Pilot speaks while off-air in 1989

Pilot presenting 'Talk-Back' 1992

With PCRL being off the air I'm sure that you"re thinking we're lazing around doing nothing well chance would be a fine thing.

While we are off the air there is still the office to run because our Gift Shop is still open for sale of our paraphernalia and also of course doubling up as an Information Centre.

With the application pending we are at this present moment forming a working party consisting of people who have the knowledge and background to present our application for a Broadcasting Licence in the strongest possible light. This particular committee has been meeting once, sometimes twice, per week in meetings lasting at least 4 hours duration and I'll tell you, you feel pretty tired after one of these meetings.

Being off the Air also creates another problem, how do you keep the presenters interested? What we try to do is to hold regular staff meetings so as everyone knows what is going on but still it is a very difficult task.

Some of our Presenters are attending the Community Radio Training Course (CRT) to enhance their Broadcasting skills, they are working very hard to attain their certificates in Broadcasting Proficiency I'm sure that a lot of their training will reflect in forthcoming programmes.

Before I close it must not be forgotten the hard work that has gone in to putting this magazine together, if I went into that it would take another page. So as you can see there is a lot going on behind the scene!         By Pilot

(taken from PCRL's Off Air Bulletin magazine - 1989) Sadly though it was not to be - Ed


Inside PCRL
Many people ask me how is PCRL run? How do we maintain discipline within the ranks? Are there rules to abide by? Who decides who does what?

I could take quite a long time to answer these questions but I'll try and keep it short. First of all when PCRL first started it was obviously run by the Founder Member, (Music Cecil Morris Master) I have to say it was very difficult 4 years ago but everyone at that time as enthusiastic about the project and had the same aim of becoming legal.

Gradually, the original team started to break up and new people joined the organisation, this presented problems. One of the major ones was the fact that some of the people who joined did not know the unwritten rules of the organisation.

We all got together as a group and came up with a document which is called 'The Code of Conduct' which is still in operation today it also forms the basis of discipline within the ranks.

PCRL has been through various crisis where the very foundations has been stretched to the limit, but I am glad to say that we have survived them all mind you, can anybody tell me of an organisation which exists on volunteers that hasn't had its turmoils? Bet you can't.

Where rules are concerned, which do not appear in The Code of Conduct, the main one is Presenters must not! say anything on Air to upset our Listeners or anything that could be detrimental to any particular Group or Groups.

For the past 2 years PCRL has been run by what is called a Council of Management, this Group was formed to make policy, steer the organisation in (hopefully) the right direction, keep up morale and most important to inform Presenters on whats happening.

Meetings are held once a month and let me say these can be very fiery sometimes with so many different opinions coming into the arena but at the end of the day common sense must prevail, I can safely say that All Presenters are well informed.


One great thing about meetings is that they create some really funny moments and they are also a morale booster, I might tell you about some of those funny moments at a later date anyway you know a little bit more about inside PCRL. - Pilot

Daddy Pilot (DP)

Back stage at The Hummingbird Club 

Background:
Pilot was born under the Virgo sign in Birmingham and started on PCRL in 1985. He hates people that don't keep their promises and loves his family. He was influenced by Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks. Interests lie in the media, football, boxing and athletics and he is qualified in mechanical engineering, electronics information technology and the media.

I find it very hard to begin but when your talking about yourself, let me tell you, it's tough to start. OK. less of the waffle, I'll just give the readers some details about myself. Born in Handsworth, actually on Murdoch Road, those of you who live in Handsworth, will know where it is. School, I attended Rookery Road Infants an Juniors, then went on to Handsworth Wood Boys School.

My favorite subjects were maths, English, geography and music. Physical Education was also one of my pastimes, but you can't really call that a subject, could you?
When I left school, various directions as to a career went though my mind, I decided on engineering and gained my Mechanical Engineering Certificate in that field, but since being an active community radio broadcaster, new ambitions have taken root and hopefully will flourish.  

 As a Virgo, 29th, of August to be exact, Ha! you thought I'd give the year away, it is said that people born under this sign have good endurance and do not show the ravages of time, well I don't know about that. We are also emotional and determined, on self analysis I would agree with both traits to an extent.

Pilot with Bill Duffus (a big 'Talk-back' supporter)

One thing that means more to me than anything is good health, my philosophy is a heathy body, health mind so I watch what I eat. I wouldn't say I was paranoid, pastie & chips goes down quite well. Sleep, I try to get just enough sometimes 3-4 hours this doesn't sound a lot but I perform simple stretching exercises just before I go to bed, I'll swear this helps me sleep well, my belief is quality not quantity.

(taken from the PCRL Bulletin magazine No.1)

Ed: As well as being the Mr.Talk Back Pilot  he is also the male voice on the Black Heroes Past and Present programs that ran for 5 years at 8 pm and repeated again at midnight.

It seams that Pilot is a man of very few words when it comes to the PCRL website after all it was HIS idea to have a site and he still hasn't written us one article yet - don't hold your breath readers!
The picture above is Pilot & Bro' Bill Duffus ( the 'Wake Up Black Man' author) who helped a lot on the 'Talk-Back' program.

