1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 2: Hello, and welcome to Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff, 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 2: your weekly reminder that whenever bad things happen, people try 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 2: to do good things and or just illegal things, depending 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 2: on what's legal at the time. I am your host, 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 2: Margaret Kiljoy, and I have a guest today. You will 7 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 2: be shocked to know this. I have a guest today 8 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 2: and his name is Bursts. 9 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 3: How are you. I'm doing pretty good? Yeah, how about you, Margaret? 10 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: I'm good. I wrote twice as much this week as 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 2: I already do in a normal week. Everything's fine. I 12 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: can turn on the Voice of Radio whenever I want. 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: But you, I often have guests who are podcast hosts, 14 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: and this week is no different because you are the 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: host of the Final Straw Radio, which is a podcast 16 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: and yet you would guess by the name is also 17 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: a radio show. Is that an accurate statement. 18 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's an absolutely accurate statement. 19 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. Final Straw Radio is a podcast and radio 20 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 2: show based out of Asheville, North Carolina. How would you 21 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: pitch that show? 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 3: Yeah? So it's an anarchist interview show, long form interviews 23 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 3: sort of like NPR, but spicier, and we try to 24 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 3: get on people that are involved in current struggles around 25 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 3: fighting against misogyny or against racism or fascism, people that 26 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: do mutual aid work, incarcerated folks that are organizing behind bars. 27 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 3: And we try to also get international perspectives so that 28 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 3: accept all the world where we can. 29 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 2: I remember at one point explaining to you that I 30 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: really liked it because it was anarchist talk radio. And 31 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 2: I don't remember how you responded to me, saying. 32 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 3: That I probably giggled inside a little bit, but on 33 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,199 Speaker 3: the outside had the same stony face that you're seeing 34 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 3: right now. 35 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: Excellent, So I've wanted to have you on the show 36 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: for a while. Wait, I almost forgot to introduce everyone else. 37 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 2: I'm so sorry, Sophie. We have a producer named Sophie. Hi, Sophie, 38 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: how dare you? 39 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: It's almost like you almost forget every single episode we've done. 40 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: That's true, which is funny because Sophie always reminds me 41 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 2: to write it into the script and I never do. Nope, 42 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: and I always almost forget. 43 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 3: It's a charming and surprising bit when you remember, though. 44 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 2: That's true. Maybe all of this was written out ahead 45 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 2: of time. Maybe everyone including VERSU, is looking at a script. 46 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 2: Who knows? I mean I'm looking at script, but this 47 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 2: part wasn't in it. Our audio engineer is Eva hi 48 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 2: Eva Hiva hi Eva hi Sophie hi Our theme music 49 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: was written for us by unwoman Burst. I wanted to 50 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: have you on the show for a while. Well, because 51 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: you're on the radio. I thought that I wanted to 52 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 2: talk about the FM radio spectrum. Actually I'm a little 53 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 2: bit going to talk about the AM spectrum as well. 54 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna talk about radio because I want to 55 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: talk about pirate radio. Hell yeah, you ever heard of 56 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: pirate radio? 57 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,839 Speaker 3: I have heard of pirate radio, and not that really 58 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 3: crappy early two thousands movie. I love pirate radio. 59 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: Wait, what's the early two thousands movie? 60 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 3: It's about the ship that was sailing in international waters 61 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 3: that that was broadcasting in like the late seventies. It 62 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 3: was mostly like a rock format. 63 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: Did it start in nineteen sixty four? And is that 64 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: the main subject of what we're talking on? It might 65 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: had I might have gotten the decade run. Don't see 66 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 2: the movie. Just listen to this interview. Cool segment. Yeah, 67 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: but you about to talk about actual pirate radio, because 68 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 2: that is only commercial. Pirate radio is only a small 69 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 2: portion of the pirate radio world. 70 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I've never participated in pirate radio consciously. 71 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 3: Unconsciously I did for about two years. College radio station 72 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 3: had been running case On at Snowa State University, had 73 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: been running for I think like ten years. It was 74 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: an integrated part of the communications department at the university 75 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: just outside the Bay area. And then in like two 76 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 3: thousand and two, my friend Zach, who had a Monday 77 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 3: noon show, decided to play fuck the FCC by the 78 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 3: Dead Kennedy's or maybe just jellyby Afra, and that got 79 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 3: us a physic from the FCC because who knew that 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 3: we didn't like, well, a, you're not supposed to do that, 81 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 3: but be apparently the station had been running as a 82 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: pirate station, unregistered for such a long time that community 83 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: standards that like everyone can kind of assumed that it 84 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 3: was supposed to be there until they poked the eye 85 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 3: of the bear and then got shut down. 86 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 2: This is one of those moments where I'm like, I 87 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: try not to be mad at the person who does 88 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: the really radical thing that brings down the wrath of 89 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 2: the state, but in this case, it's like, but did 90 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 2: you have. 91 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 3: To yeah, saying raft I think of it more of 92 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 3: the guy who decides to like take a pin and 93 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: poke the side of the inflatable raft that we're all 94 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 3: sitting in, see what happens. Yeah. 95 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well that's exciting that you are a bona fide 96 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: accidental pirate bona fide, because we're gonna talk about pirate radio. 97 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 2: And I had this whole thing where I started writing 98 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: the entire context of radio. You will be shocked to 99 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 2: know that I started doing this, But then I did 100 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: so much of that work that I decided to spin 101 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 2: that off because next week, with a different guest, I'm 102 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 2: so sorry, we're going to talk about the surprisingly radical 103 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 2: origins of public radio. Do you know that I'm doing 104 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: two weeks. One is pirate radio and one is public radio, 105 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: and public radio has more radical origins. 106 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I wouldn't have thought of that. Can you give 107 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 3: us a little like clue into it? 108 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 2: Just well, we're gonna be talking about the origins of 109 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: pirate radio today, and pirate radio a lot of its origins, 110 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 2: at least in Europe, is commercial radio, and it's basically 111 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: capitalists looking to break state monopolies, as compared to public radio, 112 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: which was trying to break de facto capitalist monopolies in 113 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 2: the United States. I don't know, we'll get to more 114 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 2: of that, but context origins of radio in the nineteenth century, 115 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 2: people were like, hey, if you put electricity into a wire, 116 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 2: it becomes magnetic, and and other people were like, hey, 117 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: you can pick up magnetic waves. This is already over 118 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: my own head. And someone was like, whoa, that shit 119 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 2: moves at the speed of light. How cool is that. 120 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 2: By nineteen oh one, you've got radio, telegraphy, telegraphy, telegraphy, telegraphy, telegraphy. 