17.7.12

10,000 Sign Pirate Station Petition



10,000 SIGN PIRATE STATION PETITION
Pirate Radio
 Star legal' call


by ROBIN JONES


   Birmingham's pirate reggae radio station -- Radio Star   -- which was twice raided by Home Office officials earlier this year, is aiming to be legalized.

  More than 10,000 people people have have signed the petition demanding the Edgbaston-based station is given a broadcasting licence,   say Radio Star organizers.   


Culture

  The station which last broadcast on 94.2 VHF, specialises in reggae music and aspects of West Indian culture such as Rastafarian.
 The programmes are 


Cecil Morris 'wealth of talent.'


aimed mainly at the people in the inner city areas of Birmingham but staff say they have received reports of the station's frequencies being picked up in Derby and Coventry.
Radio Star has been off the air since last May when Home Office investigators raided the roof of a tower block in Edgbaston from where programmes were being transmitted.





 
But another pirate reggae radio station,
the Handsworth-based rebel radio, broadcast on the same frequency from a secret location for nine hours on August Bank Holiday Monday without being detected.
   The man behind Radio Star, 36-year-old reggae band promoter Cecil Morris, who lives in a flat above his record shop and offices in Dudley Road, says the station will not go back on the air unless they attain a license.


 Bands

He said: "We were doing the job of a community radio station when when we had our Sunday evening broadcasts, and we

 
could have been attracting up to 50,000 listeners.
"A black music station is a must for Birmingham. We can give air time to the many top class local reggae bands who would otherwise be ignored by other local and national stations. We started running Radio Star out of interest and love of reggae music and culture, and not because we wanted to make money or ern a wage. Even out adverts were free.
  Father-of-four Mr Morris says: "There is wealth of musical talent in eras like Handsworth and we are giving them the chance to have their music played to the public" he said.

No comments:

Post a Comment