UK Indymedia | Ofcom raids 44 pirate radio stations in London

Ofcom raids 44 pirate radio stations in London

Ofcom today announces the results of an operation to take of air
illegal
broadcasters in Greater London. The news release can be found at:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2005/11/illegal

What do you think - any of these pirate radio stations political ?

Afrique FM Tottenham & Wood Green 2 transmitters seized
Baseline FM Lewisham 1 transmitter seized
Blues FM Peckham 3 transmitters seized
Bounce FM Streatham 2 transmitters seized
Déjà vu Bow 1 transmitter seized
Force FM Harold Hill 1 transmitter seized
Freeze FM Harrow 1 transmitter seized
Fresh FM Erith 1 transmitter disconnected
Galaxy FM Peckham 2 transmitters seized
Genesis FM Rotherhithe 2 transmitters seized

Have it FM Bow 1 transmitter seized
HFM Rotherhithe 1 transmitter disconnected
House FM Clapton 2 transmitters disconnected
Itch FM Whitechapel 1 transmitter seized
Kool FM Wapping 1 transmitter disconnected
Lightning FM Brixton Hill 3 transmitters seized
Lush FM Acton 1 transmitter seized
N Power Honor Oak 2 transmitters seized
Naija FM Plumstead & Wapping 1 transmitter seized
1 transmitter disconnected
Nitro FM Tulse Hill 1 transmitter seized
On Top FM Kennington & Stockwell 1 transmitter seized
1 studio raid
Powerjam Battersea 1 transmitter seized
Ragga FM Edmonton 1 transmitter seized
Rasta FM Kennington 1 transmitter seized
Rhythm FM Dalston 1 transmitter seized
Rinse FM Wapping 1 transmitter disconnected
Rude FM Holloway & Crouch End 4 transmitters disconnected
Select UK FM Rotherhithe 2 transmitters seized

Shine FM Clerkenwell 1 transmitter seized
Silk FM Norwood 1 transmitter seized

SLR Tottenham 2 transmitters seized
Subjam Wood Green 1 transmitter seized
Supreme FM Leyton 1 transmitter seized
Surprise FM Peckham 1 transmitter seized
Sweet FM Edmonton 2 transmitters seized
Touch FM Whitechapel 1 transmitter seized
Unidentified Stockwell 1 transmitter seized
Unknown FM Edmonton & Holloway 2 transmitters seized
1 transmitter disconnected
Vibes FM Brixton Hill 3 transmitters seized
Vision FM Limehouse 1 transmitter seized
Wax FM Plumstead 1 transmitter seized
WBLS Tottenham 1 transmitter disconnected
Whoa FM Elephant and Castle 2 transmitters seized
Y2K

fwd

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Why wouldn't they be?

03.11.2005 13:32

Given that Blair is currently obsessed with crushing dissent at all costs, and given the trivial nature of pirate radio stations as a threat to law and order, isn't it a given that these stations are political? If they were playing Britney Spears (or Snoop Doggy Dog, or Eminem, or Steps, etc.) all day, chances are they would get away with it.

-B.Z.

Blue Zappa

OFCOM, nothing more than a New Reich fist!

03.11.2005 15:09

OFCOM, Blair's Ministry of Censorship, is preparing the ground for the new laws in the UK next year that will send people to prison for THREE YEARS for simple possession of adult fetish material made by consenting adult performers.

OFCOM STATES THAT ADULT FETISH MATERIAL IS IDENTICAL TO CHILD ABUSE IMAGES, AND SHOULD BE TREATED IN LAW EXACTLY THE SAME.

OFCOM make clear that the criteria for legality if whether Blair's State Pornographers (almost universally of the same background as the others controlling the Mass Media in the UK) are officially allowed to profit from such images.

OFCOM intend that all UK citizens can be raided, and have their computers confiscated, if it is suspected that they have been viewing adult fetish imagery.

OFCOM have stated that the new UK laws will likely find no other nation in the West prepared to follow them, but that THIS WILL BE A POINT OF PRIDE, WITH BLAIR'S DICTATE MAKING THE UK A SHINING EXAMPLE OF SEXUAL REPRESSION UNSEEN SINCE THE FALL OF THE TALIBAN. The unwillingness of other nations is hardly surprising, since many have reduced their sex crimes by removing restrictions on adult fetish material. Levels of censorship correlate exactly with levels of real crime.

OFCOM works directly with US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the architect of the official state policy of TORTURE in the US, and the man who recently instructed the FBI to make the fight against adult fetish pornography a top priority. Gonzales is a monster that would have been at home amongst the worst of Hitler's Nazis.

OFCOM's role is to ensure that ONLY people of Rupert Murdoch's, Conrad Black's and Richard Desmond's background are allowed control of broadcast media in the UK. The close down of non-official radio-stations is simply part of this policy.

OFCOM's power WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE UK SIDE OF THE INTERNET once Blair begins the next stage of his war program, and control of dissident voices in the UK becomes a top priority.

THIS IS NOT A GAME. BLAIR IS PLAYING FOR KEEPS. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO GET, SIMPLE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF NAZI GERMANY, STALINIST RUSSIA, OR ANY ONE OF A THOUSAND OTHER HORRIFIC REPRESSIVE REGIMES FORM EARTH'S HISTORY.

The computer is going to become merely the latest excuse for population control. Did you know that Blair's excuse for his "concentration camp" law to detain without charge for extreme periods is that PEOPLE OWN HARD-DRIVES. How much time has been spent demonizing computers in the Mass Media. Did you REALLY think this was to no purpose. Computer networks taken down and confiscated because they may have adult fetish material on them. People held for horrific periods of time because they own hard-drives.

