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London pirate radio - news and discussion

There's a 4 minute video report about DBC on the BBC's site,

Tune in if you rankin! Jamaican Patois hits the UK airwaves for the first time, as the DBC pirate radio station - which broadcasts from a suburban house in North West London - was featured on the Oxford Roadshow.

↗ Originally broadcast 22 January 1982
Click to expand...
www.bbc.co.uk

Dread Broadcasting Corporation

Tune in if you rankin! Jamaican Patois hits the UK airwaves for the first time as pirate radio station was featured on the Oxford Roadshow
www.bbc.co.uk
 
I don't recall seeing this before, sorry if it's been posted before.

First transmitted in 1980, Dread Broadcast Corporation was the UK’s first black pirate radio station, and remains to this day one of the most influential. DBC founder Lepke speaks on film for the first time about the station, and about the times….
Click to expand...



 
Eastman stepping down as owner of Kool. End of an era. Turning off for a month on Jan for a handover which is a bit worrying but hopefully all planned. Legend of the game.
 
Koolfamily
It is with great regret & deep sadness but hopefully the right move for the future and longevity of “KOOL”
Suzy & myself have come to the decision to retire from Radio & pass the ownership and Running of Kool on, we are not just walking away from Kool out right, we will be kept on working with the new owners for a minimum of 5 years in the background with no say in the everyday running of Kool or the Dj / MC Rota, but helping with advice & promoting the station
Myself personally feel that at 64 years old I can’t contribute to Kool, Jungle & DnB the way I have in the past keeping up with all the new talent, going to events and being involved as much as I was in the past, also I’m not in the best of health and don’t have the energy like I once did also Suzy struggles with her Diabetes daily
We will be turning off on the 1st of January 2023 for a month to relocate to the new studio and give the new team time to meet everyone and sort out the Rota, also get in place new Websites, Socials, and start promotion for relaunch
The new owners will be the Rinse Group … Genius will be running the station and will be taking Kool to the Next Level he has a excellent track record in his achievements in radio & music also has first class knowledge of Kool & myself as we worked together putting Kool & Rinse on back in the day he was a big Kool listener and took inspiration from Kool and the way we run the station his love for Kool is 100% that’s why we have Chosen Gee to get Kool to the Next level
We must say a big love and thanks to those who have helped with the running of Kool over the past few years Tentun, Dan Darkness,Jack knife, Old skool & Uno for helping us out they all helped to keep Kool going over the pass few years and would not been possible without them
A big special thanks to all our listeners over the past 31 years it’s truly been unbelievable the amount of Love and respect the Station and ourselves have had from the listeners has been second to none, and how faithful as listeners you have been & total respect to all our DJs MCs that have been a part of Kool over the past 31 years and became household names like Brockie, Det, Ragga Twins, Bryan G, Skibadee R.I.P, Shabba, Funky Flirt,Dj Ron and so many more the list is endless 100% love & respect for your support
it really has been life changing, this is not the end this is a new beginning for Kool, So god willing we will see you all in February 2023 with
- Kool The Next Level -
under new ownership
Thank you
Eastman & Suzy G

Could be really good for the station - online listenership is low - they need to get back on the FM/DAB for a start - suggests Rinse will try and take station legal. Also Rinse plays very little jungle/DNB so this is a correction to that.
Fingers crossed and salute Eastman and Suzy
 
ska invita said:
Koolfamily
It is with great regret & deep sadness but hopefully the right move for the future and longevity of “KOOL”
Suzy & myself have come to the decision to retire from Radio & pass the ownership and Running of Kool on, we are not just walking away from Kool out right, we will be kept on working with the new owners for a minimum of 5 years in the background with no say in the everyday running of Kool or the Dj / MC Rota, but helping with advice & promoting the station
Myself personally feel that at 64 years old I can’t contribute to Kool, Jungle & DnB the way I have in the past keeping up with all the new talent, going to events and being involved as much as I was in the past, also I’m not in the best of health and don’t have the energy like I once did also Suzy struggles with her Diabetes daily
We will be turning off on the 1st of January 2023 for a month to relocate to the new studio and give the new team time to meet everyone and sort out the Rota, also get in place new Websites, Socials, and start promotion for relaunch
The new owners will be the Rinse Group … Genius will be running the station and will be taking Kool to the Next Level he has a excellent track record in his achievements in radio & music also has first class knowledge of Kool & myself as we worked together putting Kool & Rinse on back in the day he was a big Kool listener and took inspiration from Kool and the way we run the station his love for Kool is 100% that’s why we have Chosen Gee to get Kool to the Next level
We must say a big love and thanks to those who have helped with the running of Kool over the past few years Tentun, Dan Darkness,Jack knife, Old skool & Uno for helping us out they all helped to keep Kool going over the pass few years and would not been possible without them
A big special thanks to all our listeners over the past 31 years it’s truly been unbelievable the amount of Love and respect the Station and ourselves have had from the listeners has been second to none, and how faithful as listeners you have been & total respect to all our DJs MCs that have been a part of Kool over the past 31 years and became household names like Brockie, Det, Ragga Twins, Bryan G, Skibadee R.I.P, Shabba, Funky Flirt,Dj Ron and so many more the list is endless 100% love & respect for your support
it really has been life changing, this is not the end this is a new beginning for Kool, So god willing we will see you all in February 2023 with
- Kool The Next Level -
under new ownership
Thank you
Eastman & Suzy G

