Thameside Radio

Thameside Radio was an unlicensed radio station based in London UK. It launched in the winter of 1977 [1] offering [2] "very slick pop rock with competitions", according to Time Out. According to the Richmond and Twickenham Times, they broadcast from "a certain Notting Hill tower block" [3] – a reference to Trellick Tower.[4]

The station received 30-40 letters each week[5] and had an estimated listenership of around 20,000.[3] It pioneered new music and is noted by the New Musical Express for giving airplay to "Win a Night Out with a Well-Known Paranoiac" by Barry Andrews which was subsequently picked up by BBC Radio 1.[6]

Increasing numbers of raids resulted in the station losing five transmitters in six months[7] and the station ceased live transmission, instead taping its shows shortly before broadcast.[7]

Recordings of a number of Thameside Radio shows are held by the British Library.[8] Many shows are available for download from fmthen.com

In late 1984, Thameside set up the first London unlicensed TV station for a one-off event, which received coverage in the national press [9]

References
  1. "The Thameside Radio Story: Early Days".
  2. "Free as the Air". Time Out (449). 23 March 1979.
  3. Frances Welch (28 November 1981). "Secret superbeam – Pirate radio defies Post Office". Richmond and Twickenham Times.
  4. "The Thameside Radio Story: Technology".
  5. "Sounds", "Touch That Dial", 15 January 1983
  6. "NME: Barry Andrews".
  7. "Static Crackle and Pop". Time Out (606). 2 April 1982.
  8. "Thameside Radio", Sound and Moving Image Catalogue, British Library, retrieved 17 July 2012
  9. Clive Edwards (9 October 1984). "TV Pirates Ahoy!". Daily Mail. p. 3.

See also

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