Pirate radio stations in Huddersfield shut down

Dec 11 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TWO pirate radio stations in Huddersfield have been raided and shut down.

Ofcom officials have pulled the plug on Vibes and Frontline, which broadcast urban music.

The two stations, which had to move premises frequently to avoid being caught, were tracked down by the communications industry regulator to adjacent properties in Almondbury on Wednesday.

A 21-year-old woman was arrested.

Larry Stoddart, who was one of the pioneers of pirate radio in Huddersfield in the early 1990s, said about £5,000 or £6,000 of equipment, including transmitters, turntables and amplification equipment, was seized.

He said: "Without pirate radio, it’s going to be a very sour Christmas.

"These are the only stations providing music that a lot of people want to listen to.

"Thousands of people listen to pirate radio.

"If they are using public money to hound pirate radio, it’s a total waste."

The stations, which operated on FM frequencies 90.6 and 94.7, mainly played reggae, R ‘n’ B and soul and had been running for about four years.

They transmitted primarily at weekends and survived thanks to revenue from advertising by small businesses and promoters of club nights.

The man behind Vibes, known only as ‘The General’, has been involved in pirate radio for 20 years and has become a cult figure in the scene.

He said: "I feel rotten about it to be honest.