ARLA/CLUSTER: 25 Radios Piratas em Londres entre 88-108 MHz

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Ofcom: Tackling Pirate Radio

The UK communications regulator Ofcom have published information about
tackling pirate radio

Although Ofcom have occasionally raided pirate stations operating in
the 88-108 MHz band, such enforcement actions have been few and far
between.

After the 2008/9 financial year, Ofcom stopped publishing their
Prosecution/Formal Warning Statistics and subsequently removed all
prosecution statistics from their website, perhaps to hide the fact
that they no longer published them. It may be speculated the reason
the statistics no longer appeared was because Ofcom had stopped
undertaking enforcement action.

Currently in London there are over 25 pirate stations operating in the
88-108 MHz band. Many operate 24/7 so are not exactly difficult for
Ofcom to locate if they wished.

In the Pirate Radio page Ofcom point out that they have issued
Community Radio licences to former pirate radio stations such as Rinse
FM and Kane FM. The inference that may be taken is Ofcom would like
pirate radio stations to apply for community radio licences.

Read Ofcom's pirate radio page at
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/09/tackling-pirate-radio/

Large amounts of spectrum in 88-108 MHz will be vacated when national
broadcasters shutdown their FM transmitters and move to DAB only from
2015 http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2013/
dcms_dab_radio_reports.htm


2008/9 Ofcom radio prosecution statistics
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/may2010/ofcom_prosecutions.htm

Thanks to Mike Terry and BDXC for spotting this item