Hard News // Big Stories

The latest about radio in London

Government axes radio plans

Radio stations hoping for licences could now have to wait at least another two and a half years before they are succesful.

It has been revealed that due to pressure of time, the Government will not now be putting a Radio Bill before Parliament this autumn. A new bill, combined with plans for the future of television, will probably now be scheduled for the session to start in Autumn 1989. The first new radio stations would take to the air in late 1990, at the very earliest.

This delay has further angered prospective station applicants, who have already been let down once over 1985's aborted Community Radio Experiment. A limited number of licences were then promised as an experiment to see how specialist broadcasting could work. However, the experiment was abandoned after worries that stations could be hijacked by extremists.

Speaking to radio broadcasters, Home Secretary Douglas Hurd said that despite this delay he was ``ready to look at any proposals for developing independent radio before the new regime takes effect.'' A plan has been put to the Home Office for the IBA to license a limited number of stations from next Spring, and has met with interest from them.

Several potential broadcasters say they are being forced onto the air as pirates because there is no realistic alternative. Further delays in giving stations licenses could cause severe financial difficulties for many potential broadcasters.

DTI don't know who they're raiding

The House of Commons has been told that 168 raids have been carried out in London so far this year.

However, a list of stations and how many times they have been raided shows confusion over who they have actually raided. London Greek Radio (88.4) and Greek Community Radio (104.5) are listed together, attracting 20 raids together. They also state that ``A further eight unidentified stations have been raided on 27 occasions so far during 1988''. This poses the question: how did they know it was the same 8 stations they were raiding each time?

Most raided were LGR/GCR, followed by LWR, Sina Radio, Sangam Radio, TKO and Faze1.

Londoners least satisfied with their legal radio

A survey into radio listening in Britain shows that people living in London are the least satisfied with what's legally available on their radios.

Afro-Caribbeans and Asians were also unhappy with existing radio services. 62% of Afro-Caribbeans and 50% of Asians wanted to see their own neighbourhood stations on the air.

While people throughout most of the UK were generally happy with existing radio services, it would appear that those who have heard new radio services from outside the BBC and Independent Radio system are less content with what the legal radio system has to offer.

45% of Afro-Caribbeans surveyed said they already listened to unlicenced stations. This was not just for music but also for news and information about local events of interest to them.

The report was commissioned by the Broadcasting Research Unit for the Home Office. Listeners througout the UK were surveyed, with 2 additional surveys of ethnic groups.

There will be a closer look at the survey results in the next issue.

Satellite radio services 'could be illegal'

There are fears that new satellite delivered radio services carried by Independent Radio stations could be illegal.

Two services are offered to Independent stations for broadcasting through the night. Nova Night Network promises 12 hours of pop based programming from 6pm — 6am with DJs including Timmy Mallett, Tony Blackburn and Paul McKenna.

Radio Radio, a joint venture between Virgin and several Independent stations is less chart oriented. Presenters include Ruby Wax, Jonathon Ross, Johnnie Walker and Janice Long with a mixture of chat-based and music-based programmes.

However, Independent stations carrying these services could be in breach of the law. Stations are required to carry a suitable amount of material geared to local listeners. They must also avoid carrying material similar to other stations which is inconsistent with local broadcasting.

So far no action has been taken by the IBA to prevent stations carrying these services.

New name and format for Radio London

In a major shake-up, Radio London is set to adopt a new oldies oriented format and take on a new name, probably Greater London Radio.

The BBC's local station for the Capital is to change overnight to its new format, aimed at over 25s. This will take into direct competition with Capital Gold. However, GLR is likely to have a greater `journalistic input' in the programmes and cover a wider range of music, with more needletime than previously. Names such as Dave Lee Travis and Andy Peebles have been linked with the new operation.

DTI given OK to raid stations' offices

Department of Trade and Industry investigators have been given the go-ahead to raid the offices of pirate radio stations.

This follows a test case against London Greek Radio. The station was in court at the start of July on charges of unlicensed broadcasting. The magistrate was asked to decide whether a raid at the offices of LGR could be carried out as part of the DTI officers' investigations.

