The most popular posts

This trip through the 1980s free radio scene has featured a selection of nearly 130 stations. Most came from shortwave but also featured are some medium wave (from London and the Netherlands) and FM (or VHF as it was called then) from the London/North Surrey area.

I hope you have enjoying listening to them. I've had a look back to see which have been the most popular and here is the top 5:
1. Radio Jackie Raided . A bit of history as the then pirate broadcaster was raided before returning years later as a licensed local radio broadcaster.
2. Radio Ridiculous/Radio Tonair. A couple of Dutch stations who are both still around today.
3. Radio Invicta and Horizon Radio. Early pioneers of the soul music stations in London.
4. Skull & Bones Radio System. The 80s was a golden era for Irish radio and some of those stations feature on this blog. This is currently the most popular.
5. Radio Torenvalk, Woodpecker & Waddenzee. Three  medium wave Dutch stations from the 1980s.

Fresh FM, Time Radio, TKO

Here are three stations heard on FM across London in the late 1980s. All three were part of the new wave of soul/funk/hip hop stations targeting listeners, particularly from the black communities, fed-up with the mainstream offerings from BBC Radio 1 or Capital, setting the scene for the London FM pirate scene seen today.

 

FRESH FM: https://app.box.com/s/5gwkygkucn9y2xdo294h (4.22 mins)

 

TIME RADIO: https://app.box.com/s/ps6oclhjip5tdfilzzmu  (3.28 mins)


TKO: https://app.box.com/s/p3cwukppsxamlki2494r  (2.54 mins)

Hits FM, London

Hits FM was a station operating on FM in London in the mid-80s. In 1993 staff from the station merged with Laser, which had been operating on FM in the London area since 1990, to form Laser Hot Hits. In 1994 LHH began broadcasting on shortwave ... and is still going strong today. You can read more about Laser's history at www.laserhothits.co.uk

Here is a clip from Hits FM, made at Christmas 1987. Apologises for the poor sound quality.

   (2.44 mins)

North Dublin Community Radio

Here is a clip of North Dublin Community Radio, giving out address, talking about WLR and Beatle Radio from late 1987.




(2.05 mins)

Radio Mr Sandman

Here is a clip of a Dutch station called Radio Mr Sandman, made in 1986. He said he was using 500W of power.




(3.35 mins)

Radio Rainbow Germany

Here is a clip from 1986 of Radio Rainbow Germany, broadcasting via Radio Mirage.



(1.34 mins)

Radio Mirage

Here is a clip from Radio Mirage from 1986. The station first went on the air in the mid-80s and was around through most of the 90s.

 

(2.17 mins)

Radio Marabu

Radio Marabu first began broadcasting in 1984, and is still going in 2012, although these days it is via licensed relays. Here is a short clip of Marabu from 1986. You can find out more about the station on their website at: http://radio-marabu.de/



(0.58 min)

Radio Orion, UK

When Radio Orion launched in 1986 it became the first 7-day free radio shortwave station. Among those involved was the late Paul Johnson of UK Radio. Here is a clip of him on Orion in July 1986.



(3.35 mins)

There is much more about Orion and more audio recordings on the Pirate Archive's UK Radio page.

Radio Universum

Here is a recording of Radio Universum from Germany signing off, the recording was made in early 1986.



(1.41 mins)

Radio Private

Radio Private was a German free radio station broadcasting in the mid-80s. This clip is of the station relayed via Radio Rainbow in Ireland in early 1986.



(2.52 mins)

Falcon Radio

Now for a short recording from the UK station called Falcon Radio, made in early 1986.



(0.58 mins)

Radio East Coast Commercial

Another popular UK land-based station from the 1980s was Radio East Coast Commercial, run by Norman Nelson. Here is a clip of the station signing off in March 1986.



(3.54 mins)

Sound of Sweden

The Sound of Sweden was on the air for 10 years from Sweden and via relays. Here is a clip from their 10th anniversary show in 1985, relayed by Radio Delmare. The Free Home Scandinavia website says SOS was not heard after 1985 so this could well have been their last broadcast.



(2.51 mins)

Radio Liberty Sound

This is a recording of French pirate Radio Liberty Sound, with a New Year's Eve broadcast in 1985. The QSL is from Fritz-Walter's huge collection, with thanks. You can see more of his QSLs at http://www.radio-eulenspiegel.eu/



(3.04 mins)

Pirate Freaks Broadcasting Service

This is a clip from the Pirate Freaks Broadcasting Service (PFBS), signing off then calling CQ to Weekend Music Radio, recorded in late-1985.



(1.02 mins)

Anoraks UK Weekly Reports

The operator of the excellent DX Archive web site has been busy downloading copies of the Anoraks UK weekly reports onto his website. This carried free radio logs and news, in days long before the internet. You can now read copies from 1983 to 1989 at this link: http://www.dxarchive.com/press_anoraks_uk_index.html

Radio Scorpio, Germany

Here is a recording of German free radio station, Radio Scorpio, made in late 1985.



(1.47 mins)

Radio Pamela

Radio Pamela was a UK station broadcasting around the mid-80s. Here is a recording made in November 1985. The QSL said they were using 1.5kW.



(1.14 mins)

Riverside Radio

Here is a clip from Riverside Radio from Ireland, making its first transmission in 1985, using only 5W. QSL from the DX Archive website.



(2.21 mins)