Could be really good for the station - online listenership is low - they need to get back on the FM/DAB for a start - suggests Rinse will try and take station legal. Also Rinse plays very little jungle/DNB so this is a correction to that.
Fingers crossed and salute Eastman and Suzy
Click to expand...
wow didn't realise it was going to be Rinse and Geeneus. does make sense they'd go legal route then.

I feel Rinse had a huge moment for a a few years but a few years ago now, do they still have the same influence? I fell out of the habit of listening as regularly, so may just be me. but no doubt they are a good fit for taking Kool on.
 
Hard to say, with Rinse Imo it's become a bit hipsterish musically, not having it enough, but I've no idea on its listening figures. Perhaps cupid_stunt knows a way of looking it up?

My only concern with a Rinse takeover is a change in music policy. Kool is the most junglist of the 247 dnb stations and I hope it stays that way.
 
ska invita said:
Hard to say, with Rinse Imo it's become a bit hipsterish musically, not having it enough, but I've no idea on its listening figures. Perhaps cupid_stunt knows a way of looking it up?
Click to expand...

Their audience figures are not listed by RAJAR (the Radio Joint Audience Research body), which doesn't surprise me, as it's expensive to be included in the survey, and I don't think any stations holding a 'community licence' rather than a 'commercial licence' get involved, I know Radio Caroline looked at the cost of being included and decided it wasn't worth it.

Even some smaller commercial stations, like Radio Jackie, don't subscribe to RAJAR.
 
Dust settling on the Kool FM move
94.6 FM is now Underground Bass, which is basically continuity Kool - 3/4 of the roster are Kool FM djs who didnt make it across in the Rinse FM move. Right now my heart is with Underground Bass....will see how things pan out but UB has the spirit of Kool at the moment and is on FM.... whilst 'Kool' feels like Rinse FM doing a takeover. If Kool is just a tab on the Rinse website is that really Kool? I'm not sure it is. They couldve just done a Rinse Jungle/DnB station, what would be the difference? Feels like Wimbledon moving to Milton Keynes :D

Lets see what happens....hopefully will warm to the new Kool over time...personally I'd rather listen to Dark Phoenix rinsing for 3 hours than 'superstar' metaheadz shows (i dont really like the modern metalheadz sound tbh, and they were already on Rinse), but maybe that's just me.
 
I've barely listened to Rinse of late...there's something about it that just feels like hip shoreditch rather than underground dance music, people with careers on their minds and well shot promo photos and all that....its not pirate, not technicaly and not in spirit... (thats harsh, rinse is great) and its going to take a bit of something to make this Kool/Rinse feel 'right'

i hate change :D
 
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interesting. yeah I hope Kool doesn't remain as a tab on the Rinse website. I know what you mean - I had also stopped listening to Rinse regularly, years ago when they started having 'presenters' and a breakfast show etc. but in truth I also like the access to on-demand mixes from all these DJs. but it's not the same as just turning on a station where you know you will get certain music.
 

ska invita said:
Dust settling on the Kool FM move
94.6 FM is now Underground Bass, which is basically continuity Kool - 3/4 of the roster are Kool FM djs who didnt make it across in the Rinse FM move. Right now my heart is with Underground Bass....will see how things pan out but UB has the spirit of Kool at the moment and is on FM.... whilst 'Kool' feels like Rinse FM doing a takeover. If Kool is just a tab on the Rinse website is that really Kool? I'm not sure it is. They couldve just done a Rinse Jungle/DnB station, what would be the difference? Feels like Wimbledon moving to Milton Keynes :D

Lets see what happens....hopefully will warm to the new Kool over time...personally I'd rather listen to Dark Phoenix rinsing for 3 hours than 'superstar' metaheadz shows (i dont really like the modern metalheadz sound tbh, and they were already on Rinse), but maybe that's just me.
Click to expand...
I'm liking the Uncle Dugs breakfast show, I lock into that most days, however most of my favourite DJs are still on Rinse so I stick with that most of the time...
 
