Press Releases Inside Out: Piracy on the airwaves

Category: West Midlands TV
Date: 02.10.2007
Printable version

Pirate radio stations in the West Midlands could be putting lives at risk according to media regulator Ofcom – but the people behind the illegal radio broadcasts believe they are actually serving their communities who feel let down by mainstream media.

For Inside Out on BBC One West Midlands (Wednesday 3 October 2007, 7.30pm), reporter Satnam Rana follows Ofcom officer Mike Bothma as he tours Birmingham's streets, tracking down the illegal broadcasts that he says can interfere with emergency calls and put lives at risk unnecessarily.

However the pirate radio DJs say they actively avoid using the same frequencies as the emergency services.

Satnam catches up with two pirate broadcasters to find out how they get their illegal broadcasts onto the airwaves and what drives them to do so.

Over the last year, media watchdog Ofcom has been raiding studios in an attempt to shut down pirate radio stations. But the illegal broadcasts continue to populate the airwaves.

Today there are around 150 pirate radio stations broadcasting in the UK – a flicker of your TV screen or crackling on the radio may indicate that a pirate radio station is situated nearby.

Little Richie, DJ on pirate radio station Sting FM, says: "If it wasn't needed, we wouldn't be here. We do a lot more for the local community than the big stations, the legal stations. We're more in touch with what's happening on the streets because we are on the streets and we see what is going on."

Mike Bothma sees things differently, though. He says: "They're not doing a community service at all. What these radio stations do is charge the DJs up to £20 an hour to go on air. They charge £100 a week for adverts. They're there for profit basically."

Pirate radio stations are also seen as a way of getting your record played or showcasing your skills as a DJ when other forms of conventional media fail to notice.

But at the end of the day, the practice of illegal broadcasting can land those involved in a lot of trouble – whether that be hefty fines or prison sentences.

The wireless war looks set to rumble on...

BBC Birmingham Press Office