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London pirate radio - news and discussion

RJR 98.3 ("old school quality music, i.e. Classical Reggae, soul, Jazz, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, Ska, Motown and World Music") is back on the web at a new (online) home - here

:)
Friday
▪ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Cornell Campbell

Sunday
▪ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Cornell Campbell

Is that thee Cornell Campbell? I look forward to finding out!

personal favourite
 
looking forward to 4pm when maybe Cornell Campbell will hit the decks...meantime this came up in a google search - studio footage!


ETA: loving the ceefax monitor :D
 
To prove they can I guess...

But youre right, it's never going to be that practical to wedge several laptops and a reliable broadband connection down the waste stack on the roof of the block...
 
that's very cool indeed :), but why bother, when FM is so much easier and widespread?
Its because FM is planned to be turned off and the frequencies sold to god knows who. Radio in the future will all be DAB. IIRC the date for switch off has been set back in the UK. Either way DAB is growing, and DAB receivers are going to dominate - which is bad news for pirates unless they can get on it.
 
From earlier in the thread:
interesting enough theoretical article about pirate radio here
http://datacide.c8.com/tortugan-tower-blocks-pirate-signals-from-the-margins/
...all about "Viewing the history of radio in the UK as part of a history of enclosure of the commons"

...on a practical note it mentions that in germany where DAB is in full effect some german pirates are managing to broadcast on the digital airwaves - a promising sign - DAB was looking like the end of pirates...
Thanks for that, I'll try and have a read when I get home tonight.

As for the DAB pirates I was under the impression that its a lot of fucking around but do-able. As far as I'm aware no one in the UK has had the time/money/knowledge to set up a pirate DAB station. This is more or less because DAB signals are multiplexed, which means that pirate (or a number of pirates) would have to create and transmit their own pirate multiplex (not easy).

sounds complicated, but i can only guess that once the switch-over happens it will force pirates hand. The forced switchover looks like being set back though - I think there may be a post about the time frame on this thread even. Then in the longer future there is also the possibility for wifi radio I guess... Im sure itll be alright in the end!
 
Analogue switch-off

On 29 January 2009 the UK Government's interim report into digital communication for the future by Lord Carter, Digital Britain, made the suggestion that DAB would be the future direction of digital radio in the United Kingdom. The report stated that only when the following conditions are met, a migration from FM to DAB would begin:
Digital radio listening figures hit at least 50%;
Coverage of DAB matches that of FM, of 90% which the report stated would not be achieved until 2015. The report mentioned that the Government would work with the BBC to meet the coverage target.[84]

The original Interim Report of the Digital Radio Working Group published in 2008 specified that the 50% threshold for listening figures should be based on those for DAB. This was subsequently watered down to incorporate listening via any digital platform so as to make it easier to meet the criteria. The main driver behind the proposed move to switch off the FM transmission system is still down to the intense lobbying of the commercial radio sector so that they can save costs.

Carter also suggested in his report that manufacturers of devices which can pick up radio signals ensure it is DAB ready for the forthcoming migration. The report also indicates plans to create a Digital Radio Delivery Group (DRDG), made up of the major investors of DAB, whose plan it will be to ensure a smooth transition from AM and FM to DAB for consumers. They will also advise on digital radio migration.[85] On 22 September 2009 the DRDG and Digital Radio Development Bureau were integrated into one organisation for this purpose - Digital Radio UK.[86]

On 16 June 2009 the final Digital Britain report concluded that a switchover of all national and local FM services which currently broadcast on DAB multiplexes would take place in 2015 and that DAB would be chosen to take the UK to and beyond switchover.[87] The Digital Economy Act 2010 has a requirement stating that the United Kingdom must prepare for digital switchover.[88] To aid the transition to digital radio, Digital Radio UK started a Radio Amnesty during May and June 2010 where people could trade in an old AM/FM analogue radio for a 10-20% discount on a new DAB digital radio from participating retailers. Analogue sets which can be reconditioned will be sent to southern Africa.[89]

On 30 November 2010 it was reported that ministers were considering delaying the switchover to DAB until 2017 at the earliest.,[90] however Ofcom did publish official plans for increasing DAB reception in various places around the same date.[2][3]

On 2 July 2012, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport created a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BBC and commercial radio broadcasters and ensemble operators as to where the future direction of digital radio should go with a three phase plan toward FM switchoff. A decision on the switchover will be made by the Government in 2013.[91][92] The MoU creates three phases toward switchover:

Phase Requirement Notes

Phase 1 Prior to the 2013 decision Five ensembles to be launched by the beginning of 2014: Gloucestershire; Hereford and Worcester; Northamptonshire; North East Wales and West Cheshire; and Oxfordshire.[91]

Phase 2 Post 2013 decision up to 90% UK coverage Increase DAB coverage to 90% UK coverage, subject to agreements on switchover and funding.[91]

Phase 3 Above 90% UK coverage Date nominated for switchover, coverage to rise until DAB coverage matches that of FM coverage.[91]


Three scenarios drawn up by the DCMS suggest switchover could begin between 2015 and 2019 either in one step or staged across the regions of the United Kingdom.[93]
 

love this quote about Rinse getting a community license...