Following the court's decision, a raid was carried out at the offices and studios of Faze1 FM in Brixton. A large quantity of paperwork relating to the station was removed and two people were arrested. Faze1 told Radio Today 'It looks like that's how they'll be working now'.

Many other stations now fear that they too could be targetted. The DTI have been employing a former policeman to work on the business aspects of pirate radio. From the information he has gathered, investigators hope to hit unlicensed broadcasters more effectively. They admit that previous action has not always been effective and stations have not been deterred, with the prosecution of station staff having little effect on broadcasting.

As well as setting a new precedent, the case against London Greek Radio was the longest ever against an unlicensed station. At Highgate Magistrates Court, staff and companies linked to LGR were fined a total of £13,900 plus £10,550 costs, also a record amount.

LGR plans to appeal against the fine, and continues broadcasting to the Greek community of London every day.

Update

New stations on the air since the last issue... Boys FM (gay), Brittania Radio (Asian), Capital Gold (oldies), County Sound Gold (oldies), Eurojam International (reggae), Galaxy Radio (reggae) Radio Jennifer (rock), JSM (soul), South London Radio (pop/dance), Strong Island Radio (soul), Sunrise FM, Swinging Radio England (60s soul), WLIB (black music).

Returned since the last issue... Arab Community Radio, Border Radio (MOR), Confidence Radio (reggae), Fame FM (soul), Hits FM 98.3 (pop), Joy FM (soul), People's Choice (soul), Southside Radio.

Vanished since the last issue... CDR, CFM, Clockwork Wireless, DFCM, Radio Gemma, Girls FM, London Music Radio, Radio Memphis, PRS FM, Ram Jam Radio, Roots FM, Soul FM, South West Sound.

Capital's news magazine The Way It Is has won the gold award for best news programme at the International Radio Festival in New York.

Hard on the heels of Nova's European satellite service comes Rupert Murdoch's Sky Radio. The station will broadcast non-stop pop — no DJs — and commercials to cable systems around Europe for broadcast in shopping centres, etc.

Accounts published by the Radio Investigation Service show that last year it cost them £10,660 for each person convicted of pirate broadcasting. In the year up to April 1988, £800,000 was spent on enforcement activity against unlicensed broadcasters.

The number of prosecutions for unlicensed broadcasting last year was 77, with 75 convictions. This is nearly half the number of successful prosecutions of 1985.

BBC Local Radio journalists staged a strike on July 13 in protest at cuts in the budgets of local radio stations. News was provided at many stations during the day by station management. 10% has been cut from the budget for local stations, and unions fear that this will seriously affect local news provision.

The Radio Academy, an association of `radio professionals' held its annual Radio Festival on 4-6 July. Most of the major figures in the industry were present for 3 days of lectures, working sessions and socialising. Report next issue.

3 people were arrested on top of a South London tower block on July 17. The DTI allege they were installing unlicensed radio equipment.

Radio Mercury has announced plans for a station to broadcast from Gatwick Airport to provide travel information.

Radio Caroline's 558 frequency is now being occupied by a Dutch station broadcasting from their ship. The Dutch service was to have used another transmitter, but delays in equipping the station with new transmitting masts means they have taken over from the English service 'for a few weeks.'

A special event radio station has been broadcasting at the London Festival, taking place at Alexandra Palace. Turkish Community Radio is broadcasting a mix of programmes from 16 July to 8 August from studios at Ally Pally. Programmes go out in Turkish, Hebrew and English, with 1W of power covering the surrounding North London area.

62% of listeners in an LBC phone-vote on the Brian Hayes programme said they did not want more radio stations in London.

TKO, one of London's leading soul stations for three years is now understood to have closed down. The station was heavily targeted earlier in the year by DTI investigators.

West London community radio project TW Sound is in difficulties having had its funding axed. There has also been a further split in its management, leading at one time to two groups claiming to represent the station.

Capital Radio has approached several leading unlicensed radio DJs to see if they would be interested in joining the station. The station is looking to recruit new talent due to its due split-frequency programmes.