Pirate radio is *very* big in the larger UK cities - the Radiocommunications Agency has trouble keeping up shutting them down, as a lot are well funded.

Even getting a low-power license is very difficult, there are limits to the number/power in a region and there has to be a need for the kind of station proposed. Much easier is a Restricted Service License (RSL) which usually has a power limit and can run for up to 28 days I think. www.radioauthority.co.uk has details of currently running RSLs.

There was a good interview/review I read a few months back about pirate stations - I can't find it right now but I'll try and dig it out.

There was an excellent three-part series on TV about five years back which showed both sides of the story very well. There was also another one a few months back - can't remember the title though. The trend used to be to have a satellite LNB on a pole on the side of the tower block feeding the transmitter which was bolted to a car jack which was wound out 10 feet down a narrow shaft in the roof of the building. The Ra.Agy. used to pour concrete down the hole to disable the transmitter The transmitter was a standard Sky satellite dish and LNB fed with the microwave signal.

Many No.1 "alternative" artists started on pirate radio, and Invicta the first commerical radio station was pirate for a long time and then "reformed" to get a license. It was co-founded by the late Bob Tomalski (did he ever see an empeg? Being a major gadget man he would really loved it!)

A good site with lots of info and links is http://www.pir8radio.co.uk/

Gareth