The Dutch Radiocommunications Agency wants find out why pirate radio stations keep coming back on the air after they have been raided. Some stations have been raided many times, but still don’t give up. So the Agency has decided to conduct a study into the aims and motives of the radio pirates. The ones in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel are especially tough to stop. Last week in Groningen, a station was put off the air for the fifteenth time.
The Agency is sending out a questionnaire to the radio pirates, the results of which will be made known in the autumn. The Agency insists that the aim of the enquiry is to provide information that may help it to deal with the problem more effectively. Of course, whether the pirates will co-operate by giving truthful answers remains to be seen.
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 14:49
Going to be difficult to stop the ego trippers in the East. Few, if any, of the pirates make money since there is already an extensive network of local FM community stations run by the OLON. If you want to be a DJ. many of the community stations would be only too glad to hear from you.
In Huizen, there is an interesting local station with the name Radio PHOHI, although I think there must be only a couple of people in the province who know the history of that name (It was the Philips SW service to Dutch East Indies, and the transmitter site in 1937 was about 500 metres from where the current station is now
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 15:37
I must admit I’ve often wondered at the reasoning of the 1611 agricultural lot.
Strange people …
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 15:39
Huizen that was the one with the wooden towers if I remember rightlky ..?
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 19:59
We have a similar problem on FM in London.
In the last 14 days a local pirate has been taken off air at least 7 times.
Although these are not home/studio raids only the removal of microwave linked transmitters, it does add up to at least £1500 in lost equipment. This station was taken off again this afternoon, but they never give up and they will still return from the same location this evening.
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 20:31
The London pirates must cause particular problems - both practical and moral! - to Radio Jackie 107.8. I found this inaudible in Weybridge on Wednesday evening due to interference from a very strong pirate - with full scrolling RDS - on 108.0. I don’t suppose our authorities will be sending out questionnaires though!
on Jul 30th, 2004 at 21:06
Re Radio Jackie.
Aah, diddums.
different now the boot is on the other foot eh?
on Jul 31st, 2004 at 10:26
For the benefit of those who do not follow the UK scene, I should explain that Radio Jackie started out life as a pirate station, and last year took over the licence for SW London.
on Jul 31st, 2004 at 11:38
Pirates in London are known to cause interference to legal transmissions. They must, because the FM band seems to be pretty full. The pirates in the Netherlands do not seem to cause much trouble. They are just illegal…