Nowt to do with London, but I thought people could be mildly amused by what was the most powerful pirate in Ireland back in the 80s, a border blaster, 103.7 kiss FM based in Monaghan and aimed across the border and into the North, reaching Belfast some 50 miles away with a louder signal than the city's licenced commercial station, Downtown Radio, partly due to the audio processing.

Using 1 million watts ERP (effective radiated power), which was largely to do with the extremely high antenna gain, produced by the antennas on this motherfucker of a mast, the 200 foot high mast was erected on a mountain site! The actual transmitter output was 5Kw.

1a.jpg

I mean, look at the size of thing, only in Ireland! :D

The reporter makes a comparison between Kiss and Downtown on her radio, from this point in the vide.


.
 
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cupid_stunt said:
Nowt to do with London, but I thought people could be mildly amused by what was the most powerful pirate in Ireland back in the 80s, a border blaster, 103.7 kiss FM based in Monaghan and aimed across the border and into the North, reaching Belfast some 50 miles ago with a louder signal than the city's licenced commercial station, Downtown Radio, partly due to the audio processing.

Using 1 million watts ERP (effective radiated power), which was largely to do with the extremely high antenna gain, produced by the antennas on this motherfucker of a mast, the 200 foot high mast was erected on a mountain site! The actual transmitter output was 5Kw.

View attachment 377677

I mean, look at the size of thing, only in Ireland! :D

The reporter makes a comparison between Kiss and Downtown on her radio, from this point in the vide.


.
Click to expand...

amazing clip that
really interesting that The Authorities allowed it to happen
the what are you eating competition at the end is pure Partridge
 
ska invita said:
amazing clip that
really interesting that The Authorities allowed it to happen
the what are you eating competition at the end is pure Partridge
Click to expand...

Firstly, I've just discovered the ERP used in that video is incorrect, it was more like 100,000 watts / 100Kw, but still very impressive.

This was before the 1989 Act came in, when they had given up raiding pirates in the Republic as the maximum fine was only £25 per day, pretty cash to the bigger stations, but there was also a loophole found in the Act by Radio Dublin in the late '70s, which meant they couldn't confiscate equipment. The 1989 Act closed that loophole and increased the maximum fine to £20k per day, which is when all the big commercial pirates closed.

In '83 they did raid the two big Dublin operators, Nova & sister station Kiss plus Sunshine Radio, because Nova/Kiss had started yet another station beamed into Liverpool & Manchester and had done some test transmissions for Nova TV, basically Chris Carey was taking the piss. RTE reported about IR£200k worth of equipment was taken by the P&T from the Nova and Kiss transmitter sites, but they went to court and got an injunction, and the P&T had to return it all. :D

The day after the raid, Nova returned using a borrowed transmitter, announcing they were officially closing at 6pm that day, resulting in a massive crowd gathering outside their studios in Dublin city centre (see from the time in the clip below, when the DJ slides up the sound on a mike out on their balcony, shortly followed by footage of the scene outside. Plus they asked listeners to stop their cars at 6pm and sound their horns, which considering around 50% of Dubliners were listeners, brought the city traffic to a complete stand still.

Again, only in Ireland! :D

 
I don't recall ever seeing this documentary before, no idea when it was produced, but it was uploaded to youtube 2 months ago.

It's a very professional documentary looking at the early history of pirate radio in the UK, briefly covering the 60s offshore stations, but mainly the land-based pirates in London from the late 60s to the early 80s.

 
I seem to have gone down a youtube pirate radio rabbit hole? :D

Have we had this one before? It mainly covers the more recent London scene, with Rinse etc., but also includes a visit to the Red Sands Fort in the Thames Estuary, which was home of Radio 390 in the 60s, and more recently 28-day a year RSL licenced Red Sands Radio.

 
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