this morning I was scanning around the FM dial, and heard music on 87.7 - at first very weakly.

After driving a few yards, the signal improved enough for the RDS to be visible: IPLUGRDS

The range of these devices is (obviously) not great and, as the traffic started moving again, I soon lost the signal entirely.

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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Leeds pirates return

Both Fresh FM 95.6 and Peoples FM 104.5 were back today.

Fresh FM 95.6 noted in the morning, just before 8am, playing reggae music. Scrolling RDS.

Just after 4pm, Peoples FM 104.5 had also returned. No RDS received.

Also this afternoon, Leeds 11 FM 87.9 had been joined by an as yet unidentified Asian station on 87.7 FM. Very weak signal in Garforth, still audible some way down the A1, implying the station is not from Leeds (Bradford maybe?)

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Thursday, August 02, 2007

Leeds 11 FM 87.9


Leeds 11 FM now have an RSL on 87.9 FM.

RDS = LS11_FM


Heard this evening from 4pm, at the time they had a programme about medical and health issues relating to pet animals.

Heard on the A1 south as far as Darrington.


Also today, Hull ILR KCFM 99.8 began full programmes at 6am.


No pirates heard again in Leeds, both Peoples FM and Fresh FM are still missing. If (as seems likely) they were raided, it may have been tied in with the forthcoming opening of the Leeds 11 FM RSL - Ofcom (and previously the DTI) often have a set of raids on pirates in an area where an RSL or ILR is due to start broadcasting.

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Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Leeds pirates missing presumed raided

No Leeds pirates heard today, an unusual event.

Not only was Peoples FM 104.5 totally missing, so was Fresh FM 95.6 - there wasn't even the usual "hiss relay" normally heard on 95.6 when Fresh is off-air (presumably they switch off the link TX at the studio, but leave their main TX transmitting and relaying the hiss received by its link receiver).

Strongly suspect Ofcom have had a round of ether-ic cleansing in the Leeds area.

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