From Radio Blackbeard to Galaxy International and beyond, there is still a buzz around UK-based free radio

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. 

The 90's to present day: Who still remains on shortwave?

The overarching aim of this blog was always predicated on harking back to a past that is not memorialized elsewhere, other than perhaps by a few downloaded QSL cards and certain stations mentioned little more than in passing. If I can be afforded to use 'the past' in this sense as a reference to the 1990's, there are though several links to it still active on shortwave to this day, some of which are continuations in one form or other that have endured over the last three decades. 

Radio Blackbeard was a station I first heard in 1994, who I initially recall using 48 metres on Saturday mornings. The history of the operator's interest in free/pirate radio did though go back to the 80's, when Dave Norris started broadcasting on FM under the name Buzz FM, within a certain metropolitan area of England's East Midlands. Friendship with free radio leviathans Bill Lewis and Paul Stuart eventually led Dave into shortwave broadcasts using Radio Blackbeard as his HF hat, with a dance music policy favouring the trance genre that reflected the staple output of Buzz.

I cannot recall when Radio Blackbeard ceased broadcasting under that guise on shortwave, but Dave has never really left the scene, including what was for a while a regular stint on Lazer Hot Hits. and continues to this day to broadcast under his original ident but on 1494 kHz, albeit with a limited geographic reach due to a strong Moldovan broadcaster that uses the channel during daylight hours. Buzz is though occasionally heard some distance away when conditions allow, including via the Scottish-based Argyll SDR remote receiver. 

There was though to be another strand to Mr. Blackbeard's presence on shortwave in the 1990's. Regular broadcasts with Station Sierra Sierra's Paul Stuart and other local radio luminaries commenced in the latter part of the decade under the name Galaxy International, not to be confused with the entirely unrelated Radio Galaxy, the previous name of who we know today as Radio Merlin. These entertaining but labour-intensive transmissions were conducted out in the field, quite literally, where remote broadcast sites would be used to reduce the chances of RF interference piquing the interest of local neighbours and the authorities. Running regular broadcasts from car batteries in countryside where there will always be a passing hiker with more than a little curiosity as to what is occurring is though a form of free radio martyrdom, and whilst highly laudable and even a tad romanticized for those listening rather than at the sharp end, it was inevitable that these enjoyable live broadcasts would eventually come to an end. I always recall the 1998 David Morales track Needin' U being a regular feature of broadcasts, and was obviously a favourite at the time of Paul Stuart.

My previous blog post mentioned how not only did Radio Mutiny and Radio Galaxy eventually morph into XTC and Merlin respectively, but that they are to this day still operating to some degree or other on shortwave. Whilst Merlin is a daily feature on 6305 kHz XTC's presence is a case of less being more, although by Matt Roberts' own admission the station has perhaps been more active since the advent of the novel coronavirus than at any other time in its history. 

The 1990's version of Radio Mi Amigo brought me at the time into contact with the amiable Terry Phillips. Subsequently involved with the likes of WNKR(West and North Kent Radio, in case you were wondering), WFRL(Wonderful Free Radio London) and Focus International, Terry can still on occasion be heard guesting on Radio Pamela, which brings me on to...

Another operator who has been broadcasting on shortwave long before I became aware of free radio stations on shortwave, Steve Most's Radio Pamela has remained a constant presence insomuch that the name has remained unchanged since I first received the station in 1991. I would otherwise say that Pamela's broadcasts have over the years been sporadic, although I undoubtedly missed a great many of them what with Steve's penchant for transmitting on frequencies outside where many listeners would venture to hear free radio broadcasts. As with XTC Radio Pamela has over the last year been a particularly and relatively frequent presence, predominantly on 7 MHz, mainly 7605 kHz, and latterly 6803 and 6319 kHz. With a liking for rock classics and even the Japanese take on the genre, the best way to keep up to date with Steve's intentions is via his Twitter page: Radio Pamela Twitter 

Aside from Radio Pamela there was also a short-lived station in the 1990's named Radio 49, who I believe that Steve Most was also involved with. Any further information would be appreciated.

Since the demise of the Bogusman's broadcasts following a raid two years ago by OFCOM(Office of Communications) that was precipitated by the use of an International Distress Frequency - the one in question being 6312 kHz - and something of a schoolboy error for such an experienced free radio operator, Mike Wilson/Bogus has been completely absent from conventional broadcasting. Conventional in this sense would equate to free radio operators using their own broadcast equipment - transmitter, antenna, et al. 