I remember an interview with Jimmy Saville ages ago where he stated that he would not own a computer, because the state could take you down so easily if you did. Funny how that paranoia now spreads to all of us.

REMEMBER THAT BLAIR CLOSED DOWN THE "BAND-AID"-LIKE ANTI-IRAQ-INVASION MUSICAL SINGLE BY HAVING THE ORGANISING MUSICIAN TAKEN DOWN WITH A PHONEY CHILD-COMPUTER PORN RAID. When you control the Mass Media, and the forces of the state, you get to do what you like, and ensure your actions are justified however you wish.

When OFCOM smashes you in the face, it does so directly on the instructions of Blair, and in furtherance of his insane, genocidal policies of Aggressive War!!!

twilight

Looking beyond

04.11.2005 05:51

The reasons cited by OFCOM on their website for closing down unauthorised stations:

""
Illegal broadcasting causes interference to the radios used by critical safety of life services such as the London Fire Brigade and National Air Traffic Services (NATS). The problem is most acute in London which accounts for more than 50% of the estimated 150 illegal broadcasters operating in the UK.

There is a direct link between some illegal broadcasters and serious crime. Ofcom raids on the studios of illegal broadcasters have uncovered drugs and weapons, including firearms. In some cases the cash raised through advertising events at nightclubs is used to finance the purchase of drugs for sale at these events.

Illegal broadcasting also causes interference to legitimate radio stations, denying hundreds of thousands of listeners the opportunity to hear their favourite programmes.

Robert Thelen-Bartholomew, Ofcom's Head of Field Operations, said: “Illegal broadcasting affects safety of life services and has links with serious crime. Ofcom will continue to pursue and prosecute those involved in this criminal activity.”

""

The first point is absolute rubbish, emergency and air services work on frequencies outside the commercial bandwithd 88-108. This argument was first used after the sinking of the Titanic for a global clampdown on free radio, it has been repeated everywhere for almost 100 years, but given that anything that could be seen as endorsement of pirate radio is illegal under the Radio Authority Code of Practice, who is to challenge it?. If you want to listen to those transmissions you have to purchase a special receiver. Anoraks love it. Some really bad transmitters in high power, working on the edge of the commercial dial would interfere, but then why broadcast pirate radio if only anoraks with special equipment would be able to listen? People are not that stupid.

The second point would generate a massive outrage if it was applied to any other collective. Imagine all the nightclubs in Soho closed on the basis that some venues are used for drug-dealing, or closing down all London mosques for potential terrorist activity. But you know, all Nigerians are fraudsters, all Jamaicans yardie gansters, all Muslims terrorists, and all pirate radios... Scary to think OFCOM can get away with putting that kind of stuff on their website.

The third point is where the meat is. FM has a very interesting property called capture principle. A receiver where two transmitters are sending the same frequency will lock on to only one of them, a combination of the closer and/or most powerful one. This means that pirate radios can use the frequency of KissFM (originally a pirate in NYC), and at least some people will pick their signal instead of the commercial broadcaster. Pirates use this to circumvent the use of preset tuners by many radio aficionados. How many times have you tuned your TV for new stations? If anyone was making free TV in your area you probably wouldn't have noticed.

They way out for this can only come from sensible regulation involving all parties. Good frequency mapping and quality checks (if you transmit on 105.7 it should not cover from 105.5 to 105.9) could divide the radio spectrum for everyone. Most pirate stations are local so the same frequency could be used in Brixton and Hackney for two separate feeds. Currently you need to fork out millions of pounds for a commercial license while community licenses are few and too limited and unstable pending short-term reviews. Pirate radio is, in the words of Mr Thelen-Bartholomew (Sorry to be class prejudiced, but I can imagine him in his khaki suit fighting the savages), a criminal activity involving guns, not estate kids learning about electronics, music and expression.

This war on pirates is a long global war fuelled by media consortiums and governments fearful of freedon, but UK has the dubious honour of being the developed country with the most restrictive laws on broadcasting. The BBC has provided the argument that people's needs are being catered for, while sending scores of people, mostly women, to prison for not paying a license.

While countries such as Germany have a free political radio in almost every mid sized town, if not more, in UK the only ones that get away are those pumping out non-stop music and adverts for clubs, until a day comes when their lack of popular legitimacy and real grassroots connections allows for their prompt closure and criminalisation.

Today this war has a new side, the analog shutdown/digital switchover. The digital DAB radio means that the spectrum currently used for FM will soon be sold for other purposes, like in the multimedia mobile phone frequencies auctions. Millions of radios will become obsolete, and the current physical, albeit not legal, capacity to broadcast free radio will disappear to be finally concentrated in the hands of the usual few. Analog transmitters are everywhere, it's surprising that there are no more pirates given how cheap it is to do it, but digital is another story. A potential problem with this technology love story, besides the problems for the poor to buy the new expensive equipment mentioned in the liberal media, is that if lots of pirates are still using the "old" radio system people may not be willing to fully switch to digital and throw their beloved gear to the nearest landfill.

javi

Yoo Hoo, Twilight

05.11.2005 22:37

"REMEMBER THAT BLAIR CLOSED DOWN THE "BAND-AID"-LIKE ANTI-IRAQ-INVASION MUSICAL SINGLE BY HAVING THE ORGANISING MUSICIAN TAKEN DOWN WITH A PHONEY CHILD-COMPUTER PORN RAID. "

Twilight, you're full of it. Prove that statement.

Observer

Kollektives

London Topics

Major Coverage

Other IMCs