You kind of thought - what with so many pirate radio stations bought out by the corporates, and the plethora of radio stations now broadcasting around the UK - that the official war against small time pirate radio stations had kind of fizzled out. Far from it, according to the Radio Communications Agency the number of people convicted of running pirate radio stations more than doubled last year. The increase (from 20 to 49 convictions) were mainly due to the introduction of greater hard-line measures against pirate broadcasters in previous years, with their prosecution powers now extending to record shops and nightclubs which often house or promote the stations.
Justfiying the measures telecoms and radio minister Stephen Timms told reporters: "Pirate stations can put lives at risk by interfering with safety-of-life services such as air traffic control or emergency services. They also cause interference to legal broadcasters, damage property and annoy local residents."