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  Pirate  Radio  and  Its  1967  Impact  On  The  BBC  

Some  of  the  world’s  most  significant  and  influential  events  took  place  during  the  1960’s.  

It   was   an   evolutionary   time   when   people   were   intoxicated   with   the   idea   of   peace,   love,   and   anti-­‐war   demonstrations.   With   two   world   wars   behind   them   and   the   Vietnam   War   just   beginning,   young   British   teens   were   in   need   of   a   distraction.   They   were   turning   to   the   music  revolution  as  an  outlet  to  get  through  the  post  war  days  and  for  the  inspiration  for   their   anti-­‐war   ideals.   The   music   revolution   introduced   new   and   radical   styles   of   music   that   the   evolving   youth   culture   was   particular   fond   of.   Pop   and   rock   music   like   The   Beatles   and   The  Rolling  Stones  were  at  the  top  of  the  radio  audiences’  desired  playlist.  Unfortunately,   the  BBC,  the  main  radio  provider  for  the  UK,  played  very  little  amounts  of  the  new  type  of   music.  Its  programming  would  only  play  45  minutes  of  popular  radio  a  day.     Nevertheless,   audiences   did   not   let   this   deter   them   from   listening   to   their   precious   pop   and   rock   music.   They   started   tuning   into   Radio   Luxembourg,   which   played   popular   hit   music   but   it   was   only   available   in   the   evenings   and   the   transmission   would   fade   from   time   to  time.  Many  listeners  were  getting  extremely  frustrated  between  the  BBC  restrictions  and   the   transmission   issues   of   Radio   Luxembourg.   These   issues   were   what   began   the   controversial   existence   of   Pirate   Radio.   Transmitting   radio   programs   to   the   UK   from   offshore   ships,   music   enthusiast   and   radical   DJ’s   would   focus   on   playing   the   popular   music   their   audiences   had   been   deprived   from.   Pirate   Radio   stations   satisfied   the   growing   demand  of  pop  and  rock  music;  something  the  BBC  was  unable  to  do.  Pirate  radio  stations   became   so   popular   that   within   a   year   the   total   daily   audience   for   pirate   radio   was   between  

 

 

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10  and  15  million  and  by  1966  the  audience  for  said  stations  and  Radio  Luxembourg  was   over  24  million  (Crisell).     At  the  time,  the  BBC  had  a  monopoly  over  the  radio  services  provided  in  the  UK.  But  with   the   introduction   of   pirate   radio   it   lost   much   of   its   audiences   to   the   progressive   and   controversial  programming  of  the  offshore  stations.  Because  of  this,  the  BBC  was  obviously   a  big  advocate  of  getting  those  stations  off  the  air.  With  the  help  of  the  Marine  Offense  Act   of   1967,   the   pirate   stations   became   illegal   and   were   eventually   shut   down.   Although   the   1960’s   pirate   stations   affected   the   BBC,   they   made   the   BBC   notice   how   large   the   market   was  for  the  new  types  of  music.  After  the  pirate  stations  were  silenced  in  the  late  1960’s,   the  BBC  altered  its  programming.  In  order  to  replace  the  pirate  stations  it  created  four  new   radio  stations:  Radio  1,  2,  3,  and  4.    Radio  1  went  on  to  be  one  of  BBC’s  largest  and  most   popular  stations.     As  explained  above  the  pirate  radio  stations  were  vastly  influenced  by  the  German   based   Radio   Luxembourg,   which   was   allowed   to   play   the   high   demanded   music   that   UK   stations   couldn’t.   However,   Radio   Luxembourg   did   face   its   own   problems.   It   operated   a   ‘Payola’   system   (Smith)   where   only   the   artist   signed   with   major   record   labels   that   would   pay   a   fee   to   the   station   would   get   their   latest   records   promoted   on   the   air.   This   would   restrict   the   amount   of   up-­‐an-­‐coming   artist   that   would   be   featured   on   Radio   Luxembourg.   Between   the   payola   system   restrictions   and   the   BBC   ignoring   its   audiences’   music   demands,  the  people  within  the  music  industry  decided  to  do  something  about  it.     Ronan  O’Rahilly  was  a  music  manager  that  is  known  for  starting  the  offshore  radio   station  movement.  On  March  28,  1964  Radio  Caroline  began  its  24-­‐hour  broadcasting  and  

