Purge of pirate radio stations 'threatens the lifeblood of British music'

To anyone whose quiet enjoyment of The Archers has been obliterated by the pounding rhythms of their neighbourhood pirate radio station, they are a dreaded nuisance. But music industry experts yesterday accused the Government of threatening the lifeblood of underground British music with plans to purge the bedroom broadcasters.

The Radiocommunications Agency last year made more than 1,000 raids on pirates and prosecutions went up by 145 per cent. The crackdown was out of tune with a warning by Ms Dynamite at this week's Brit awards ceremony that the future of British music depended on more than just television talent contests.

Ms Dynamite, who was named Best British Urban Act and Best British Female Solo Artist, cut her musical teeth on London pirate radio, which was largely responsible for the success of her first hit, the ragga/garage anthem "Booo!".

Pirate radio has helped to launch the careers of many mainstream artists ranging from the R&B singer Beverley Knight to UK Garage producers Artful Dodger. It has also provided a platform for many of Britain's favourite DJs, including Norman Jay, recently appointed MBE, and the celebrity jungle survivalist and veteran soulboy Tony Blackburn, who made his name on the offshore pirate station Radio Caroline in the Sixties.

Stephen Timms, the Telecoms minister, said agency inspectors were raiding three pirate stations a day and the hardline approach would continue. "We need to maintain pressure on illegal broadcasters. Pirate stations can put lives at risk by interfering with safety of life services, including air traffic control or emergency services. They also cause interference to legal broadcasters, damage property and annoy neighbours."

The purge includes closing nightclubs that promote pirate stations and fining record shops that carry their posters and flyers. But the crackdown led to warnings that the Government was jeopardising the chances of the emergence of new genres of British music.

Jazzie B, a former pirate radio DJ and founder member of one of Britain's most successful music collectives, Soul II Soul, said unlicensed stations were the "windows for home-grown British talent". He said: "This crackdown is indicative of what is happening right across music. We are failing to promote and export our music and the clampdown on pirates is part of the same pattern. Without the pirate stations there is nowhere for new talent to show their work."

As a DJ on London pirate station Kiss FM, Jazzie B masterminded Soul II Soul's rise from an underground sound system to the top of the British album charts with 1989's Club Classics Volume I. When Kiss FM finally won a licence from the DTI in 1990, it paid tribute to its past by selecting as its first legally aired record the reggae hit "Pirate's Anthem", with its defiant cry of "DTI try stop us but they can't".

Tom Kihl, deputy editor of DJ magazine, said emerging trends in British music, including Drum and Bass and UK Garage, were brought to prominence by pirate stations. "Pirate radio has been incredibly important," he said. "In the early days of music like Drum and Bass and UK Garage it was very important because the commercial stations had not caught on to the music."

Mr Kihl said the British music industry was already under pressure from internet downloading, and the growing range of entertainment options available to young people, and could not afford to stifle emerging talent. "It is another blow to musical creativity, which we in this country should be very proud of rather than trying to suppress it."

Ms Dynamite, in her Brit awards speech, warned music industry executives not to rely on television talent shows for emerging stars. "For urban acts, we are not just seen and spotted on the streets and go on pop shows or whatever. We work hard and we don't usually get this kind of acknowledgement." The role of the unlicensed stations in cutting-edge British music was acknowledged by Mike Skinner, aka the Streets, in the title of last year's hit album Original Pirate Material.

Pirate radio remains strong although the number of active broadcasters has been reduced by the government purge from 248 to 209. Chris Blue, of the dance music magazine Jockey Slut, said many of the most famous names in British dance music ­ including Goldie, Grooverider and Danny Rampling ­ served their apprenticeships on pirate stations.

He said closure of unlicensed stations would have "serious implications" for the development of music genres including UK Garage, R&B, Hip Hop and Drum and Bass. "I don't think shutting down all pirate stations is an achievable goal," he added. "The cleverer ones will always be a step ahead of the authorities."

Household names who went from pirate to flagship stations

JAZZIE B

Father figure of black British music. He was a DJ on the London pirate station Kiss FM before it became legal. His Soul II Soul music collective of "funky dreads" conquered the British and US charts in the late Eighties and early Nineties with their blend of soul, reggae and funk. Their album Keep on Movin' reached double platinum status.

MS DYNAMITE

The undisputed queen of British urban music. Began her career at the age of 17 "chatting" ragga-style lyrics on London pirates. Such stations later helped promote her first hit "Booo!" with the UK garage producers Sticky in 2001. Scooped a clutch of trophies at the Mercury, Mobo and Brit awards ceremonies.

GROOVE RIDER

The biggest name in Drum and Bass. First teamed up with Fabio in 1987 at the pirate station Phase One. They host a show on BBC Radio 1, whose website boasts: "From playing pirate radio to residing at Britain's most exciting and ground-breaking clubs, Fabio and Grooverider have shaped the sound of Drum and Bass."

NORMAN JAY

Appointed Member of the British Empire. Another veteran of Kiss FM from its pirate days, Jay was honoured at Buckingham Palace last year for services to the music industry. Now a DJ for the BBC in London, this month he has been hosting 20,000-strong crowds on a tour of Australia.

TONY BLACKBURN

Golden Oldie. Joined the floating pirate station Radio Caroline after seeing it on a World in Action documentary. Went on to become the star DJ on Radio 1 in the Sixties and Seventies. Now 60 years old, he recently made an unlikely return by winning the reality show, I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here!