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by ROBIN JONES
Birmingham's pirate reggae radio
station -- Radio Star -- which was twice raided by Home
Office officials earlier this year, is aiming to be legalised.
More than 10,000 people
people have have signed the petition demanding the Edgbaston-based
station is given a broadcasting licence, say Radio Star organisers.
Culture
The station which last broadcast on 94.2 VHF,
specialises in reggae music and aspects of West Indian culture such
as Rastafarismn.
The programmes are |
Cecil Morris 'wealth of talent.'
aimed mainly at the people in the inner city areas of
Birmingham but staff say they have received reports of the station's
frequencies being picked up in Derby and Coventry.
Radio Star has been off the air since last May when
Home Office investigators raided the roof of a tower block in
Edgbaston from where programmes were being transmitted.
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But another pirate reggae radio station,
the Handsworth-based rebel radio, broadcast on the
same frequency from a secret location for nine hours on August Bank
Holiday Monday without being detected.
The man behind Radio Star, 36-year-old
reggae band promoter Cecil Morris, who lives in a flat above his
record shop and offices in Dudley Road, says the station will not go
back on the air unless they attain a licence.
Bands
He said: "We were doing the job of a community
radio station when when we had our Sunday evening broadcasts, and we |
could have been attracting up to 50,000 listeners.
"A black music station is a must for Birmingham.
We can give air time to the many top class local reggae bands who
would otherwise be ignored by other local and national stations.
We started running Radio Star out of interest and love of reggae
music and culture, and not because we wanted to make money or ern a
wage. Even out adverts were free.
Father-of-four Mr Morris says: "There is wealth of
musical talent in eras like Handsworth and we are giving them the
chance to have their music played to the public" he said. |