 

 

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quickly   became   known   for   having   some   of   the   best   and   most   popular   DJ’s   on   air.   Due   to   its   growing  success  it  had  more  listeners  than  BBC  radio  within  months  of  its  first  broadcast   (Smith).   A   Gallup   Poll   found   that   in   its   first   three   weeks   it   had   gained   7   million   listeners   from   a   potential   of   20   million   (Crisell).   Radio   Caroline   prompted   many   other   stations   to   join  the  musical  movement.  Soon  after,  and  anchored  closely  to  Radio  Caroline,  came  Radio   Atlanta.  Eventually  both  of  these  radio  stations  agreed  upon  creating  the  Caroline  Network.   They   would   both   retain   independent   ownership   of   the   station   but   Radio   Caroline   would   broadcast   to   Northern   England   and   Radio   Atlanta,   later   renamed   Radio   Caroline   South,   would   remain   in   the   southeastern   part   of   England.   Another   popular   station   was   Radio   London  or  “Big  L”,  which  eventually  became  known  as  the  most  successful  UK  commercial   radio  station  up  until  the  date  it  closed  down  in  1967.     One  of  the  main  reasons  because  these  stations  became  so  unbelievably  popular  was   due   to   their   passion   about   the   music   they   played   and   their   love   for   making   their   audiences   happy.  Rob  Chapman,  author  of  Selling  the  Sixties:  The  Pirates  and  Pop  Music  Radio,  explains   his  then  adoration  for  the  offshore  stations,  

"That aspect of romanticism is unavoidable. I did nothing but listen to those stations. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I would put the radio on at two or three o'clock in the morning and there they still were playing records. While I was still fast asleep, they were still playing The Righteous Brothers and The Rolling Stones and The Four Tops” (Chapman).  

Along   with   the   BBC,   the   British   government   was   also   against   the   pirate   radio   stations  ever  since  they  first  began  broadcasting.  By  1967,  four  years  after  the  first  Radio   Caroline   broadcast,   the   Marine   Broadcasting   Offences   Act   was   established.   This   act   made   the   pirate   radio   stations   officially   illegal   and   punishable   to   anyone   subject   to   UK   law.   Parliament   justified   the   creation   of   the   1967   act   by   stating   how   the   acts   of   piracy   were  

 

 

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imbedding   wrongful   ideas   in   to   the   minds   of   Britain’s   youth   and   taking   part   in   the   unauthorized   broadcasting   of   music.   Parliament   also   claimed   the   pirate   radio   transmissions   were   interfering   with   the   wavelengths   used   my   aircrafts   and   emergency   authorities.   And   even   thought   the   Marine   Broadcasting   Offences   Act   outlawed   pirate   stations  many  ships  moved  to  urban-­‐based  areas  and  continued  their  broadcasting  inland   and  some  even  continued  broadcasting  for  sometime  after  the  act  was  instated.     Even  though  the  BBC  was  against  the  pirate  radio  stations  and  was  probably  relived   by  the  silencing  of  the  now  illegal  stations  it  did  try  to  provide  its  audience  with  the  music   they   demanded.   But   a   previous   agreement   with   the   Musicians’   Union   seriously   restricted   the   amount   of   recorded   music   its   stations   could   play   (Crisell   31).   With   the   offshore   broadcasting  the  BBC’s  radio  market  share  was  severely  affected  by  the  popularity  of  the   pirate  stations.  But  with  the  Marine  Broadcasting  Offences  Act,  the  BBC  was  regaining  its   radio  monopoly.     It,   in   a   way,   was   inspired   by   pirate   radio   stations   and   noticed   in   fact   how   popular   the  new  style  of  music  was  and  found  itself  having  no  other  choice  other  than  molding  it’s   programming   to   cater   to   its   new   and   wider   range   audience.   In   order   to   do   this   and   to   continue   competing   with   the   few   pirate   station   still   broadcasting,   the   BBC   created   Radio   1.   With   they   networks   changed   and   new   style   of   broadcasting,   said   station   later   went   to   become  one  of  UK’s  most  popular  station  to  date.  Not  too  long  after  Radio  2,  3,  and  4  were   created,  which  all  featured  similar  programming  as  Radio  1.     Although   BBC   had   molded   and   changed   some   of   its   broadcasting   ways,   it   took   a   while  before  the  young  audience  became  accustomed  to  the  differences  between  the  BBC  

