PCRL
From Freeradio
PCRL Radio used to broadcast to Birmingham from the early 1980's, throughout the 1990's, until 2004.
The frequency used was 103.5 FM. From late 1988, PCRL broadcast in stereo.
PCRL stood for Peoples Community Radio Link, or Peoples Community Radio Line. As the name suggests, PCRL was a community radio station - mostly serving the large black community in Birmingham, but occasionally Asian programmes were aired.
Sadly, PCRL also drew the ire of the authorities, and suffered many DTI raids.
By the end of 1987, PCRL had been raided 103 times (raid 103 took place on Thursday 23rd November 1987). How many of these were studio raids and how many of these were main transmitter raids is unclear, but a sizeable number of these raids (including number 103) were studio raids.
PCRL's operator, Cecil Morris - aka Music Master - was also taken to court a number of times for operating an unlicenced broadcasting station. During PCRL's autumn 1988 court case, Cecil's solicitors successfully argued that Cecil was running PCRL Gift Shop not PCRL Radio.
Contents |
Licence application in 1989
On New Years Day 1989, PCRL Radio closed down to apply for the incremental community radio licence for Birmingham, which was being advertised by the IBA (as was).
Although PCRL fell silent, a station called FM 104 started broadcasting on 104.0 at weekends, with PCRL's unofficial blessing and with some of PCRL's DJs.
After a few weeks, FM 104 also fell silent.
A number of weeks later, a substantial number of PCRL DJs were then heard on a new station called Supreme Radio on 103.6. Supreme Radio had daily broadcasts, like its predecessor PCRL.
PCRL's return to the air
In summer 1989, PCRL's licence hopes were dashed when the Birmingham licence was awarded to a non-pirate called Buzz FM. As a result, PCRL returned to the airwaves and Supreme FM vanished.
From then on, PCRL continued throughout the 1990s and into the new Millennium.
The last farewell
PCRL's luck was not to continue indefinitely, however. The raids and prosecutions continued unabated.
In 2004, it was becoming clear that - if PCRL were to continue - those involved would face severe legal penalties, and risk being sued by licenced stations for "lost revenue". As a result, PCRL was forced to close.
PCRL - gone but not forgotten!
Programmes
Most of the music heard on PCRL was reggae music, also quite a lot of dance, soul and rap music was played. In addition, specialist music shows - such as a Gospel music show, and a Soca (Soul Calypso) show - were aired.
On Saturday morning PCRL had a children's show, during which - as well as music, phone-ins and games - children's stories were read out.
In November 1988, PCRL had its own Children In Need show to raise money for disadvantaged young people in the Birmingham area.
As a community radio station, community programmes played a substantial part. In the mid 1990s, PCRL had a phone in discussion programme on Sunday evenings. In early 1995, one such programme was about the threat posed by neo-nazi groups like the BNP and how to counter them.
PCRL Gift Shop
Throughout the 1980's, PCRL's official address and mailing address was 151 Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
This address went under the name of PCRL Gift Shop, and sold various PCRL merchandise, including T-shirts, sweat shirts, pens (of various natures), rulers, even pen-knives! The shop even had PCRL carrier bags.
By the mid-1990's, that address had become a record shop.
Trivia
In the 1980's, PCRL Records released a 12" single by Skibbu entitled "The One I Adore". This was sold at the PCRL gift shop.
Links
PCRL - official tribute website
PCRL feature on Anthony's Radio Pages
