{{short description|1980s pirate radio station in West London}} {{Redirect|Rebel Radio|anarchic radio|pirate radio|the ''Grand Theft Auto V'' radio station|Rebel Radio (Grand Theft Auto)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station | country = England | name = Dread Broadcasting Corporation | logo = Dread Broadcasting Corp.jpg | logo_size = 210px | area = London | frequency = | former_frequencies = 93.9 / 103.8 FM | airdate = 1980 | last_airdate = 1984 | format = Reggae, Lovers rock, African, Soul, Funk }} '''Dread Broadcasting Corporation''', also known as '''DBC''', was a 1980s West London pirate radio station which is credited as Britain's first black music pirate radio station.<ref>{{cite news|author=Dennis, Tony|title=Black Pirates in the Grove|url=https://archive.org/details/time-out_black_pirates_1981|accessdate=24 August 2014|publisher=Time Out|date=23 October 1981}}</ref>
== History == It broadcast from the Neasden and Ladbroke Grove areas, and was founded by DJ Lepke (born Leroy Anderson)<ref name="wire">{{cite web|url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/news/50350/dread-broadcasting-corporation-founder-lepke-has-died|title=Dread Broadcasting Corporation founder Lepke has died|work=The Wire|date=25 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="rdmadaily">{{cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/04/a-tribute-to-dbc-lepke|title=DBC Lepke: A Dread Outta Control|author=Lloyd Bradley|date=13 April 2018|work=RDMA Daily}}</ref> in the autumn of 1980.<ref name="hindmosco">{{cite book|author=Hind, John & Mosco, Stephen|title=Rebel Radio: The Full Story of British Pirate Radio|publisher=Pluto Press, 1985|pages=33–38}}</ref><ref name="hebditch">{{cite book|author=Hebditch, Stephen|title=London's Pirate Pioneers|publisher=TX Publications, 2015|pages=97–101}}</ref><ref name="standup1">{{cite web|url=https://standupandspit.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/the-living-dread/|title=The Living Dread|work=Stand Up and Spit|date=31 March 2018}}</ref> Originally broadcasting on AM, it moved to FM at the end of 1981.<ref name="standup2">{{cite web|url=https://standupandspit.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/dread-beat/|title=Dread Beat?|work=Stand Up And Spit|date=20 August 2014}}</ref> DBC would play reggae, lovers rock, African, soul, and funk.
Ranking Miss P (sister of Lepke) would originally start out on DBC, eventually moving onto a long career at the BBC.<ref name="indep">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/black-to-the-future-31323.html|title=Black to the future|work=The Independent|date=1 November 2004}}</ref> Guest shows would include the likes of Joe Strummer from the band The Clash, Neneh Cherry and author Lloyd Bradley.<ref name="vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/neneh-cherry-interview-cool-album-four-tet/|title=We Spoke To Neneh Cherry About Working With Four Tet|work=Vice|date=10 February 2014}}</ref>
Miss P, commenting on the station at the time: "There's never been a station run like DBC. Our format allows us to play music that would otherwise never be heard publicly. We create movement within the industry."<ref name="hebdige">{{cite book|author=Hebdige, Dick|title=Cut'n'mix: culture, identity, and Caribbean music|publisher=Taylor and Francis, 1987|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cutnmixcultureid00hebd/page/155 155–156]|year=1987|isbn=978-0-906890-99-8|url=https://archive.org/details/cutnmixcultureid00hebd/page/155}}</ref>
The station featured on the BBC's Oxford Road Show programme in January 1982,<ref name="bbcteacharchive">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/archive/dread-broadcasting-corporation/z6cn2sg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521142112/https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/archive/dread-broadcasting-corporation/z6cn2sg|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 May 2020|title=Dread Broadcasting Corporation - BBC Teach|work=BBC}}</ref> and a 1982 episode of London Weekend Televisions ''The London Programme''.
DBC would eventually cease broadcasting in autumn 1984.<ref name="hindmosco" />
== Discography == * ''Striving To Be Free / It's A Sign'' 12" (DBC, 1982) * ''Dread Broadcasting Corporation'' 2xCD (Trojan Records, 2004)
== References == {{reflist|1}}
Category:Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom Category:Black British music Category:Radio stations in London Category:Reggae, soca and calypso radio stations Category:Urban contemporary radio stations Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom Category:Radio stations established in 1980 Category:Radio stations disestablished in 1984