It was 1994. Andy Winter's Radio Aires and Radio London had morphed into the Wizard's Magic Spell(WMS), adding a further dash of UK-based intrigue and something listenable to the 48 and 76 metre bands.
From an initial interest in late-1990 the free radio scene of my choosing, i.e. those stations that broadcasted from the UK, there was an ebb and flow before it seemed to hit the buffers during 1993. Listening conditions had markedly deteriorated and some of the operators formerly heard very often had decided to devote more time to extra-curricular activities - if indeed those things and not being behind a free radio 'pirate' station could be classed as extra-curricular. It was though an affront to my somewhat immature brain that several favourite broadcasters who were formerly prolific on 6 MHz were now using their time in ways which to them were akin to 'getting out more' - for example spending more time with the opposite sex, and less in dark makeshift studios whilst perhaps talking to a handful of listeners, or less.
Dialling back to 1994, the emergence of WMS added a pleasing accompaniment to and perhaps was a consequence of improving conditions, complemented by the subsequent reappearance or return by those who had been relatively conspicuous by their individual and collective absence. The year in question seemed if anything to herald a new era for established and popular broadcasters such as Live Wire, Weekend Music Radio(WMR), Radio Armadillo, and Subterranean Sounds to name just a few. Supplemented by not only WMS but an additional UK-based broadcaster known particularly well by one of the aforementioned operators, the UK free radio scene on shortwave seemed to be galvanised, once more making it interesting, entertaining, and often compelling.
I first heard Radio Blackbeard one Saturday morning on 6 MHz. Station operator Dave Norris had always remained true to his dance music preferences - something he does to this day. Feeding listeners on a rich diet of commercial and lesser-known dance and trance classics Blackbeard had the beat and edge of an FM pirate station, but which lent a different dynamic to what was normally heard on the shortwave frequencies favoured by free radio operators. Two tracks that immediately spring to mind that I heard on Blackbeard were Tinman - 18 Strings and Nush - neither were especially ground breaking but very much of their time but despite this, were not heard a great deal on mainstream radio when compared to contemporaries such as The Prodigy, Tony di Bart, Snap! and Maxx.
That was though often the point of free radio which resonated the most with me - hearing music that wasn't just another rehash of what could be heard on local(legal) FM stations or on Top of the Pops. The freedom to play what an operator wanted and not be hamstrung by playlists or demands by advertisers gave listeners to free radio a much wider choice, but what excuses did those broadcasting the same music that could be heard anywhere actually have? The argument does though remain that free radio operators had the license(pun intended) to play what they pleased; it wasn't their mandate to pander to demographics or 'safe' tastes, or even actually please their listeners.
As the 1990s wore on I increasingly drifted in and out of free radio as guess what, I too started to get a life outside of the house and away from the Saturday night and Sunday morning listening routine. I would though periodically hear Blackbeard - a station I always regarded as a welcome antidote to an increasingly Dutchification of the free radio frequencies.
A rebooted version of both Radio Blackbeard and Station Sierra Sierra, another giant of the UK-based free radio scene during the 1990s, coalesced into a joint venture known as Galaxy International; not to be confused with Radio Galaxy which eventually gave birth to the Radio Merlin we all know today. Galaxy International was no ordinary venture for Dave, and Sierra Sierra operator Paul Stuart, who took their fondness of shortwave broadcasting to great lengths by transmitting quite literally out in the field from remote locations, where local interference was minimal to non-existent and issues with neighbours hearing free radio operators coming through on their televisions and landlines was thankfully conspicuous by its absence. One track I remember being an obvious favourite of the station was Needin' U by David Morales and although signals were not always great the sheer effort put in by Dave and Paul, as well as an assortment of guests cannot be underestimated. The early days of mobile phone and email communication were utilised to connect listeners in real time with Galaxy International.
The years passed, and I assumed that like so many other stations Galaxy International and its operators had moved on, which was more or less correct. However, Paul Stuart can still be heard broadcasting on the Leicestershire-based community station The Eye but Dave has returned to his Buzz FM roots - albeit now on the medium wave band but with still the same passion for broadcasting and dance/trance music as ever.
The medium wave band is a tough nut to crack for low-powered operators who have so many legal UK and European powerhouse broadcasters to compete with, and where possible, avoid. Buzz FM has been broadcasting on either 1494 or 1512 Khz in the last year, although I last heard the station on the latter. Due to my location and distance from Buzz's QTH I am best able to hear the station via the Doncaster-based SDR remote receiver but only after 10 pm. If you are able to detect a signal but unable to identify the broadcaster, it is worth comparing what you can hear with Buzz's Radio.Garden stream to ascertain if indeed it is the station.
I have pondered if today's free radio should be more about the dwindling band of individuals who are joining the hobby, those from the past who are still 'doing it' or the now tenuous connections to yesteryear which we cling to in a scene that is a pale imitation of its former self. Free radio will always represent different things to different people, with the past being anathema to many listeners just as the modern day version of it is of little interest to those who were around in the various heydays of the genre. That though in itself opens up another argument of when were the halcyon days of free radio? Again, a straw poll would elicit many different responses.
My best wishes to Dave for renewed good health. I am sure he would welcome contact from anyone who hears Buzz FM.
No comments:
Post a Comment