Rinse’s press release regarding the announcement is low on concrete details but replete with a selection of quotes from gushing music industry ‘supporters’ such as ....Guy Moot (President of EMI) who agrees that Rinse ‘feeds into the wider music industry bringing and generating more income’.

that really is the fucking size of it isn't it. spend 16 years risking arrest for sticking transmitters on blocks, then when EMI says that your station is raising their income suddenly you're worthy of a license, even if it's only 100w compared to Hearts 60Kw of beige.
 
Eastman should have thought of this 20 years ago and got Julian Richer to say that thanks to Kool FM he was selling bare D90s
 
Can't believe it's 20 years since the what is now legendary raid on Weekend Rush that instigated all manner of media hysteria about pirate stations and 'links to drugs and organised crime'.

To document the event, here's a piece that @Fozzie Bear and myself put together recently over on the excellent Radical History of Hackney blog: http://hackneyhistory.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/rush-fm-raided-1993/

2lnixb9.jpg

"Hold tight all pirates!"
 
Rush were a mad station - you could just tell that it was mayhem surrounding it - Defektion which split off from Rush felt a lot more professional whereas Rush had a rawness

Ive only got the one Rush tape uploaded , reckon its early 92 - Hardcore with a capital A!
DJ Sketch
Side A
http://www.terraincognita.co.uk/pirate_radio/Sketch Ruff and Ready on Rush 1991 Side A.mp3
Side B
http://www.terraincognita.co.uk/pirate_radio/Sketch Ruff and Ready on Rush 1991 Side B.mp3

Weekend Rush the all-time best station name I reckon
 
Rush was always my favorite :cool: should dig some tapes out...

pretty sure they used to share a flat with Kool for their studios at about the time of the raid. or maybe shortly after...
 
i remembered it as one of them being in the kitchen and the other in the bedroom. and presumably sharing the front room for house meetings, working out household bills, whos turn it is to get in the bog roll and the such.
 
mines down low too - especially as so many tunes ive heard waay too much

ETA: Crispy <thats not the best tape in the world, but it does capture Weekend Rush's character
 
Been caining this whilst at work today... from an old forum post on DOA (
slayer.gif
) but the download is still active. It's one of the best Kool tapes I've ever heard - some nice tunes from Phase III and then Ron just totally kills it :cool:

Phaze III
The Man With No Name - Painted Man
Family Of Intelligence - The 12 Major Scientist
Noise Factory - Dreams

DJ Ron - "The Golden Child"
Underworld - The Rising
Tek 9 - Seven Long Years
??
Sleepwalker - Spirit (Bass Junkies Mix)
DJ Ron - Dangerous (Unreleased Mix)
E.KUD.C.M - Kashif (Love)
Metalheads - You And Me
JMJ & Richie - Case Re-Opened (Deep Blue Brought To Trial Mix)
E.KUD.C.M. - On Dope
Teknarchi - Flashback
DJ Ron & E.Q.P. - Crackman The Return (DJ Ron Remix)
DJ Ron - Mo Musik (African Chant Mix)
Tom & Jerry - ??
Conquering Lion - Code Red (Unreleased Mix)
Dillinja - Majestic B-Line
Digitech - Imperial Stix
D'Cruze - Watch Out
Gappa G & Hyper Hypa - Information Centre (DJ Ron Remix)
Family Of Intelligence - Revelation Part 2
Deep Blue - The Helicopter Tune
Roni Size & DJ Die - Music Box
Conquering Lion - Dub Plate Special (Ruff Cut)
Engineers Without Fears - Spiritual Aura
DJ Buz - Slave
Engineers Without Fears - Rhythm
Tek 9 - Partz One & Two
 
Remembered!

Getting the DJ Ron on Kool from steph & the DJ Sketch on Weekend Rush from ska invita. Nice one.
 
Rush were a mad station - you could just tell that it was mayhem surrounding it - Defektion which split off from Rush felt a lot more professional whereas Rush had a rawness

Ive only got the one Rush tape uploaded , reckon its early 92 - Hardcore with a capital A!
DJ Sketch
Side A
http://www.terraincognita.co.uk/pirate_radio/Sketch Ruff and Ready on Rush 1991 Side A.mp3
Side B
http://www.terraincognita.co.uk/pirate_radio/Sketch Ruff and Ready on Rush 1991 Side B.mp3

Weekend Rush the all-time best station name I reckon

Listened to this one on the way in today. Great stuff, cheers for the upload. :)

(edit2add) It actually gets much better as it goes on, I reckon, from approx 20 mins on. The B side is better than the A, too.
 
Listened to this one on the way in today. Great stuff, cheers for the upload. :)

(edit2add) It actually gets much better as it goes on, I reckon, from approx 20 mins on. The B side is better than the A, too.
Nice one Onket, yeah the b-side has some great tunes on it, glad you stuck through with it.

Ive posted these on the thread before, but for a refresher here are my tape collections uploaded - only the best tapes went up:
Cache 1
http://mikusmusik.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/dusty-tapes-london-pirates-1991-1995.html
(a tape there that always sounds good in the sun is Kane - Find The Source + Kool FM 94.5 + 1995)
Cache 2
http://mikusmusik.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/london-pirate-radio-tapes-cache-2.html
My all time favourite tape
http://mikusmusik.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/old-tapes-mix-master-max-on-defection.html
 
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