121 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 2: I don't know all kinds of things. But it didn't 122 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: matter how it was pronounced, because in the origin it 123 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,679 Speaker 2: was all Morse code. Anyway, soon after that it would 124 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 2: have mattered because voice and music and shit started moving 125 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 2: over the airwaves. And it is interesting to see how 126 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 2: like we think of technology as moving really really fast today, 127 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: but it has been interesting to read about how fast 128 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 2: when new technologies come around, they kind of always move. 129 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: Like within a year of someone being like, oh, I 130 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 2: can do this thing, people are like, great, I've already 131 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 2: registered a corporation and I'm trying to commercialize it, you know. 132 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: And the main thing that I'm going to end up 133 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: talking about this week and a bit next week is 134 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: that there's kind of a three way fight happening over 135 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: who controls the airwaves. There's commercial interests, there's the state, 136 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: and then there's the public, and they all have different 137 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: methods by which they would like to do this thing. 138 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: In the US, radio has largely been a commercial enterprise 139 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,119 Speaker 2: licensed by the FCC, which is funny because we're allowed 140 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 2: to say fuck the FCC, but only just out of 141 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: it being a podcast. There's no other particular reason we 142 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 2: can that a g No, Yeah, they have nothing to 143 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: do with us. We're not on the radio. It's largely 144 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: been licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, and it has 145 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 2: been this way since the start in the States, more 146 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: or less so. Coming from this US context, it was 147 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 2: kind of hard for me to understand how radio is 148 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 2: working elsewhere in the world, and particularly in Europe. I 149 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 2: had sort of imagined like that radio is only a 150 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: state monopoly over in the oldie USSR, but actually, although 151 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 2: it was absolutely a state monopoly in the Eastern Bloc 152 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 2: countries much of Western Europe up until the sixties and seventies, 153 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: it was a state monopoly on radio. Much of this 154 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 2: week we're going to be talking about the UK and 155 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: the UK famously. I don't know if you knew this first. 156 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 2: It's a monarchy. 157 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 3: I had heard that. 158 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's in the name of the country. 159 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 2: What would they do if they stopped being a monarchy? 160 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 2: And would they just have to change their name. 161 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 3: The United Republic the United but like republic with a K? 162 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: Yeah probably yeah, yeah, backwards. 163 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: Are I don't know how that'll work, but I have 164 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 2: faith in them. In nineteen twenty seven, the Royal government 165 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 2: gave a Royal Charter to the BBC, which was at 166 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 2: the time the British Broadcasting Company but then became the 167 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 2: British Broadcasting Corporation because it had been formed a couple 168 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 2: years earlier at the birth of radio, and then it 169 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 2: became a public service corporation when it got the Royal Charter. 170 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,079 Speaker 2: Because England is a very serious country, the BBC was 171 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 2: run by a fucking a guy named Sir John Reith, 172 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 2: and the BBC was really into being serious, none of 173 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 2: this nonsense with popular fun games like rugby, only super 174 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,479 Speaker 2: serious things like reporting on boat racing and playing classical 175 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 2: music or whatever, because they wanted everyone to be cultured. 176 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: This did not make them particularly popular, but the BBC. 177 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 2: That's all there was for radio, And then the sixties 178 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 2: rolled around and there was only this like super serious, 179 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 2: no smiling music being played. About an hour a week 180 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 2: was dedicated to pop music, and people started just dropping 181 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: radio entirely at this point because TV had shown on 182 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 2: the scene and BBC radio was frankly boring. I can 183 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 2: say for certain, I went back and looked as well 184 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 2: as I could. The BBC did not play a single 185 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 2: chapel Ron song at any point during the nineteen sixties. 186 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 2: And Sophie is looking at me like I made a 187 00:09:59,200 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 2: pop culture. 188 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: Reference I know of, Like, you know who that person is? 189 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: I do? That is the one pop star I know 190 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 2: who is because she's basically modern Kate Bush. 191 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah. 192 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 2: I heard of her a little bit because all my 193 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: friends were playing Pink Pony Club at me, which is 194 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 2: actually a good song. And then she appeared in Knight 195 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: Armor and I was like, all right, now I have 196 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 2: to pay attention to who this is because eight million 197 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 2: people sent me that. 198 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 3: So she's like Tori Amos for the new generation. 199 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, okay cool, and the BBC, not hip with that, 200 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: did not even play Pink Pony Club in the nineteen sixties. 201 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: How dare they? 202 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: Yeah? And so the British people were in need of rescue, 203 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 2: and who would come sailing in to save the people 204 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 2: of Britain bursts but pirates and what kind of pirates? Well, 205 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 2: an irishman, an irishman from Dublin is going to come 206 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 2: save the British people from their boring lives. 207 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 3: It seems like a fitting retribution for centuries of colonization. 208 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this particular irishman who sailed in to save them, 209 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: who's actually not very cool, but his grandfather is cool 210 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: enough that his grandfather was on this show before. His 211 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 2: grandfather is an Irish martyr, so we'll talk about him 212 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 2: in a second. Who comes to save English people? But 213 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 2: Radio Caroline, and it's held up as the first big 214 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: important pirate radio station. It's the birth of European pop radio, 215 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 2: or at least the UK pop radio. And people rarely 216 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 2: talk about how shady and criminal the whole thing was. 217 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: Radio Caroline's like a really cool name. 218 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know we're gonna talk about the origin of 219 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: that in ste. 220 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 1: I was hoping you were telling me that it was 221 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: a person named Radio Caroline, because Radio Caroline, that's such 222 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: a cool name. For human I know, but they suck. 223 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 4: They're shady, they're complicated like most people you know, and 224 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 4: like crime stuff is just like not boring and you'd 225 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 4: kind of rather watch a mafia movie than a like 226 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 4: cop movie. 