Did Internet Kill the Radio Star?

When did operating a free radio station change to being more about a physical presence on shortwave than stamping individuality into broadcasts that were synonymous with the operator in question? To put an exact date/year to it is as impossible as it is pointless, but the advent of the Internet has undoubtedly negatively overlapped into pirate radio broadcasting.

Back 'in the day', and by that of course I refer to the 1990s, UK-based free radio on shortwave was not just about the music but also those spinning the discs. Many listeners would enjoy the musical tastes of the likes of Weekend Music Radio, Subterranean Sounds, and Live Wire, but it was the operators who complemented their output or even mitigated it, should on occasion that those known for more eclectic playlists stray even further into esoterica. 

Today free radio on shortwave be it from the UK, Eire, or the continent seems to fall into three categories:

1. Legal stations being relayed by those anonymous but who do so via an illegal transmitter.
2. Operators who play continuous music with no identification whatsoever, or intersperse tracks with canned IDs, or when they do speak to the world are of the 'that was..the next record is...
3. Stations who are perennially '"testing, testing..." and flipflopping around the band in permanent beta mode. These are often Dutch stations, in fact one in particular, but also there are those who for some unknown reason change their station names as often as their socks (or perhaps more often).

Of course, there are exceptions, but these are increasingly conspicuous by their comparative absence. 

 

Yes, it is free radio and as such does not follow a formula nor conform to rules or adhere to restrictive playlists. It could even be argued that free radio in the 1990s was if anything more formulaic than today but if that is so, and again it is subjective, it was a formula that worked. Although this teetotaller does not advocate or encourage the taking of strong drink, there was often the added bonus of some operators switching on their rigs after staggering back from a merry night in the pub... 

Where does the Internet come in? As previously touched upon there is now a penchant of several otherwise unknown 'operators' who wish to broadcast but can only get their kicks by relaying online stations. Perhaps that is enough to sate their illegal broadcasting appetites but is surely the antithesis of the true spirit of free, pirate radio. Many Internet-only 'radio' stations rely on a diet of continuous music without interaction with nor involvement from a human presenter, and I would say that this has rubbed off not only on those who act as conduits for legal stations, but also some who do play their own music but either have nothing to say or don't know how to say it, or perhaps simply have no interest in meaningful chat other than to reply to emails that slavishly request e-QSL verification.

Technology has not only changed at a remarkable speed in a short period of time but has also altered the human mindset. Where tech can now do the thinking of its users who are frogmarched through prompts personal choice seems to have been sacrificed on the altar of ease and laziness. The population might have the latest sophisticated technology at their fingertips, but in the chain of use from birth of products to being rolled out it is only the developers who need the serious brainpower and expertise. It is obviously beneficial for technology to be immediately accessible to end users, but we are now at a point where the many have been sleepwalking into a world of not being able to think for themselves; in an age of supposed choice and where diversity is encouraged and lauded it seems that individuality has given way to identikit genericism. 

It is therefore too easy just to relay someone else's output but consider yourself a free radio operator, allow software to produce a track list through an algorithm that interprets musical taste, or play continuous music with the odd token ID thrown in to keep QSL hunters and 'station baggers' happy. 

When we talk of 1990s free radio personalities, and I am sure they would not wish to be considered as such but undoubtedly were, names such as Paul Stuart, Bill Lewis, Jack Russel, Steve Midnight, Mike Wilson/Bogus Jobseeker/Bogusman, the late Paul Johnson, Mr. Armadillo, Alan Hayes, Jock Wilson, Andy Walker, Terry Phillips, The Wizard, Dave Martin, Paul Watt, and several others come to mind. 

There are still a few remaining - Matt Roberts (Xenon Transmitting Company), Dave Norris (Radio Blackbeard/Buzz FM) and Steve St. John (Radio Pandora) - who fit into the 'highly listenable' bracket either for their respective musical predilection, broadcasting style, or both, but for those brought up on a varied and rich diet of 1990s charisma, verbosity, music, real-time interaction, and hardcopy QSL cards accompanying info sheets and station stickers, the past three decades to the present day represent an inexorable feast into famine to the point of now being served a thin gruel. 

Perhaps what the public gets is what the public wants or is at least what it has come to expect. I would though suggest that there has to be more to free radio than simply being 'on the air' for your satisfaction.