Transmission Zero

Introduction

If you perform a bandscan of the FM dial in London, particularly at the weekend or during the evening, you are likely to reveal a large number of unlicensed pirate radio stations. These are instantly recognisable by their distinctive sound—playing musical styles such as House, UK Garage, Grime, DnB, Reggae, and numerous “Old Skool” genres, and perhaps being aimed towards a specific community. They typically operate at low power, resulting in a more limited coverage area than most commercial radio stations. They are sometimes used by people interested in DX in order to test the performance of their radio and antenna.

This page contains details of the pirate radio stations which can be heard in London, and includes (where appropriate) frequencies, program format, and RDS (PS and RT) information. Information about stations which have closed down can be found in the pirate radio stations of the past article, and information about commercial and community radio stations can be found in the London’s local FM radio stations article.

Keeping these lists up to date is a very difficult task, so if you have any additional information or spot something which isn’t correct, please send an update.

Active London Pirate Radio Stations

The radio stations in this table have recently been logged, and are therefore considered to be active.

Non-London Pirate Stations (Active & Inactive)

These stations are not London based, but they may be audible in London depending on your location, receiving equipment, and atmospheric conditions. This list contains both active and inactive non-London stations, as I don’t receive enough updates to keep this list current.

Inactive London Pirate Stations

These stations are assumed to be inactive, because they haven’t been logged for many weeks or months. This doesn’t necessarily mean the stations have closed down, as it’s quite common for stations to take extended breaks, and sometimes they change frequencies too.

How You Can Help

Please bear in mind that the accuracy of the list depends on your feedback, so I would greatly appreciate any information about:

• Stations which haven’t been listed.
• Changes of status, for example stations which have become inactive.
• Extra information—RDS, RT, program format, website addresses…
• Changes of frequency, name, program format, or RDS information.

You can send your updates via the contact page of this site, and I’ll get the information added as soon as possible. Please only send information which you know to be accurate though.