Thameside Radio
Thameside Radio was an unlicensed radio station based in London. It launched in the winter of 1977,[1] offering "very slick pop rock with competitions", according to Time Out.[2] According to the Richmond and Twickenham Times, it broadcast from "a certain Notting Hill tower block" –[3] a reference to Trellick Tower.[4]
The station received 30-40 letters each week[5] and had an estimated listenership of around 20,000.[3] It pioneered new music, and is noted by the New Musical Express for giving airplay to "Win a Night Out with a Well-Known Paranoiac" by Barry Andrews, which was subsequently picked up by BBC Radio 1.[6]
Increasing numbers of raids resulted in the station losing five transmitters in six months[7] and the station ceased live transmission, instead taping its shows shortly before broadcast.[7]
Recordings of a number of Thameside Radio shows are held by the British Library.[8] Many shows are available for download from fmthen.com and thamesideradio.org
In late 1984, Thameside set up the first London unlicensed TV station for a one-off event.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ "The Thameside Radio Story: Early Days".
- ^ "Free as the Air". Time Out (449). 23 March 1979.
- ^ a b Welch, Frances (28 November 1981). "Secret superbeam – Pirate radio defies Post Office". Richmond and Twickenham Times.
- ^ "The Thameside Radio Story: Technology".
- ^ Sounds, "Touch That Dial", 15 January 1983
- ^ "NME: Barry Andrews".
- ^ a b "Static Crackle and Pop". Time Out (606). 2 April 1982.
- ^ "Thameside Radio", Sound and Moving Image Catalogue, British Library, retrieved 17 July 2012
- ^ "The Thameside Radio Story: Endings". Retrieved 1 February 2021.
See also[edit]
- Thameside Radio Revisited a downloadable archive of over 200 recordings of Thameside Radio shows
- Thameside Radio Home an archive of studio recordings
- Thameside TV recordings of the TV broadcasts.
- The Thameside Radio Story for more information about the station
- The Intrepid Birdman's archives which include a section on Thameside Radio 90.2
- Surrey-sounds for more info on Thameside Radio and a clip from New Year 1979/1980
- Sample of the station's output
- The Intrepid Birdman on Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/intrepidbirdman/