227 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're like not boring in a crime way, you know. Okay, 228 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 2: and their name, Oh, I'll get to it. It's gonna 229 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 2: be good. It's also not what you think. I read 230 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 2: so many different histories of this. Did the documentary on 231 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 2: them cover the fact that they were like shady and 232 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 2: killed somebody? 233 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 3: It wasn't a documentary. It probably would have been better 234 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 3: if it was a documentary. The one that I'm thinking, 235 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 3: I think it's called Pirate Radio, was a drama edy 236 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 3: or something like that about it. No, it was more 237 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 3: kind of shady with all the like rampant misogyny and 238 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 3: just bad dad jokes. 239 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all. 240 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 3: So maybe it might have been a documentary at that point. 241 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: Then again, we'll get to their name in a minute. 242 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 2: The history of Pirate Radio in England starts with an 243 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 2: irishman named Ronan O. Ra Heley. And if that last 244 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 2: name sounds familiar to listeners, then you have a better 245 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 2: memory than I do because I can't remember names. But 246 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 2: oh rah Healey is a name that's been on the 247 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 2: show before. His grandfather appeared in our episode about the 248 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 2: Easter Rising of nineteen sixteen, which is seen as the 249 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: uprising that spurred on the Irish Revolution a couple of 250 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 2: years later, and Ronan O'raheey's grandfather's name was the o'rah 251 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 2: heey Cisa. 252 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god, he has like a quintessential Catholic guy name. 253 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 3: It's like Michael Michael Collins. 254 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no. I think I remember it because 255 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: it's the same as migrant. But Michael Joseph. 256 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 2: It's it's Michael. It's what Michael o'verheelly is. 257 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: But what is his middle name? Joseph? Oh? 258 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 2: I don't remember his middle name looking it. 259 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: Up, Okay, so that Joseph or Patrick preppably, Yeah. 260 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: It is Michael Joseph. 261 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 2: I'm going to quote for my own script about the 262 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 2: Easter Rising about the O'rahelly because I think it is 263 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 2: a neat way to frame this whole story. Also, just 264 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 2: because I really like the o'raheey. 265 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 3: Oh, is that what he was known as is like the. 266 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 2: So being the o'raheelly was actually a de anglicization because 267 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: the head of a clan was the and so by 268 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 2: becoming more Irish, he dropped Michael Michael Joseph and became 269 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 2: the And that is like fucking punk, Like we're almost 270 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 2: anti punk because it's to become the patriarch. But whatever, 271 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 2: I don't care. It's interesting. 272 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna revisionist history my grandfather's name and pretend that 273 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: he was named everyth. 274 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: This guy the Lickterman. 275 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: No, no, no, is my mom's dad, the Dorian. 276 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 3: The Dorian. 277 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 2: That's good. I don't hate that. I could be the 278 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 2: kill Joy. That's fine. 279 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: Oh you are the Killjoy though, that's true. 280 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 3: She is hell Yeah, when you pick your own name 281 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 3: and it sticks. 282 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. So I'm going to quote about the rahel 283 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 2: quote and I'm quoting myself here because I'm the kill 284 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 2: Joy and I can see that one of the founders 285 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 2: of the Irish Volunteers was this guy who was named 286 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 2: the o'raheelly, Like, what kind of badass do you have 287 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 2: to be for your nickname to be the instead of Michael. 288 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 2: This was part of his de anglicization. The head of 289 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 2: a clan was named the He was the director of 290 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 2: arms for the volunteers. He had overseen a lot of 291 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 2: the military training, but he had been totally against the rising. 292 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: He had been part of the tell people not to 293 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: rise plan. There had been this whole thing with the 294 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 2: Easter Rising, where like half of them were like, we 295 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 2: shouldn't do that. That's a bad idea, We're all just 296 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: gonna die, which was true, but also it kind of 297 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: worked anyway. But when he found out the rising was 298 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 2: going to happen anyway, he said, quote, and this is 299 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 2: a good quote. It is madness, but it is glorious madness. 300 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 2: And he joined in. He or his friends set his 301 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 2: own car on fire in the street as a barricade 302 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 2: at one point, and on Friday he led a charge 303 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 2: through the street and was gunned down. Then he survived 304 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 2: almost a day, lying bleeding to death in a doorway. 305 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 2: While he was bleeding to death, he wrote a letter 306 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 2: to his wife, quote written after I was shot, Darling Nancy. 307 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 2: I was shot leading a rush up Moore Street and 308 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 2: took refuge in a doorway. While I was there, I 309 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 2: heard the men pointing out where I was and made 310 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 2: a bolt for the lane way. I am in now 311 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 2: I got one more bullet. I think tons and tons 312 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 2: of love, Dearie, to you and the boys, and to 313 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 2: Nell and Anna. It was a good fight anyhow, Please 314 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 2: deliver this to Nanny o'raheely forty Herbert Park, Dublin. Goodbye, Darling. 315 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 3: Jeez, that's sad, I know, but pretty beautiful I know. 316 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 2: And the like constrained way he writes this letter is 317 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 2: so fitting somehow, you know, the culture at the time. 318 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 3: Just cut that cut that. 319 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: I can send you over this thing I just read 320 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 2: and you could read it in an Irish accent. 321 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 3: Oh, I will never be allowed on that island again. 322 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 2: They already hate us Irish Americans want to talk about 323 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 2: how Irish we are. 324 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 3: For sure, and for good reason. But yeah, you're right 325 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 3: measured to be able to say, like this is my 326 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 3: last breath as I'm writing it out. That's pretty goossy. 327 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, totally. And so that is Ronan's grandfather, the Orahali. 328 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 2: Ronan himself honestly isn't all that cool, if I'm being honest. 329 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 2: He is one of the original rock and roll capitalists. 330 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 2: But he still does something interesting, so fuck it. And 331 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 2: do you know what else? Incorporates advertising with audio content? 332 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 3: The American Potato Council. 333 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 2: That's true. Also, US we incorporate advertising into our audio 334 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 2: content for example, and we're back. 335 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 3: That was innovative. 336 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 2: Thank you. Yeah, I'm always trying to find new ways 337 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 2: to do it. You know, this is what I'm going 338 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: to be remembered for. 339 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: First, what's your favorite way to eat a potato? Oh? 340 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 3: Gosh, the hash brown it's a good call. 341 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 2: Call. 342 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean more surface area means more fried delight basically. 