In recent times the inimitable Bogusman and his unorthodox take on life that remains a nonpareil on shortwave has once again resurfaced, albeit having finally fallen on his sword by going legit and paying for broadcast slots on the German-based Channel 292. It would be very easy for the Bogusman to call it a day now that the classic route to free radio broadcasting has all but been closed to him but who knows, perhaps using alternative facilities is just a stop-gap before re-emerging on shortwave in a manner to which he has been accustomed under various guises including Radio Orion and the Bogus Jobseeker. Another former exponent of Orion, The Ghoul, someone who revels in shall we say a rather atypical broadcasting style has also been heard on Channel 292, whose schedule for both 6 and 9 MHz is worth keeping an eye on for future Bogusman programmes.

My logbooks and hard copy QSL cards from the 1990's have sadly long since bitten the dust, and therefore cannot act as a useful point of reference when compiling these blog posts. I am therefore very much relying on, and at the mercy of, my memory which inevitably will not recall all that occurred on shortwave that emanated from the UK. A classic example of this is not being able to pinpoint the exact time I first heard Radio Pandora, although I would estimate it to be during 1993. As was common with other stations during the first Covid-related lockdown I noticed a spike in Pandora's output, often with a signal that was far stronger than during my frustrated attempts to hear station operator Steve St. John in the '90's. 

As I have written elsewhere - Free Radio in the time of Covid-19 - listening to shortwave free radio during my convalescence from novel coronavirus provided some much needed solace and positivity, and in many ways reignited my interest in free radio which admittedly has since fluctuated. Radio Pandora was one of those stations that helped my recovery by not only broadcasting when I had little else to do but rest, but also through replying to my emails which were perhaps the first ever correspondence I shared with Steve, 27 years after first hearing him on the 48-metre band. Radio Pandora has once more retreated into the shadows, but I believe that some broadcasts have been made on Medium Wave frequencies.

Kudos to both Steves, Most and St. John, for persevering with a hobby that is obviously in their blood. I don't know about Steve Most, but the operator of Radio Pandora is somewhere between the end of his seventh decade and the early part his eighth, but it is the commitment and persistence of these and other operators who have over several decades regaled listeners with their own choice of music, often I am sure despite at times awkward personal and local circumstances and when they've had to very much work around difficulties to remain on the air.

NEXT TIME: More of the stations that formed the UK free radio scene on shortwave in the 1990's.

Live Wire Radio - a station that packed a punch

By the mid 1990's I had purchased what proved to be the final upgrade to my listening equipment. Having looked longingly at receivers manufactured by Lowe, Icom, and the Japan Radio(JRC) these and other communications hardware would financially remain out of my reach. My listening station at the time would also not have been able to do justice to the antenna requirements for what were, and remain to this day, sophisticated and comprehensive ways to listen to all forms of wireless broadcasts. With a modest budget but in need of a significant improvement to the way I received shortwave transmissions, I purchased a Sangean ATS-803A world band receiver, which crucially had what for me was the holy grail of radio listening: a digital tuner.

My previous receiver, a Venturer 2959 had by this time begun to frustrate, with the analogue tuner not corresponding to the frequencies on which many stations were broadcasting. As with my initial listening equipment, a National Panasonic 1813, I was now only snaring the stations who used the highest power or when the atmospheric conditions offered short skip and an opportunity to listen to lower power operators - an explanation of 'skip' can be found here: Skip distance explained - Wikipedia

The previous blog post concentrated on one of my favourite stations of the time, Scotland's Weekend Music Radio(WMR), which was also one of the most listenable thanks to often strong and stable reception at my at-the-time location a few miles from the Irish Sea coast. For a while in the early to mid-90's, prior to being able to upgrade my receiver, the likes of WMR, Radio Fax http://radiofax.org/ - a UK station that fought to no avail to gain a broadcast license from Her Majesty's Government and similar to Scotland's Radio Stella, had to transmit from Irish soil - and Live Wire Radio were who I could generally hear without fail, even when the skip had gone longer into continental Europe and beyond. Other UK stations occasionally heard with strong(ish) signals during the years when I didn't require a 'better receiver' included Geronimo, Mirage, Atlantis, and Terry Phillips' Radio Mi Amigo.

If I were asked which station defined my listening to UK shortwave free radio in the 1990's, the answer would undoubtedly by Live Wire Radio. Representing one of the first three stations I heard that October morning in 1990 operator Bill Lewis replied straightaway to what must have been a rather naive, rudimentary letter with a QSL card, sticker, and handwritten note of his own. This personable reply completely tallied with an engaging, charismatic-style of broadcasting, that was only complemented yet further by a diverse music choice which veered seamlessly from Metallica to Abba without reflecting anything other than Bill's personal taste - one of the tenets of free radio.

