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This was a full page article in the news section, page 3 or 5 I think - I'd link to it, but it's behind the Guardian's regestration service so it wont work.
I thought it was one of the lamest, sloppiest things i've ever read in a serious newspaper. Basically regurgitating the same 2 arguments that are always used against pirate radio, namely a) that they interfere with emergency services radio networks and b) that they are controlled by, and are a front for, organised crime.
As a layman with a fair knowledge of electronics I'm skeptical about the first argument. I cant access emergency services transmissions using a standard FM radio, so i dont see how pirate stations could block such transmissions by occupying their frequencies. There might be a sound technical basis on which to make such claims, but if there is then someone needs to attempt to explain it to the public. The fact that Ofcom & the DTI never do this makes me suspect that it's bollocks.
The second argument is borderline racist. I dont know if anyone involved in pirate radio has ever been convicted on serious gun- or drug- related charges because the article doesnt say... but if there were such convictions on record I think ofcom would probably make use of them in their propaganda war on pirate radio, so i suspect that they dont exist. So what this boils down to, in the absense of any supporting evidence, is to say that if black people are in business and operating outside of the conventions of the mainstream entertainment industry then they must be gangsters. Frankly I'm appalled that the guardian would relate this claptrap without any editorial comment & for the first time ever I've actually written in to complain. I bet I'm not the only one.
It seems counter-intuitive, to say the least, that serious criminals would (literally) broadcast their activities by setting up pirate radio stations. I also think if the police seriously believed that pirate radio was a nexus for organised crime they would lobby government for powers to deal with directly, rather than have the investigative work farmed out to ofcom & the DTI. Certainly, whoever in the met approved the publicity for operation trident doesnt seem to have a problem with paying money to pirates, because thier ads run regularly.
A lot of people on the board seem to have experience with pirates of one sort or another - did any of you read the article? If so what did you think?
I thought it was one of the lamest, sloppiest things i've ever read in a serious newspaper. Basically regurgitating the same 2 arguments that are always used against pirate radio, namely a) that they interfere with emergency services radio networks and b) that they are controlled by, and are a front for, organised crime.
As a layman with a fair knowledge of electronics I'm skeptical about the first argument. I cant access emergency services transmissions using a standard FM radio, so i dont see how pirate stations could block such transmissions by occupying their frequencies. There might be a sound technical basis on which to make such claims, but if there is then someone needs to attempt to explain it to the public. The fact that Ofcom & the DTI never do this makes me suspect that it's bollocks.
The second argument is borderline racist. I dont know if anyone involved in pirate radio has ever been convicted on serious gun- or drug- related charges because the article doesnt say... but if there were such convictions on record I think ofcom would probably make use of them in their propaganda war on pirate radio, so i suspect that they dont exist. So what this boils down to, in the absense of any supporting evidence, is to say that if black people are in business and operating outside of the conventions of the mainstream entertainment industry then they must be gangsters. Frankly I'm appalled that the guardian would relate this claptrap without any editorial comment & for the first time ever I've actually written in to complain. I bet I'm not the only one.
It seems counter-intuitive, to say the least, that serious criminals would (literally) broadcast their activities by setting up pirate radio stations. I also think if the police seriously believed that pirate radio was a nexus for organised crime they would lobby government for powers to deal with directly, rather than have the investigative work farmed out to ofcom & the DTI. Certainly, whoever in the met approved the publicity for operation trident doesnt seem to have a problem with paying money to pirates, because thier ads run regularly.
A lot of people on the board seem to have experience with pirates of one sort or another - did any of you read the article? If so what did you think?
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