343 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's not usually the answer people give. I appreciate that. 344 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I liked it. 345 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 2: What do you get punch fries? But yeah, what's that 346 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 2: way where you like cut the potato over? That was me, 347 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 2: thank you? Yeah, what is that? 348 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: A hasslebacked potato? So you take the potato and on 349 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: the top of it, you make a bunch of little slices, 350 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: but not all the way through, and then you can, 351 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: you know, put oil or butter or herbs or you know, 352 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: some people really go for it and google eyes, google eyes, cheese, bacon, 353 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: if you eat those things, and then you bake it 354 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: like a baked potato. 355 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah that makes sense. Microwaving also a good way. 356 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 2: It's really good. 357 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love a baked potato. 358 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 2: I've decided it's a thing they do in Portland. But 359 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 2: this isn't true. It's just that's where I ate it. 360 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 3: The hassleback. 361 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh, were you with me? Did we eat hasslebad 362 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: potatoes together? That really weird place? Oh? What was that 363 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: potato dish that we had it? That really weird fancy 364 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: people place. 365 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 2: Oh, I barely remember the food there. I remember going 366 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 2: to a really weird this steakhouse with you. 367 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: It was really weird, but they had like almost like 368 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: a I'm going to figure out what the potato thing 369 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: so we can talk about. Everyone's gonna be waited with 370 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: by the next ad brick, I will be able to 371 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 1: talk about this potato everyone. 372 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: Okay, all right, that's why everyone has to make it through. 373 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 2: People kind of listen to this stuff, the jibber jabber 374 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: between the ads. People mostly load up and listen to 375 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 2: the ads. 376 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 3: I know, load up like a potato. Also, is it 377 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 3: weird going from parish revolutionary into potato as seemed that 378 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 3: was unbean. 379 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,360 Speaker 2: Well, we're already in trouble for your half second of accents, so. 380 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll call it a brogue just to piss people off. 381 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 2: More go whatever, I shook hands with my great uncle 382 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 2: who fought in the Rising. That's my argument about any 383 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 2: of that. He was one hundred years old. He outlived 384 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 2: the Queen. Well, he died before the Queen, but he 385 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 2: lived longer than she did, and that's what matters anyway. 386 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: Rock and roll capitalist. He grows up to become one 387 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 2: of the most influential people in radio broadcasting. Radio Caroline 388 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 2: is reaching thirty million people at its peak in the 389 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 2: late sixties. If you read the sources that are written 390 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 2: a little bit more by the people who really like 391 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 2: Radio Caroline. Other people say like six to ten million people. 392 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 2: That is still a lot of people. I don't even 393 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 2: know that many people. Personally. This man fundamentally changes UK 394 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 2: culture despite not being from the UK, and that's kind 395 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 2: of cool. He was born in Dublin, the city where 396 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 2: his grandfather, the had died. He was born to a 397 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 2: rich Irish businessman who ran a ferry service. Ronan was 398 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 2: a bit of a wild child. He got kicked out 399 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 2: of school a lot. When he was seventeen. In the 400 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 2: late fifties, he moved to London to become an actor 401 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,479 Speaker 2: and do shit in the music scene, and he and 402 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,479 Speaker 2: his friends were basically promoting various rock bands around London. 403 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 2: He was managing a guy named Georgie Fame and BBC 404 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 2: had no interest in playing this guy, and Sirnin was like, 405 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,919 Speaker 2: fuck it, rich family, I know rich people. I'm buying 406 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:06,160 Speaker 2: a boat and setting up a radio station. He bought 407 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 2: the Danish passenger ferry, the Federicia, and started setting up 408 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 2: a radio station. Some other people were looking to do 409 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 2: the same thing at the same time, but Radio Caroline 410 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 2: got in early, or maybe first, working with a bunch 411 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 2: of rich backers to finance the Ireland based company. Most 412 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 2: of the history written about this particular venture is all 413 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 2: about the like wheeling and dealing to get the financing 414 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 2: to get this boat, and which rich people they talked 415 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 2: to and whose dad gave them money and I don't care. 416 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 3: It is kind of interesting though, Like when I think 417 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 3: about pirate radio, I think about independent ventures where people 418 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 3: get together, collaborate, get stuff, you know, going that way, 419 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 3: and so making it actually like a registered business kind 420 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 3: of seems like a good way to get yourself economically sunk. 421 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 2: It's so fascinating because it's a completely different model than 422 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 2: what we think of as pirate radio. Yeah, we think 423 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 2: of like people getting together and building a transmitter and 424 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 2: like just kind of hoping for the best and you know, 425 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 2: maybe doing it so long that people think that they're 426 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: just the local college radio station. But no, this is 427 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 2: like capitalists looking to break a governmental monopoly. And it's 428 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 2: still good that they broke this monopoly, and people were 429 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 2: pretty happy about getting rock music. You know, it's just interesting. 430 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 2: It's just yeah, it's so completely not what I think of, 431 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 2: and it's when we get to the Italian part, it 432 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 2: is going to come up in a more interesting way politically. 433 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 3: And I guess also just to throw it in and 434 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 3: I can stop if you want me to. But my 435 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 3: understanding what the BBC is that they fund it through subscriptions, 436 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 3: like they would collect everyone who has a radio, and 437 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 3: then eventually everyone who has a TV has to pay 438 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 3: a licensing fee to the government because it's only going 439 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 3: to be their content that's played on it. And so suddenly, oh, yeah, 440 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 3: I guess they have to bust in with a bunch 441 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,199 Speaker 3: of advertising to be able to fund this venture. But 442 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 3: you're also kind of using government infrastructure, as in the 443 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 3: radios that are in people's houses that are licensed to 444 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 3: play radio. Yeah, they're kind of pirrating it or squatting it. 445 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 2: That's true, and so they get together to get to 446 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 2: do this thing. Retrofitting the ship took a while. It 447 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,719 Speaker 2: had to be done in secrecy because not only are 448 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 2: they planning to fuck over the government, they're planning to 449 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 2: fuck over like the other investors that they're working with 450 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 2: who are working on similar projects, because they're all like, oh, 451 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 2: we'll take this part of the country and you take 452 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 2: that part of the country, and they're like just kidding, 453 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 2: you know, they're rushing to do this in secrecy. They 454 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 2: told the locals at the port that the one hundred 455 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 2: and sixty five foot tall mast, which is the radio antenna, 456 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 2: was for helping them find deep sea sponges, and the 457 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 2: articles written with the like kind of a like those 458 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 2: dumb yokeles fell for it. But I don't know. Maybe 459 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 2: the dumb yocles fell for it, or maybe they just 460 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 2: were like, actually, we don't. 461 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 3: Care that much, or maybe they really like sponges. 