Quick link to Pirate Memories audio files

Some of the station links don't want to open. 

Here is a quick link to the Pirate Memories audio on box.com:

https://app.box.com/s/qjdivk7ovk62sv4vt7qe

Pirates of the Airwaves podcast

Mark Wakely, founder of a land based pirate radio Facebook group, has been talking to some of the
people who were involved in the pirate radio world of the 70s and 80s.

In the episodes they look back on what is was like being involved in pirate radio at this time, remembering clambering on to the roofs of tower blocks to string up antennas and dodging raids from the authorities.

The first episode featured Pyers Easton, better known to listeners in London as Chris Miles. He ran the station London Music Radio (and a lesser known station called London Basin Broadcasting Company - clip HERE) and built many rigs for stations during the 80s.

Others interviewed include Nick Catford who tells the story of Radio Jackie - a trailblazing pirate that now broadcasts to South West London as a legal station; Steve Marshall who was involved in the pioneering London soul station Radio Invicta, worked on the Voice of Peace in the Mediterranean and on the Irish stations during the 80s.

If you're interested in the land based pirate scene then it is definitely worth of a listen to Mark's podcast. He is regularly adding new interviews to the series.

Visit the Pirates of the Airwaves podcast page at https://piratepod7080.transistor.fm 

There you can also find all the different ways to listen to the shows and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.

His Facebook group is called Land Based Pirate Radio of the 70s and 80s and can be found here https://www.facebook.com/groups/373844343228644

Remembering the shortwave pirates of the 1990s

Over a period of a couple of months, a blogger called The 1990's Free Radio Listener has been looking back at the British shortwave pirates who entertained us during the 1990s.

His wrote about his memories of tuning in to stations like Live Wire Radio, Subterranean Sounds, Weekend Music Radio and many others.

There was also a look at how it compares to the shortwave free radio scene today with stations like Radio Merlin International and Radio Pamela still keeping the flag flying.

His post about WMR even brought a comment from the station operator Jack Russell who wrote: "Hey man, thats a very nice article to write about WMR. Don't discount anything for this year. Last year was an embarassment as far as broadcasting went. Not a single transmission for the 40th anniversary year. No sign of BRI either who also started in 1980, but at least FRSH made it happen with their own excellent broadcasts....It has all been a bit lacking in time over the last few years, with one thing or another, but still here, still listening, still missing being on the air on SW."

The 1990s Free Radio Listener is also keen to hear the memories from other listeners from that era who remember tuning in to these  and other stations.

The address is: https://ukshortwavefreeradiomemories.blogspot.com/ 

Vintage pirate radio magazines online

Cool AM has provided a link to pirate radio fanzines from the 70s & 80s which have been digitally scanned and turned into PDFs. 

Among titles featured are the Anoraks UK Weekly Report, Radio Argus News, Free Radio Waves, Pirate Connection, Wavelength and many many more.

Back in the 1970s & 1980s, there was no internet so getting access to information about your favourite pirate radio stations was not easy.

Some pirate stations had DX shows, while there were free radio columns in DX clubs' monthly magazines. But enthusaists also published their own A4 typewritten fanzines with all the latest information that listeners could subscribe to.

These had all the latest news from shortwave, medium wave, Ireland and offshore. So if you want to wallow in some nostalgia why not take a look?

There are two volumes hosted on the Internet Archive website:

https://archive.org/details/Radio-Magazines

https://archive.org/details/Radio-Magazines2

New website for 80s London FM pirate Phoenix Radio

Phoenix Radio, a FM pirate station which ran from 1979-1984 in London has launched a website. The station played indie/alternative music and built up quite a following in London. The website includes a history of the station, some audio recordings, a clip from a 1984 Channel 4 feature. 

EDIT: Updated 4/8/25, the website seems to be offline but I have included the link to their Facebook page should they sort it out or launch a new website.

https://www.facebook.com/phoenixradio90.2londonpirateradio/#

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)