BBC Pirate Radio Essex Is No More...

Well, here we are approx three weeks since Pirate Radio Essex went off air and I think I can say its still missed. And having returned to what I had before, of course there are quality programmes still on British radio and many of those are on the BBC but I have to search for them and that actually means looking for programmes often out of the area that I live. Often I find myself unhappy by what I see as a decline in quality. We have more choice and some have managed to say "Look at these stations offering music that is being neglected by mainstream radio" but I still stand by my view that a lot of it is aimed at the below 35 age group and even teenagers and those in their twenties.

I hate using age as the criteria for radio listening. I know those in the media feel they have to grab the young so they get the radio habit but many find radio at a point in their lives and will get the habit. I want an easy listening station that plays "Easy" listening and by that I mean music before 1980(and more music from the 1960's and even as far back as the 1920's)not just music from the charts but hear music that has been forgotten about and different styles, instrumental and vocalised.

Of course you have to nurture new music but broadcasters these days seem to want to disgard what has gone before.

Even as an oldies station(even allowing for the fact that the listeners enjoyed the dj's and their "Banter")it was obvious that they played music that has not been heard for years, not just the same "Hits" and it has been said that oldies stations that play this kind of music could learn from their approach. It could be a rumour but a dj that has been in the business for approx 40+ years and worked in Pirate Radio, Commercial Radio and now the BBC went along with an idea of how they could be improved and it came to nothing.

If/when I go broadband*(I hope soon)I already know that some of these dj's who were on Pirate Radio Essex are being heard across the whole of the South Coast of the UK via the BBC and I will be tuning in too either live or on listen again.

One of my friends, North Star in the States tuned in as Pirate Radio was new to him and I suspect he was not alive when it happened "For Real" and he also discovered lots of music that was new and he is now listening to these experienced broadcasters.

In fact I suspect he hears most of his radio from the UK so we must still be doing something right.

We did well all round in that other friends who leave comments here Angelic, Curmy, North Star, Raisins, Mango and myself all managed to get a few mentions throughout the week. I never thought that years after the Pirate Radio stations on the ships were closed or even at the time they were on air we'd all be getting a mention from various radio greats including Johnnie Walker, Roger Day, Dave Cash, Emperor Rosko and Tom Edwards. Sometimes, we used our "Real names" other times it had to be the identities we are known as on the web. Perhaps that made us stand out(but of course sometimes we did not know a real name to use ;-)

It's early days and things can change but though the response is large around the world, there are no plans for another event like this in 2008.

Here's a couple of links to some photo's of the event that you may like to look over.**

Pirate BBC Essex

Offshore Echo's

Pirate BBC Essex with Ian Damon

*This may depend on my finances, if things stay as they are...no problem. If not it comes down to seeing what I have to spend and whether I have to cut back in some areas. This is out of my hands. I worry about whether such changes could see me being affected regarding staying online and being able to continue to keep my interest of using a computer going. Also allowing that in time you need to be able change or replace items that have become worn out.

I guess we should not look too far ahead as often in the end things do work out. Time will tell.

**Some of you who frequent other places that I do on the net will have seen these images before.