462 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's completely possible. How the radio station got its name, 463 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 2: most sources, including Wikipedia, will be like it was because 464 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 2: one of the people saw a thing and it was 465 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 2: like a president's granddaughter named Caroline and was like, that's 466 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 2: cool name. I'm gonna name my radio station. That The 467 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 2: most likely actual source of the name is basically it's 468 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 2: like a way of being like dumb sluts radio, because 469 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 2: Queen Magazine is one of the investors, and Queen Magazine 470 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 2: described their target audience as quote a twenty something non 471 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 2: intellectual who has left school at sixteen and who was 472 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 2: a good time girl named Caroline. 473 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 3: Boy, what a deep cut for a stupid name. I know, 474 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 3: I mean the name is not bad, it's a good name, 475 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 3: but yeah, yeah, that's terrible. 476 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, there's like a little bit of a like, 477 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 2: I mean, if this was made by women, that would 478 00:24:55,160 --> 00:25:00,360 Speaker 2: rule you know. Yeah, No, it's just a like we 479 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 2: want to sell the like teen girls we think are 480 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 2: not intelligent in any way. 481 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 3: Maybe what I watched was in fact a documentary. 482 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 2: Then yeah, they were trying to be true to the 483 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 2: original spirit by filling it full of misogyny. They launched 484 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 2: on March twenty third, nineteen sixty four. Oh good, I 485 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 2: did get the year right when I said this at 486 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 2: the beginning, and they claimed to be head into Spain 487 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 2: and then they were like, just kidding, We're going around 488 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 2: to London, and this was betraying the other radio people. 489 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 2: Radio Atlanta was the other big one that they're going 490 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:36,879 Speaker 2: to later merge with, and Radio Caroline wanted London and 491 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 2: didn't tell anyone they wanted London. They parked just outside 492 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,239 Speaker 2: of International waters and they started broadcasting. It's also kind 493 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 2: of worth knowing this is AM broadcasting, and AM radio 494 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 2: goes further than FM radio, which I didn't know. 495 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 3: AM like bounces off the I honest, there, I think, 496 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 3: and it's usually like long lateral antennas, and then FM 497 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 3: is line of sight, right, but it can kind of 498 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 3: bend over hills. 499 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,400 Speaker 2: And yeah, yeah, totally, Sophie. Did you know where clear 500 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 2: channel gets its name from? 501 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: No, I pretend they don't exist. 502 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. There was this company that used to 503 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,639 Speaker 2: be called clear Channel. This isn't in the script. I 504 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 2: just found this and was like, oh, it's kind of neat. 505 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 2: A clear channel is like a word for AM radio, 506 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 2: where you're given like a huge broadcasting range with no interference. 507 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 2: It is a clear channel that you've been given. It 508 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 2: literally named themselves of this is a monopoly radio. That 509 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 2: is what they named themselves. Oh well, I love radio anyway. 510 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 2: They start broadcasting and not clear channel but radio Caroline, 511 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 2: and they had no idea whether they were going to 512 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 2: get away with this. They were like, are we about 513 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 2: to be raided and arrested? And the answer was like, 514 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 2: well that actually almost that came really close to happening, 515 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 2: and frankly, the Crown kind of sat around being like, 516 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 2: maybe we should raid and arrest these people. This is 517 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 2: clearly what we don't want them to do. And we 518 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:05,199 Speaker 2: are the United Kingdom, we're kind of known for boats. 519 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 2: But people were really into the radio station. This is 520 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,439 Speaker 2: the main secret to surviving as a pirate radio station 521 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 2: is you have to get people to like you quickly, 522 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 2: and so it was hard for the state to go 523 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 2: after them, and they decided not to jam the transmission either. 524 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 2: You can just kind of play white noise or other 525 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,400 Speaker 2: things on the same frequency and like mess with someone 526 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 2: else's radio transmission. The Royal Navy did show up pretty 527 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 2: much right away and requested to board, and the Caroline 528 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 2: was like, no, we don't want you to, and the 529 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,879 Speaker 2: Royal Navy was like, but we want to, and the 530 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:43,959 Speaker 2: Caroline was like, not only do we not want you to? 531 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 2: The DJ is currently talking about what's happening on air 532 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 2: to everyone in London, and the Royal Navy was like, 533 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 2: all right, we'll see you later and they left it. 534 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 2: But yeah, people were into it. People were like music 535 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 2: all day. It also kind of turned off at night, 536 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 2: but so did all radio at the time. It was 537 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 2: like wild. They started off I think six to six, 538 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: and then then later they went to like ten, and 539 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:09,200 Speaker 2: later they went to like midnight, really pushing the envelope here. 540 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 2: You know, it's so weird to imagine old time stuff. 541 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 2: Sometimes I'm like, but people are hanging out at three 542 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 2: in the morning. I cannot be convinced that old like 543 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,479 Speaker 2: people back in the day were like time to go 544 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 2: to bed when they're like a teenager in the nineteen fifties. 545 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I would imagine that's exactly the time when 546 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 3: you would want to be able to listen to like 547 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 3: whatever rock albums just were released that you can't get 548 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 3: a hold of otherwise, or that your parents wouldn't want 549 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 3: you to listen to. Middle of the night's the perfect 550 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 3: time for. 551 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 2: It, Yeah, that's what I would think, And so they 552 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 2: start pushing later and later in the night. I almost 553 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 2: feel like it had to be like an invention. They 554 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 2: were like we could just play all night. We're in 555 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 2: international waters. We're already breaking the law or circumventing the law. 556 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 2: And so by May first people started buying ads on 557 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 2: the station. By June they had two ships to cover 558 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 2: more areas because they bought out their competitors. The Radio 559 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 2: Atlanta and Radio Caroline had found its audience. Within weeks, 560 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 2: more stations started flooding the air and forty five percent 561 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 2: of England was listening to pirate radio. And do you 562 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 2: know what they heard on that pirate radio bursts? 