The first stations which played house music on their shows were LWR (1984-89) and KISS Fm (1985-88), but both stations played other styles of music as well. So a lot of credit is due to them for being the first stations to introduce us to house music. Of course Kiss is now a legal station that still plays house music and still plays a big part in promoting the scene.

In 1988 when house music really kicked off in London with "THE SUMMER OF LOVE", we were to see the birth of the first stations that only played house music. From that time on there has been a vast number of stations that have followed.
Every station that has come and gone has contributed to the growth of house music, however large or small, they have all played a part.

Opinions may differ as to which station has had the biggest impact, but the legendary CENTREFORCE on 88.3FM from (1988-1991), SUNRISE on 88.75FM (1989-94) and FANTASY on 98.1FM (1989-92) will always be remembered for pumping out house music and promoting all the raves from 1988 and on wards.
These were the stations that fuelled the house scene, making it grow at a rapid rate and they set the example for the future pirate stations which we enjoy today.

In the late 60 's the only pirate radio stations that operated were Radio Caroline and Radio London, these stations broadcast on ships outside the UK's territorial waters, this was the birth of pirate radio. The government acted quickly to protect the legal stations by banning unlicencencsed broadcasting.
What was crucial for the growth of pirate radio was technology, as technology advanced so did the pirate radio station numbers, below are the key factors on how technology was crucial for the pirate radio scene.
Transistors were now hugly smaller and for the first time they were transportable, also the drop in hardware prices was just as important to pirate radio. The introduction of the clearer and cheaper FM bandwidth. Once the Mircrowave technology come into play then this meant that the transmiter was in a different location to where the pirate's broadcasted from. So when the pirate station got raided all that was lost was the transmiter, hugly cheaper then losing all your equipmeant. The pirate station just had to buy a transmiter or get their back-up and they were than back on air, very quickly and at a low cost. Now the Goverments raids had little effect on the pirate station and slowly began to realize that pirate radio was having a effect on our society and was serving a purpose.It had given a lot of people a intrest and meaningful hoby, it had kept then of the streets, many people have gone on from pirate radio and secured jobs in the music industry in one job or another.
The Goverments policy in the mid ninties after the rave scene had moved into the clubs changed, now they would only raid a station if they had a formal complaint about a station otherwise they are left alone to broadcast until they become too popular,
then their days are numbered...

PIRATE RADIO - ANDY WOODSTOCK

Pirate radio was the first place were I tasted that feeling of been a DJ, it come in 1992 one Saturday when I got a call to come and spin some house tunes as a guest on Weekend Rush which was a Hardcore/Jungle Drum n bass station in East London, Hackney.
The location of the studio was only 2 minutes from my house so I was round there in a shot, it was about 11 O'clock in the Morning and when I arrived my friend was just setting up the studio, this was it the time had come to Play my mixes over air I was shiting myself as I had only been mixing for 1 year plus I had to mix in front of DJ FOX one of the best Pirate radio DJ's for mixing, that's all I needed to have over my shoulders but the time had come. I played from about 11.00am to 12 O'Clock when DJ FOX replaced me, the short show was my first taste of been a DJ, and it went OK due to the fact that I had prepared a set which I had practiced over and over again, Practice does lead to perfection which
should be every DJ's goal.

When DJ Rusher came banging on the door after the show shouting how all the stall owners down Bethnel Green market were tuned in and were teasing him that the station should play more house music it was the icing on the cake for me I was hooked from that moment onwards. I had a feeling of total satisfaction all the hours spent practicing on mixing, had paid off it was the start of
my Pirate Radio Days!
The next spot come a few months down the line when I was given a spot on GARAGE FM 104.1 , I could not believe my luck I had been given a prime time show on a Saturday from
8-10pm which I kept until the station finished in 1996 so I really did have a good spell on Garage FM.

When I started playing on Garage FM the first 6 months were the best as I was just spinning tunes and getting great exposure over the air waves, all i had to do was turn up and do my show, been just a DJ was how I should have kept it.
Slowly I began to get sucked in deeper and deeper until finally I was one of the people running the station, what really cracked me up was any trouble happened it would always come back to me to sort out, one of the main reasons the station finished along with all the shit starring that was going on round me, but one thing for sure is people know where I am coming from as I was born to be seditious.

One thing for sure it was all great fun and meeting people out in clubs that tuned in made it all worth while!

Pirate Radio Web sites :
Web site: www.blackcatsystems.com
Web site: www.offshoreradio.co.uk
Web site: www2.sasquatch.com
Web site: interface.pirate-radio.org
Web site: www.dxing.com
Web site: www.ofcom.org.uk/static
Web site: www.piratestation.net