Radio Caroline: Difference between revisions
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Radio Caroline was | '''Radio Caroline''' was a prominent [[Pirate Radio]] station and Europe's first all-day English language pop music station. | ||
In the early post-WW2 years, broadcast media in the [[UK]] was a state monopoly franchised to the [[BBC]]. In the early 1960’s UK govt allowed commercial [[TV]] but commercial radio was still illegal. | In the early post-WW2 years, broadcast media in the [[UK]] was a state monopoly franchised to the [[BBC]]. In the early 1960’s UK govt allowed commercial [[TV]] but commercial radio was still illegal. | ||
Revision as of 10:28, 1 July 2007
Radio Caroline was a prominent Pirate Radio station and Europe's first all-day English language pop music station.
In the early post-WW2 years, broadcast media in the UK was a state monopoly franchised to the BBC. In the early 1960’s UK govt allowed commercial TV but commercial radio was still illegal.
During the roaring beatnik 1960’s the BBC only broadcast one hour of rock music per week.
This monopoly was finally broken on Easter Sunday 1964 when the first English language offshore pirate radio station started up, Radio Caroline. They offered all-day rock music, which had been hitherto unavailable to the British public. Soon several more pirate radio stations started up.
After three years the UK govt enacted the “Maritime Offenses Act” and sent the Royal Navy to board the ships and close them down.
But the genie was out of the bottle. The UK govt was forced to allow commercial radio broadcasting free of government ownership, and even the BBC started a 24 hour rock channel (Radio-1).
Radio Caroline returned to the air in 2004 using legal means including Internet streaming and Satellite channels (Astra and Woldstar), as well as some short range RF relays e.g. in Latvia and the French Riviera.