563 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 3: No, what do they hear? 564 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 2: They heard advertisements. I think that's why they would have 565 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 2: said it. I think you're right, Yeah, much like we are. 566 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 2: But we're in America. We have advertisements. It's somehow better 567 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 2: if it's an ad for biscuits. It's not what you think. 568 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: Okay. So the potato we had at that very strange 569 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: rushed on was a potato tart. It was like a 570 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: loaded potato tart. 571 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 2: I blacked this out of my memory. 572 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 3: It's like a little dinner pastry type thing. 573 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: If it's like a potato and a savory pie crust 574 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: and you could get like toppings in it. 575 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, I remember this now. I don't remember how 576 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 2: the potato was at all. 577 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: Potato was good. 578 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 2: Fancy restaurants are confusing. So we're back and continuing to 579 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 2: talk about potato radio. I can't figure how that would work. 580 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 2: Do you think that they power it by like, can't 581 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 2: you get like light a light bulb with a potato 582 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 2: or something? 583 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,719 Speaker 3: Oh, I thought you were gonna do a whatever that 584 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 3: thing is called mixing. 585 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: The words potato. 586 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, potato would probably be the way to go. 587 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 2: Okay, And so Radio Caroline brings rock music to the 588 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 2: masses and fundamentally changes UK culture and therefore world culture 589 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: because you. 590 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 3: Know, the Brits invaded the US. 591 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 2: Yeah after that, Yeah, exactly, be really fun to just 592 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 2: do kind of fictional cool people did cool stuff where 593 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 2: I'm just like, tell the story about the British invasion, 594 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 2: but just make it a little bit more literal. So 595 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 2: most of the stories about Radio Caroline are feel good 596 00:30:56,280 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 2: stories about the plucky upstarts who did good entrepreneurial stuff 597 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 2: and change British culture forever. And it is true that 598 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 2: they were entrepreneurs who changed British culture forever. But the 599 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 2: crime man's stuff is going on and people don't like 600 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 2: it because it messes with their idea of like the 601 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 2: good rebel. But I think it's really interesting. It is 602 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 2: not boring, and it does not line up to my 603 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 2: set of ethics. But it's the past. It doesn't need to. 604 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 2: That's the thing I got to remember more often. 605 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 3: Things can be fun without being right. 606 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I have no influence on the past. That too. 607 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 2: As soon as Radio Caroline started broadcasting, other people were like, 608 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 2: fuck yeah, that rules, and they started doing the same thing. 609 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 2: Many folks had been, in fact working on that idea 610 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 2: already themselves, like all the people that they fucked over. 611 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: Among the competitors to Radio Caroline was Radio City, which 612 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 2: was run by this wife and husband team for a while. 613 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: Calvert and her husband, REDG. Calvert, and these two had 614 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 2: a similar background as Radio Caroline, and that they were 615 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 2: rock and roll music promoters. The pair of them had 616 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 2: spent the fifties going around to dance halls being like, yeah, 617 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 2: that big band shit, I understand why you like it, 618 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 2: but hear me out rock and roll, And so they 619 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,479 Speaker 2: went all over their little island and were like, what 620 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 2: if rock and roll? They ended up running twenty eight 621 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 2: of these dance halls together, and they put on shows 622 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 2: for bands even I have heard of, like the Beatles 623 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 2: and the Rolling Stones and the Kinks. So of course 624 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,239 Speaker 2: they got in on the radio craze and they had 625 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 2: a friend. Have you ever heard this guy? I hadn't, 626 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 2: But you ever heard this guy screaming Lord Such? 627 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 3: No, but that's an amazing name. 628 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 2: I know. He had a radio station at the time 629 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 2: called Radio Such. Screaming Lord Such is probably a character 630 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 2: for his own show sometime if I do like weird 631 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 2: people of early rock or something. I haven't deep dived 632 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 2: this guy yet. According to Wikipedia, he holds the record 633 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 2: for contesting the most parliamentary elections because in addition to 634 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 2: being a shock rocker and a DJ, he is one 635 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 2: of those WingNuts who ran for election every single time. 636 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 3: He wasn't actually in the House of Lords. 637 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 2: Though, No, he has no connection to the peerage. He 638 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 2: just changed his name to Lord Such, which is such 639 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 2: a good move. It's a boss move yet, especially in 640 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 2: fucking Britain. Like. He was the leader of a political party, 641 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 2: an official political party that still exists today. You've probably 642 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 2: heard of it, the Official Monster Raving Looney Party. 643 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 3: I remember a Monty Python sketch with that one. 644 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 2: Yet, wait, I don't know if you're telling the truth 645 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 2: or not, but they're probably. 646 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. I know there's on one of the albums of 647 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,479 Speaker 3: their recordings there's an election special, and I think that 648 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 3: that's actually the name of one of the things that 649 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 3: the run up that I thought was just made up 650 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 3: until now. 651 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 2: I don't know where the chicken in the egg is there. Yeah, 652 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 2: I could see either way. The Official Monster Raving Looney 653 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 2: Party is a real political party that still exists and 654 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 2: exists to satirize British politics. And basically this is the 655 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 2: Vermin Supreme of England, only he's dead. He doesn't wear 656 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 2: a boot on his head, and he never promised anyone ponies. 657 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: I have a Verbon Supreme tie on my desk that 658 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: he gave me at the DNC last year. 659 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:22,359 Speaker 2: That rules, I know. 660 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 1: I love that. 661 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 2: The time that I'm me at Vermin Supreme was at 662 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 2: the DNC also, and twenty years earlier. 663 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: That's his super Bowl, Yeah it is. I also ate 664 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: with him at a very fancy restaurant that was like 665 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: lovely but also like too fancy. 666 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 2: Does he take his hat off to eat? Is he cultured? 667 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: I'm not releasing that information to the public. 668 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,439 Speaker 2: That's fair maybe the hat is part of his head. 669 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. 670 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 3: I think the only time that I've seen him in 671 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 3: person was at Rosetta's in Ashville. 672 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,439 Speaker 2: Nice, very nice person. See that's the food I would 673 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 2: eat anytime for fancy meal. Unofficial sponsor the place I 674 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:08,880 Speaker 2: used to work. So Lord Such and if you ever 675 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 2: need to google, this man such is spelled Sutch. Lord Such. 676 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 2: All this radio stuff is happening, And so he gets 677 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 2: himself over to an abandoned World War II military fort 678 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 2: that is in international waters just off the coast of 679 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 2: England called Shivering Sands Army Fort, and it is one 680 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 2: of the most like water world ass looking places you'll 681 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 2: ever see a photo of. He set up a radio 682 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 2: station called Radio Such. It was powered by car batteries. 683 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 2: The transmitter had been ripped out of an old submarine. 684 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 2: The antenna was a flagpole with a jolly roger on it. 685 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 2: I think I would have been friends with this man 686 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 2: or terrified of him, or both or both. Radio Such 687 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 2: mostly reached fishermen on their boats. It was kind of 688 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 2: a just a pupliss city stunt. He got bored quick 689 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 2: enough and handed the whole thing over to his friend, 690 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 2: who was also his unpaid manager, Reg Calvert and his 691 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 2: wife Dorothy Calvert. These are the folks I was talking 692 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:17,240 Speaker 2: about earlier who owned dance halls and such. The city radio, Yeah, 693 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 2: Radio City, Radio City, and the pair of them professionalized 694 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 2: the operation. They set up real transmitters, They connected all 695 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 2: of the different little platforms together and connected things. I 696 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 2: read a lot of manuals about pirate radio for this 697 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 2: episode and looked at diagrams and things, and I even 698 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 2: know how to solder, and I have no idea what 699 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:37,759 Speaker 2: I was looking at. But they did a lot of 700 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 2: stuff to make radio go further. And the whole thing 701 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:43,919 Speaker 2: was powered this time by generators that you could hear 702 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 2: on air over the mic because they're really loud. And 703 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,720 Speaker 2: they turned Radio City into maybe the only profitable pirate 704 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 2: radio station in the water. My guess is this is 705 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 2: because their operating expenses were way lower because they were 706 00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:58,280 Speaker 2: not on a boat. 707 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, but still nobody claimed that territory that they were on. 708 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 3: That's kind of crazy to think about. 709 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,359 Speaker 2: Well, wait, was this in the documentary? What did you 710 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 2: know those I know being profitable? How to downside? Because 711 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 2: these early radio pirates pirates, it's in the fucking name, 712 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 2: like literally fucking high seas violence. Some worse still than 713 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:22,800 Speaker 2: some of them being pirates, some of them were libertarians 714 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:26,280 Speaker 2: in the American capitalist sense of that word. So Radio 715 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 2: Caroline this point is being run by a guy named 716 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 2: Smedley and he has a first name, but it doesn't matter, 717 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 2: because when your last name is Smedley and you're a 718 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 2: libertarian pirate, you're just Smedley in my book. And Radio 719 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,719 Speaker 2: Caroline was not profitable despite being the biggest name in 720 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 2: the business, with the biggest reach. It's on two huge ships, 721 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 2: and so Smedley was like, hey, Radio City, let's go 722 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:50,960 Speaker 2: into business together. And if you're thinking this is a 723 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 2: play to try and steal that area, you're absolutely right. 724 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,319 Speaker 2: And he's like, it's a good idea. You can trust me. 725 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 2: My name is Smedley, and I apologized to anyone for 726 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 2: whom that is their legal name, but I don't know. 727 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 2: And so the Calverts chose to trust him. And Radio 728 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 2: Caroline had big, old transmitters shipped over from America from Texas. 729 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 2: Everything's bigger in Texas. And when they get there, Radio 730 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 2: Caroline's like, now you've got to pay us for all 731 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,959 Speaker 2: these transmitters and all the shipping costs, and Radio City 732 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 2: was like, never mind, we don't actually want him that much, 733 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:24,760 Speaker 2: and we actually just teamed up with his other pirate 734 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 2: radio station instead. So Radio Caroline sent over a fucking 735 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:35,279 Speaker 2: boarding party and took it by force and they shut 736 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,399 Speaker 2: down the transmitter at Radio City. This thing that comes 737 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 2: up behind the bastards all the time, where you know 738 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 2: it's going to go bad when people get out under 739 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 2: the water. That's how I feel with this whole thing, 740 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 2: because it started off I was like, oh it rules, 741 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 2: you get around the rules by going out in the water. 742 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:49,440 Speaker 2: And then you're like, oh, there's gonna be this kind 743 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 2: of shit. And so Rench Calvert goes over to Smedley's house, 744 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 2: and I do not know what was in his mind, 745 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 2: because he never leaves that house again. He shows up 746 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 2: the next day and it's like either like all right, 747 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 2: but let's talk this over, or he shows up armed 748 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 2: and is like call off your goons. All I know 749 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 2: is that Smedley shot and kills reg Calvert and gets 750 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,160 Speaker 2: away with it in self defense. 751 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 3: Who would prosecute, Like, wasn't this this isn't international water. 752 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 2: So he goes over to his house on land, Oh 753 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:23,920 Speaker 2: on land, Yeah, and they all have like offices on 754 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:27,120 Speaker 2: land as well. You know, I don't know if Radio 755 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 2: City did. 756 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 3: But see, that's what their downfall is. They should just 757 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:31,240 Speaker 3: keep everything on the water. 758 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and if they have their own passports, hear me out, 759 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,239 Speaker 2: cool zone platform, Cool zone platform, Sophie, what do you 760 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 2: think it's a former oil rig? Yeah? 761 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,240 Speaker 3: Right, or a series of them that have been chained together. 762 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 2: Yeah. What do you think? 763 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 3: This is kind of like something out of Robert Evans's novel? 764 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 3: I guess, so maybe it should. 765 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,279 Speaker 2: Well, we'll just let Robert be part of it. It'll 766 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 2: be fine, nothing will go wrong, and we'll make passports. 767 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 2: So Dorothy carries on Radio City without her husband for 768 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 2: as long as as she can. But in nineteen sixty seven, 769 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 2: which is I think the same year as the shooting, 770 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:10,360 Speaker 2: they can't remember, in response in part to this killing, 771 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 2: the government passes the Marine Broadcasting Offenses Act. Only they 772 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:17,839 Speaker 2: misspelled defenses they used to see instead of an ass 773 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,800 Speaker 2: And this was passed in order to stop pirate radio stations. 774 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 2: This you can't actually outlaw the station, but you can 775 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,840 Speaker 2: outlaw supplying any of these stations, and you can outlaw 776 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 2: advertising with offshore radio. Dorothy tried to fight this in 777 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 2: court and she lost. The same year the BBC launched 778 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 2: Radio one. I think this is when they launched their 779 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 2: numbered radios, because why would it be number one if 780 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 2: they had just launched it then? And they start playing 781 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:50,439 Speaker 2: pop and rock music because that's what people wanted, and 782 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,640 Speaker 2: because the BBC got in on the act. This strips 783 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:55,719 Speaker 2: away a lot of the support and listenership from the 784 00:40:55,760 --> 00:41:00,800 Speaker 2: pirate stations. Most stations shut down pretty much right away. 785 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 2: Radio Caroline, however, they're built different. They re registered as 786 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:09,319 Speaker 2: a Dutch company and kept going being resupplied from the 787 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 2: Netherlands for about another year. But did I mention that 788 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 2: they were libertarians? They did not pay the various fees 789 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 2: and things to the various people who they owed money to, 790 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:24,720 Speaker 2: and so the Dutch government shut them down. So ends 791 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,759 Speaker 2: the first saga of pirate radio in the UK. The 792 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 2: people who brought rock and roll to the e oldie England. 793 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 2: Y is these weird pirates? And I really like such? 794 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:40,240 Speaker 2: And also the Calverts seem probably fine. Did the station 795 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 2: change its method or anything like? Did they go all 796 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:46,719 Speaker 2: shock jockey when the BBC one stepped in and they 797 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 2: suddenly had competition? 798 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 1: Oh? 799 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 2: I don't know that would be I could really easily 800 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 2: imagine them like they might have been like so British 801 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 2: that even when they started by doing it as a crime, 802 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,800 Speaker 2: they probably still had to be like into this next 803 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 2: song that we will introduce is I don't know the 804 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 2: name of any rock songs from that era, great Balls 805 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 2: of Fire, but I don't know. Well, Screaming Lord Hutch 806 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 2: did get his name from Screaming Jay Hawkins. That was 807 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:15,239 Speaker 2: a like, hell, yeah, that seems cool. I want to 808 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 2: do that. I bet Radio such had some of his ass. Yeah. 809 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 2: Probably when we come back on Wednesday, we're going to 810 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 2: talk about a second wave of pirate radio with a 811 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 2: distinctly more radical bent that cropped up shortly thereafter. How 812 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:32,319 Speaker 2: you feeling on the first wave with wave being a 813 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 2: three parts the ocean. I like the symbolism, yeah, and 814 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 2: the airwaves. 815 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:40,920 Speaker 3: No, Yeah, I'm feeling good. I'm excited to learn a 816 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 3: little more. The name Radio Alice pops into my head 817 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 3: with what you sort of like led with, But I 818 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 3: don't know the details of that. 819 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:52,320 Speaker 2: But details of radio Alis a little bit cool on Wednesday. 820 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 3: Exciting. 821 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really interesting that the two most influential pirate 822 00:42:57,239 --> 00:43:00,200 Speaker 2: radio stations in Europe that I've tracked down personally. One's 823 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 2: Carolide and one's Alice, and they could not be more opposite, 824 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:07,880 Speaker 2: to the point where I think the Radio Alice people 825 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:10,920 Speaker 2: probably would have like fist fought Radio Carolide, you know, 826 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:15,359 Speaker 2: or boarded them maybe, yeah, or totaled them totally. Well, guy, 827 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:16,920 Speaker 2: I think you want to plug here at the end. 828 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 3: Sure, happy to be here for the chat. Like you 829 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:23,280 Speaker 3: said at the beginning. I do a radio show called 830 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,839 Speaker 3: The Final Straw. That's also a podcast. It's been going 831 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 3: for fifteen years. You can find it at TFSR dot 832 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,799 Speaker 3: media if you want to check out some of the 833 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:34,799 Speaker 3: past episodes, and yeah, we're on a bunch of the 834 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:37,440 Speaker 3: social media. Cool just look up Final Straw. 835 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:39,840 Speaker 2: What's what's a recent episode? Y'all? Did that you like? 836 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 3: I'm not sure when this will air, but the last 837 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:45,399 Speaker 3: week before this recording, I spoke with Thomas Rothaus, who 838 00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 3: wrote a book called Another War as Possible about militant 839 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 3: anarchist participation in the anti globalization era. And so it's 840 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 3: kind of we joke about it, or we didn't make 841 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 3: this up, but it's been joked to be the sequel 842 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:04,319 Speaker 3: to evasion, but with good politics. But it's lots of 843 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 3: like Ruckus like not the interview, but the book itself 844 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 3: has lots of really cool stories of getting away with 845 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,600 Speaker 3: stuff during riots in the early two thousands in Europe. 846 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,840 Speaker 2: It sounds like something that our listeners would like. 847 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:21,759 Speaker 3: It's fun. And I talked to someone from Remora House, 848 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,160 Speaker 3: a mutual aid project that does a lot of outreach 849 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 3: to houseless folks in DC, this week about what the 850 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 3: military and federal occupation in DC has been like for 851 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 3: the folks that they work with, as well as for 852 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 3: immigrant like folks who are being harassed by ice. 853 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,600 Speaker 2: Fuck y'all, what do I have to plug? I don't know. 854 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 2: I have a substack. I write about things. I actually 855 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,879 Speaker 2: wrote about radio this week, mostly so that I could 856 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,560 Speaker 2: talk about poetry. But I swear that's the worst pitch 857 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 2: I've ever done for my own newsletter. It's actually entertaining. 858 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,719 Speaker 3: Oh, I was just gonna ask what the connection that 859 00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:58,880 Speaker 3: you made between radio and poetry was. 860 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:01,840 Speaker 2: I'll talk about a bit more week. But the anarchist poet, 861 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 2: the godfather of the beats, who didn't like the beats 862 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 2: very much, Kennis Rexroth was a big part of starting 863 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 2: pacifica Radio, which is I think the start of public 864 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:16,280 Speaker 2: radio and listeners supported radio. 865 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,480 Speaker 3: If anyone in the audience is around KPFA, we air 866 00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 3: on Wednesdays from eleven to twelve every week. 867 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:26,759 Speaker 2: Oh shit, in the Bay as well. Okay, wait, where 868 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:28,640 Speaker 2: can people hear your show on the radio? 869 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 3: Columbus, Ohio, Knoxville, Tennessee, Asheville, North Carolina, the Wider Bay area, 870 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:40,759 Speaker 3: the North Bay, Eugene, Oregon. Sometimes around Garberville. We're on 871 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 3: a dozen stations, but if you visit the website, we've 872 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:46,160 Speaker 3: got like a list of the community radio stations that airs. 873 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 3: They're mostly like little LPFM stations that are that have 874 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:52,439 Speaker 3: like a leftispent. That's cool, Sorry to cut off Sophie's edition. 875 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:56,880 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Robert Evans prop and myself for doing a 876 00:45:56,920 --> 00:46:00,640 Speaker 1: fundraising live show in Portland, Oregon. All of our performer 877 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 1: proceeds we'll go towards to Portland bail fund. That is 878 00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 1: going to be on September twenty fifth at the Alberta 879 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:09,879 Speaker 1: Rose Theater. You can buy tickets now. 880 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:12,840 Speaker 3: Hell yeah, that's exciting. 881 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 2: All right. Well, I'll talk to you a Wednesday when 882 00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 2: we talk about more radio, and this time it'll be 883 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:21,399 Speaker 2: by people who will be mad that there's ads when 884 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:22,920 Speaker 2: we talk about it, instead of proud of us. 885 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:29,799 Speaker 1: Bye Bye, Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff is a 886 00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:32,960 Speaker 1: production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from cool 887 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:36,560 Speaker 1: Zone Media, visit our website coolzonemedia dot com, or check 888 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:39,920 Speaker 1: us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 889 00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:42,879 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.