{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} '''Thameside Radio''' was an unlicensed radio station based in London. It launched in the winter of 1977,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Thameside Radio Story: Early Days |url=http://www.thamesideradio.net/earlydays.htm}}</ref> offering "very slick pop rock with competitions", according to ''Time Out''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Free as the Air |journal=Time Out |issue=449 |date=23 March 1979}}</ref> According to the ''Richmond and Twickenham Times'', it broadcast from "a certain Notting Hill tower block" –<ref name="rtt">{{cite news |last=Welch |first=Frances |title=Secret superbeam – Pirate radio defies Post Office |work=Richmond and Twickenham Times |date=28 November 1981}}</ref> a reference to Trellick Tower.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Thameside Radio Story: Technology |url=http://www.thamesideradio.net/technology.htm}}</ref>
The station received 30-40 letters each week<ref>''Sounds'', "Touch That Dial", 15 January 1983</ref> and had an estimated listenership of around 20,000.<ref name="rtt"/> It pioneered new music, and is noted by the ''New Musical Express'' for giving airplay to "Win a Night Out with a Well-Known Paranoiac" by Barry Andrews, which was subsequently picked up by BBC Radio 1.<ref>{{cite web |title=NME: Barry Andrews |website=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/artists/barry-andrews}}</ref>
Increasing numbers of raids resulted in the station losing five transmitters in six months<ref name="to2">{{cite journal |title=Static Crackle and Pop |journal=Time Out |issue=606 |date=2 April 1982}}</ref> and the station ceased live transmission, instead taping its shows shortly before broadcast.<ref name="to2"/>
Recordings of a number of Thameside Radio shows are held by the British Library.<ref>{{citation |title=Thameside Radio |url=http://cadensa.bl.uk/cgi-bin/webcat |work=Sound and Moving Image Catalogue |publisher=British Library |access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> Many shows are available for download from [http://fmthen.com fmthen.com] and [http://thamesideradio.org thamesideradio.org]
In late 1984, Thameside set up the first London unlicensed TV station<ref name="story">{{cite web |title=The Thameside Radio Story: Endings |url=http://www.thamesideradio.net/endings.htm |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref> {{endash}} Thameside TV {{endash}} for a small number of broadcasts.<ref name="story"/>
== References == <references/>
== See also == * [http://fmthen.com Thameside Radio Revisited] a downloadable archive of over 200 recordings of Thameside Radio shows * [http://thamesideradio.org Thameside Radio Home] an archive of studio recordings * [http://www.thamesideradio.net The Thameside Radio Story] for more information about the station * [http://clockworkradio.yourfreehosting.net/index.swf The Intrepid Birdman's archives] which include a section on Thameside Radio 90.2 * [http://www.surrey-sounds.co.uk/pirates.htm Surrey-sounds] for more info on Thameside Radio and a clip from New Year 1979/1980 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5spFxbB1QaM Sample of the station's output] *The Intrepid Birdman on Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/intrepidbirdman/
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Category:Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom Category:Radio stations in London Category:Radio stations established in 1977 Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom