We all know how exaggerated movies and TV can be when it comes to professions. I'm sure doctors cringe when they see shows like ER or Gray's Anatomy. But, anytime a radio movie comes out, I flock to it. Good Morning Vietnam and Howard Stern's Private Parts are my favs. I watched a little movie that didn't quite make the box office splash that they did. It's called 'Pirate Radio,' about the offshore rock n' roll radio stations in the UK... These pirate radio boats broadcasted the rock n' roll music that Britain's BBC network did not and would not play; at a time when bands like The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones made their 'invasion' here in the U.S. It was radio by the DJ's rules.
Would I have loved to been a part of something bigger than life like being a pirate DJ on a boat doing whatever I wanted on the air?? Got a boat?
2 comments:
The film is very loosely fact-based.
Between 1964 and 67 a number of stations sprung up on ships and WWII forts outside territorial waters, circumventing legislation which licensed only the BBC to broadcast to the UK. The Musicians' Union restricted the hours of recorded music permitted to be heard on the BBC, arguing that playing records took work from its members. Bands had to play live on pop programmes Saturday Club and Easybeat, while much of the permitted BBC 'needle time' went to the weekly 'Pick of the Pops' chart run-down.
The fictitious Radio Rock amalgamates several ship-based stations, the most popular of which were Radio London and Radio Caroline. Caroline was first to air, but Radio London sailed in from Miami at the end of 1964, bringing the US Top Forty format and jingles, which very quickly cornered the listener market. By 1966 (when the film is supposed set) most of the stations were Top Forty-based. It's unfortunate that the film-makers didn't stick to the music of that year for their soundtrack.
As the stations were in international waters, the government could not touch them, but the 1967 Marine Offences Act outlawed advertising on them or tendering the ships and marine structures. This effectively cut their lifelines. The two Caroline stations soldiered on for another six months in the anticipation of surviving on revenue from international advertising, but this never materialised. Both ships were towed away by a creditor in March 1968.
Those of us who love the Sixties pirates were very disappointed with 'Offshore Radio', as were most of the former DJs. The real story, yet to be told, is much more interesting.
Mary Payne, Radio London Webmaster
Ya know, when I first got to KILT it was "12 in a row" and we still managed to have BIG personalities. But then we had the leeway to make things happen between those songs.
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