Live Wire would on occasions be particularly prolific with very regular broadcasts, before retreating into some relatively lengthy periods of absence due to personal circumstances(other hobbies, etc), restrictions on when able to broadcast, poor listening conditions and perhaps, from becoming weary of extremely frequent letters from certain listeners and many others besides - a downside to transmitting an almost unfailingly strong signal coupled with excellent broadcasting values.

One Live Wire highlight which sticks in my memory was from August 1992, a broadcast where Station Sierra Sierra's Paul Stuart guested in a studio which transpired to be in a caravan. Ironically, reception conditions were so poor that even the usual LWR power, perhaps curtailed due to the transmission being made during Sunday daylight hours, could not cut through the noise. Bill did though send me a studio copy of the broadcast on cassette(remember those?) which I still have to this day, on which was an entertaining show from two of shortwave's less wooden, more maverick personalities. With a musical choice spanning from Was (Not Was) featuring Kim Basinger and Ozzy Osbourne, Nirvana's Lithium, to Snap's Rhythm is a Dancer, a track that for a time ruled the airwaves in 1992, a programme underpinned by the banter between Bill and Paul proved to be very entertaining listening - if albeit on this occasion it was only heard in full after the event.

I once read in a free radio publication that Live Wire had been logged by dint of being recognized by its 'musical theme tune'. This was taken by me in the spirit it was meant, that the station was identifiable by one particular track, rather than an otherwise eclectic taste, before Bill had even spoken. I was never aware of what that certain piece of music was, or even if there actually was one tune by which Live Wire was instantly recognizable, but if Boney M segued into an L7 classic before Get-A-Way by Maxx burst onto the airwaves, chances are that you had once more happened upon this UK powerhouse.

Starting out  in the late 1980's as DX-20 on the Echo Charlie band Echo Charlie explained Live Wire by the operator's own admission was more about achieving technical excellence than Bill's desire to be a DJ-type figure. It was though through succeeding in both these aspects that Live Wire became an incredibly popular station throughout the 90's, first as a daytime broadcaster on 6 MHz before migrating to 1.6 and 3 MHz for what were highly successful night-time broadcasts that on occasion only drew to a close after 4 am. Instead of calling time on broadcasting when local interference threatened to expose the station, Bill opted to reinvent Live Wire by experimenting with different frequencies, including on 11 MHz in FM mode, and times of transmission which in the end reaped significant dividends for listeners and the main man himself.

Even though both Bill and I had by this point drifted away from free radio we remained in contact until just a few years ago. For some there comes a time when broadcasting has run its course, especially when aspects of everyday life makes it difficult to continue to do so, or simply that they are on balance more important than maintaining a presence on shortwave. There are though those stations from the same era who have managed to find or make a way to strike a balance and continue, for example XTC, Pamela, and Merlin, but the very essence of free radio is following your own path, rather than adhering to a set list of rules and 'what is expected' by the listenership; what works for some, won't necessarily for others. Some station operators will perhaps be hamstrung by a 'never can say goodbye' syndrome, but knowing the time to bow out for one's own personal reasons and/or when performing has become samey and unenjoyable is as relevant for a free radio station operator as it is a celebrated actor or musician.

Becoming a DJ or even an operator of a 'must listen to' station on shortwave might not have been at the top of Bill's wish list, but many who listened to free radio in the 1990's will echo my views that Live Wire Radio was, by accident or otherwise, a highlight of what was by any measure a golden era for UK 'pirate' broadcasters. When a station maxed out all the signal lights to a point where even a modest Sangean receiver threatening to overload, it must have been doing something right.

NEXT TIME: What's in a name?

Sunday service

Despite the limitations of my National Panasonic 1822 receiver, whose scope was restricted to receiving broadcasts on shortwave from approximately 5.9 - 18 MHz, I was for a time in the early 90's reasonably content with my admittedly modest listening post. 

The addition of a long wire aerial, using the connector to the rear of the receiver that I had to that point overlooked, certainly brought in stronger signals of conventional and free radio stations alike, but also at a cost of greater noise which at times severely hindering reception. Not being particularly technically minded, a lifelong handicap that I have never quite shaken off, and a lack of sophistication to my listening equipment, naturally minus an Antenna Tuning Unit(ATU), meant that the possibility of greater reception and being able to hear more stations throughout the shortwave spectrum would continue to elude me whilst I stuck with a receiver, it should be remembered, that contained a cassette deck. 

Nevertheless, until I upgraded to a Venturer 2959 multi-band receiver that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Lubyanka building, perseverance was the watchword - to make the most of what I had. 

It was though from joining the British DX Club(BDXC) that gave me a greater knowledge of the stations audible on Sundays, mostly those that broadcast in the mornings with some purposely popping up later in the afternoon as the 48-metre band became less congested. The BDXC Alternative Airwaves page was at the time a goldmine of information which not only confirmed the triumvirate stations I initially heard were by October 1990 regulars on the airwaves, but that they were just a sample of what could be heard occasionally, often, and in some cases without fail each Sunday.

