Reggae Downs Radio Three

(Evening Mail October 30, 1987) Reggae

downs

Radio 3

Irate Radio 3 listeners in the Midlands have inundated Pebble Mill with complaints -- because pirate radio is drowning out their classical music with reggae.    The BBC began receiving complaints earlier this week about Afro-Caribbean station, Enterprise FM.    I understand it is run by former members of The Peoples Community Radio Line, who re-formed nearly a month ago.     Altogether PCRL had to move its equipment more than 200 times between 1981 and 1986 and in EXCLUSIVE by GRAHAM YOUNG the 19 months to November 1986 it was raided 67 times by Department of Trade and Industry officials.     BBC engineers believe the current operators must have at least £20,000-worth of equipment to send out an FM (VHF) signal strong enough to annoy Radio 3 listeners as far away as Leamington Spa.    Pirate radio contravenes the Wireless and Telegraphy Acts, 1959 and 1967, and if operators are caught they risk having the equipment confiscated, and a fine. Advertisers can also be fined.   Mr John Grantham, head of engineering at Pebble Mill, said he believed the pirates were using a radio link from a source to a portable transmitter to make detection harder. home: pcrlfm.co.uk