Music likes:
My tastes tend to be wide ranging, in fact, anything that sounds nice to my ears is OK. with me.
Would you believe that Jim Reeves, The Beatles, as well as Fats Domino and the Kalin Twins (who are they you ask yourself) are just a few of the artists I like to listen to.

In my days as a sound-system operative I obviously couldn't express all my musical tastes where as radio allows you that little bit more freedom. Mind you I feel that running a sound-system did help me in certain aspects of radio broadcasting 'Supertone'' that's the name of the sound, gave me fond memories and gave me a great insight into the entertainment world , still I think sound-system operatives of today have it far easier, some may disagree.

Pilot's Top  Twenty:
Malcolm X, Mohamed Ali, Louis Armstrong, Chaka Zulu, Ralf Abernathy, Bobby Seals,  P. Lamumba, Huey P. Newton, Benjamin Banneker, Daniel Haile Williams, Booker T. Washington, Gabiel Prosser, Imi Teck, Bob Marley, Elijah McCoy, Louis Farrakhan, Mary Seacole, Megar Evers, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Martin, Luther King Jr., and Marcus Garvey. (in no order)

Audio via Pirate Archive: (to listen click red text)
Pilot & Coley Ranks (New Years Eve 1993-4 )

Selected Talk-Back shows (they were recorded an repeated in the following week) Hundreds were taken away from Pilot's home before his court case!

04/01/98 

What will you do to better yourself? Audrey Allen has won "RACE competition"

25/01/98 

Guest = Sted Wallen + he has a night club Supremes, 140 High Street, West Brom. Phone in about supporting black business.

15/02/98 

Brothers from RACE and Audrey Allen - guests

22/02/98 

Middle East Situation - Negotiations between US + GB Freemasons. Phone in. Jamaica + Nigeria Football game being shown at FCF Social Club, 178 Soho Road, Handsworth.

15/03/98 

How the media makes us think + Budget - what would you like to see in it? Sister Helena guests.

22/03/98 

Mothering Sunday edition, what it means to be a mother + What is greed?

29/03/98 

Alton Manning inquest talk + talk with his sister, Patricia Manning and Brother Maxie Hayles. Also sickle cell.

05/04/98 

Windrush Ship Anniversary 1948. Info on.. Handsworth Central Club, Nioniva Road, B21. Info on Nation Of Islam and Elijah Muhammad.

10/05/98 

Arms to Sierra Leone - Sandy Lion International. Guest are from Holly Tabernacle ministry.

25/05/98 

What significance does world history play in our future? G8 Conference in B,ham + Third World dept - would this solve Africa's problems? Would they borrow more mony?

31/05/98 

Who are the black professionals? What is a profession? Rose - career's advisor, Wayne - lottery board, Afrene lawyer.

07/06/98 

What is black life worth? Has it any value? To who?

21/07/98 

The black pioneers who came here in the 40's 50's. Port Antonio hospital appeal to be held at the Albert Hall, 1 Witton Road, Aston. Many sponsors are  named. Author of "The Arrestable Rise of Multcultural Britain" - guest.

23/08/98 

Thanks to Albert Hall for their PCRL fund raiser last night. Letter red out. Chrysalis owning Heart FM  wanting to aquire Choice FM, and stations overlap. Public interest test. 10,000 black men gather in Trafalgar Square for Day Of Atonement. 16/10 Respite walk for sickle cell patients and their careers. 12/09

30/08/98 

What is Vision 2000? Brother Bill Duffus is behind it, and he is a studio guest. Fostering + adoption.

06/09/98 

Guests in the studio from OSCAR - org. for sickle cell = Sonia Smith and Fay Thompson.

20/09/98 

PCRL raided on Aug 4th and have since had donations - thanks. Hurricane George in the Caribbean. Are we partying our lives away? These times are very turbulent.

27/09/98 

Extended program till midnight. 10,000 Man March - discussion. Guests - Elaine, Paul Twinas, Emmanuel, Lincoln. Minister Louis Faraknan - a documentary made on him.

04/10/98 

Domestic violence phone in. Dr. Patricia Newton gives presentation in UK on " The Transformation of the African Mind using Knowledge".

25/10/98 

Letter from OSCAR - 45 Villa Road, Handsworth re Walkathon 98. £744.36 raised in tins. More reports on hurricanes.

01/11/98 

The New World Order - 1 hour tape played inc. history of the Free Masons.

22/11/98 

Teenage gang rape - played extracts from channel 4 show - the same footage that was show on Darcus Howe tape.

06/12/98 

Brotherly and sisterly love, how we "engender" this? Daniel Brown murder "Our own murdering our own". Emotions they corrupt.

19/11/98 

Teenage Gang Rape - footage from channel 4 show and debate.

28/12/98 

Open Forum - tape of Louis Farraknan speech played.

25/11/01 

Marcus Garvey discussion - tape of Brother Steppus played. Guests - Sister Ancovia, Brother Joseph, Jamaican Brother Rahoo.

Pilot & Miss PCRL 1987 at I-Deal Record Shop fundraiser