It is easy to scoff in our current day and age at the reliance on printed material such as the BDXC's monthly publication Communication, but at the time, remember, only 30 years ago, this and other similar sources of information were all that were available to radio enthusiasts. Nowadays it would be very easy to complain about consuming media that would be out of date before it had reached its audience, but in the early 1990's we couldn't lament at not having access to what was never at our disposal. The anticipation of receiving Communication in the mail, along with the likes of Pirate Chat and Free-DX, can never be replaced by today's instantaneous rolling news and internet fora.

Although not a station by dint of its location that falls within the remit of this blog, the Netherlands-based Radio Orangutan was one of the first free radio stations I heard from anywhere, with a QSL and letter arriving less than a week after contacting station operator Freddy. I am not particularly 'in to' stations from outside the UK, perhaps because of the very real British trait of expecting everyone to speak English instead of their native tongue, but Orangutan will always in my mind be synonymous with those exciting times of receiving mail from the men behind the microphones. I only recall one station, a Radio Alpha from the Netherlands, who never replied to a letter of mine. I perhaps should have known better than to write to a hitherto unknown station playing continuous music only punctuated by a canned appeal for three International Reply Coupons(IRC's) to accompany reception reports in exchange for a QSL card, although the promise of this new addition to my collection probably being the motivation. Whether a Radio Alpha, or that particular Alpha, re-emerged I couldn't say, but if the rather nondescript broadcast wasn't just a vehicle to harvest what at the time were quite valuable IRC's, 29 years on I continue to live in hope that my QSL is still at the printer's...

I soon became accustomed to a regular diet of UK stations on 48 metres, something that has gradually declined to what today has sadly become, Radio Merlin aside, a rare scenario bordering on the nonexistent. Those who I frequently heard on Sunday mornings would include Britain Radio international, Radio Orion, WNKR(featuring both the inimitable Dave Martin and Andy Walker), the late Norman Nelson's Radio East Coast Commercial, and the Northern Ireland SW Relay Service. Today's Radio Merlin was in the early 90's known as Radio Galaxy but with the same operator, Paul Watt, still very much at the controls on a daily basis. Operators less frequently heard but no less popular for being so included Midlands Music Radio, Radio Confusion(later Subterranean Sounds), Scotland's Weekend Music Radio, and Radio Armadillo, an emerging force of alternative programming which helpfully would often be audible on a Friday afternoon on my return from Sixth Form. 

It should be reiterated that these were by far not the only UK stations audible at the time, but the point of this blog isn't to simply represent an anodyne list of every UK-based station heard(or otherwise) on shortwave in the 1990's. All stations that have come to mind - this blog is predominantly being crafted from my own memories aided by some useful information supplied by Matt Roberts of Radio Mutiny, latterly XTC  - will at some point or other be mentioned, but the object of the exercise is in some part to fill the obvious gap in chronicling the 90's UK shortwave scene that is otherwise conspicuous by its online absence. There is therefore relatively little information on the internet from which to draw knowledge, or inspiration, but I unequivocally apologise if the content of my blog posts does not mirror how others remember the events of the day. There will always be room for subjectivity, but I am happy to correct any inadvertent factual errors precipitated from drawing upon memories that have not seen the light of day for much of the last three decades. 

It is often said that familiarity breeds contempt and whilst this would in the main be an unfounded emotion during my time of listening to shortwave in the 1990's, it was often the stations popular as much for their enigmatic nature, be that from broadcasting on relatively obscure frequencies or a penchant for unexpectedly 'popping up' before inexplicably disappearing just as quickly, as they were for musical output and a charismatic operator. One such station that undoubtedly ticked all the boxes was Station Sierra Sierra - the super station. Run on a shoestring by the likeable Paul Stuart Sierra Sierra's albeit infrequent appearances on 6540 kHz were always especially welcome; only during my very recent musings about the 1990's have I concluded that Paul's short but enjoyable broadcasts were more than likely stymied by personal and local circumstances that theoretically could include when the neighbours were home, or more pertinently - when they were not. Characterized as much by seemingly short, random appearances away from conventional 48 metre band frequencies as by the station's signature tune - Don't Worry by Kim Appleby -  Sierra Sierra certainly lent credence to the assertion that less can be more. Paul Stuart would later in the 90's turn his attention to outside broadcasts in conjunction with Radio Blackbeard's Dave Norris under the Galaxy International banner, something which will no doubt be written about in greater detail at a future date. 

NEXT TIME: UK powerhouse broadcasters on shortwave(not including the World Service!).