As the pirates fade out-
their exciting legacy, and some of theDJ names they made.
by Jeremy Hornsby.
In just one week's time at 3 o'clock next Monday afternoon, Big L, Radio London,the penultimate pop pirate, will go off the air, banned by Parliament. And then there will be one.... Radio Caroline, the first to start, the last to go.
Judging from the thousands of letters at Big L's London HQ a lot of people are going to be disappointed at the passing of the pirates. Even Richard Starkey, M BE, popped in a couple or days ago to record a farewell message.
Farewell to what?
The four-year history of the nine offshore stations has included one violent death, fights with guns and petrol bombs, S0S calls to coast - guards and life boats and arguments over scrap metal.
They have brought peak-listening sponsored religion to the air, started their own trends apparently at will, and been an integral part of the whole seedy-swinging pop-hip-fab explosion.
But, in fairness, one must say they have also achieved a great deal.
There can be no doubt in anyone's mind, despite pompous parliamentary preachings that they have proved a need. As a direct result, B.B.C.'s
Radio One will start on September 30.
Even Mr. Robin Scott, who will head that programme, concedes: "You always need a war to make a change, and there has obviously been some acceleration in our development. They have demonstrated the need for continuous musical programme."
Too slavish
"On the other hand. I feel they were too slavish in following the American format for such programmes. And as for the listening figures they claim... well, you can do all sorts of tricks with statistics. But the B.B.C. actually interviews about 3,000 people a day to find out what they are really listening to, and the pirates have not made much of a dent in our figures. 'Housewives' Choice' still gets about 8 million.
"Certainly we have taken some disc jockeys who were with the pirates like Tony Blackburn and Keith Skues -but we hire people because they are good at the job."
Nevertheless, it WAS on Caroline that Simon Dee's name became familiar to British listeners. It WAS on London that Pete Brady and Dave Cash - actually got known.
Says Brady: "I'd tried the B.B.C. three years ago and got a flat - NO.Now the B.B.C.'s attitude has changed. The fact that I am on B.B.C.now is directly due to having been' on Radio London.
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New faces
What the pirates have achieved is to bring good radio to the ears of the public and force the BBC to change their whole image. They've brightened up radio generally, and brought forward a lot of new performers.
"Take Tom Jones. His record, 'It's Not Unusual.' had been around for some time without the proper exposure. Radio London saw it was good, played it a lot, and Tom Jones was made. Mind you. he would have made it sooner or later anyway because he has talent."
Radio London makes the same claim. And, says Jones's manager Gordon Mills, "Tom feels that Radio London has been very loyal to him and played his records consistently. He wouldn't like to assess the value of that. But if that's the way Radio London feels, that's O.K."
It was often said that a lot of people were going to make a lot of cash out of the stations. In fact, London appears to have been the only one to make really decent profits.
It is estimated that since it started to break even in 1966, its profits may have reached £ 100,000. Over three years this is not so great for a capital outlay of about £500,000. But it seems clear that it leads the field. Why?
Says Its managing director, Mr. Philip Birch: "Most of the pirates had had no experience in broadcasting and advertising. I have had both in America.
"We attained an audience of 12 million In this country, and an estimated four million on the Continent. Iwill be very sad when we go off the air.
"We didn't take anyone - in fact, I believe Luxembourg's figures have risen slightly while we've been on. And we did pay the proper fees to the Performing Right Society. We tried to run a proper business."
Alone
So now Caroline will press on alone, based In Amsterdam, backed by foreign and international advertising with an admixture of bogus advertisements for real English products to confuse the authorities.
But one thing everyone seems to agree, sooner or later commercial radio will be back.
What remains to be seen is whether, jolted out of its lethargy by the Captain Morgans of radio, the B B.C. can now succeed in giving millions what they want.
As the pirates did.
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