 

 

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stations   and   the   pirate   stations.   Many   listeners   didn’t   like   the   fact   the   stations   were   run   by   a  big  corporation  rather  than  by  radical  pirates  off  the  coast  of  England.  The  listeners  were   also  frustrated  by   the   restriction   the   BBC   had  on   the   amount   of   records   they   were   allowed   to  play.  While  the  pirate  stations  set  high  standards  and  expectations  for  the  audience  the   BBC  inherited,  in  the  end  the  offshore  stations  helped  BBC  regain  and  even  strengthen  their   monopoly  of  the  1960’s.  In  fact,  the  BBC  took  many  of  its  new  programming  reforms  and   programs  from  some  of  the  most  popular  pirate  stations.  One  example  of  this  is  how  after   the   pirate   stations   were   made   illegal,   the   BBC   introduced   jingles   to   its   programming,   something  that  Radio  London  had  been  known  for.     “Big   L”   or   Radio   London   programming   was   recognized   for   its   use   of   custom-­‐made   PAMS   jingles   from   the   States.   Jingles   were   used   to   allow   audiences   to   identify   what   programs   they   were   listening   to   on   the   radio.   After   Radio   London   went   off   air,   the   BBC   bought   a   PAMS   jingle   in   order   for   its   jingles   to   sounds   like   the   ones   previewed   on   Radio   London.     In   order   to   regain   and   satisfy   the   youthful   audience,   the   BBC   hired   many   of   the   pirate  radio  disc  jockeys  for  their  new  programming.  Tony  Blackburn  was  the  first  of  the   pirate  disc  jockey  to  broadcast  on  Radio  1.  Blackburn  had  disc  jockeyed  for  Radio  Caroline   and   Radio   London.   Another   popular   radio   personality   was   Keith   Skues,   also   known   as   Cardboard  Shoes.  He  worked  on  Radio  Caroline,  Luxembourg,  and  London.  He  was  one  of   the  original  presenters  of  the  new  sound  for  Radio  1,  right  after  Blackburn’s  morning  show.   Ed   Stewart,   Mike   Rave,   Simon   Dee,   and   Annie   nightingale   were,   to   name   a   few,   previous   pirate  disc  jockeys  that  went  on  to  be  vital  parts  of  the  reformation  of  BBC  radio.    

 

 

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While  the  BBC  was  against  pirate  radio  from  the  beginning,  in  the  end  it  was  the  one   who   gained   the   most   from   the   radical   changes   brought   on   by   the   offshore   stations.   BBC   radio   programming   before   the   introduction   of   pirate   radio,   wasn’t   satisfying   what   its   audience   wanted.   It   was   behind   on   the   musical   revolution   the   UK   was   going   through.   As   discussed   on   a   1966   recording   of   “The   World   At   One   with   William   Hardcastle”   the   fact   that   the  BBC  not  being  able  to  cater  to  its  audience’s  demands  is  what  gave  foundation  to  the   creation  of  the  pirate  radio  stations.  It  was  the  BBC’s  own  responsibility  to  research  what   its   audience   wanted   to   hear   and   to   alter   its   licensing   and   restrictions   accordingly.   Pirate   stations  paved  the  way  for  the  radio  revolution  and  allowed  the  BBC  to  be  able  to  regain  its   audience   and   make   it’s   programming   more   appealing   to   the   younger   generations.   By   doing   this,   pirate   radio   had   revolutionized   the   BBC’s   programming   and   if   the   BBC   hadn’t   been   forced  to  change  the  ways  of  its  programming  it  could  have  completely  lost  its  monopoly   and  its  current  standing  as  the  UK’s  number  one  broadcasting  network.         Bibliography Chapman, Robert. Selling the sixties: the pirates and pop music radio. London: Routledge, 1992. Print. Crisell, Andrew. "2." Understanding radio . 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 1994. 31-32. Print. Jersey. "Marine Broadcasting Offences Act." Uk Legislation I (2967): I. Print. "Pirate Radio." World at One with William Hardcastle. BBC. 3 Mar. 1967. Web. Transcript. Smith, Mike. "Pirate & Offshore Radio, Radio Caroline, Radio London." Web. 18 Apr. 2011. http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/pirateradio.html