RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

share has declineđ from гб/ of the auđience to \6/ over the past few years , though new ILRs in towns around London have also contributed to this f all. (VicK 1988; Deloitte , HasKins and Sells 1988) Therefore, it is not surprising that the Association of Independent Rađio Contractors (AIRC), the ILR trade association , has emerged as the biggest defender of status quo . Brian West of AIRC attacKs the pirates in vitriolic terms: 'The pirates are illegal, a nuisance, and a menace to the broadcaster . . . they рау no royalties on music played , they avoid all the costs of legitimate broađcasters such as rental of transmitters from the IBA and they nibble away at audience figures of licensed broadcasters reducing their advertising revenue . It is completely unfair and they deserve no sympathy .' (Wroe 1988) The AIRC wants the government to repress the rivals of its members . The association has tried discrediting the stations by publicizing апу 'violence' caused by inter-pirate rivalries . (Radio Today 1987) In response, the ministry responsible for policing the radio spectrum , the DTI (Department of Trade and lndustry) , has waged an escalating war against the pirates . Between 1985 and 1988, it cost im 2 to enforce the broadcasting law with <BOO,OOO spent in 1987/8 alone . (Butcher 1988) In 1985/6, the DTl's Radio Investigation Service carried out 217 raids on 6 7 pirate stations , mainly in LOndon and Hanchester . 124 people were convicted and fined . (Radio Regulatory Division 1987: 26) Douglas Hurd has threatened to step up the campaign further and the government is planning to spend <400,000 just on new eguipment for chasing pirates . (Hurd 1988 a; Broadcast 1988) As the government seems unable to bring the pirates within the law , it is inevitable that this campaign of repression will intensify over the next few years . The problem facing the DTI is the financial viability of the pirates . Using cheap transmitters and microwave linKs, it has become relatively easy to avoid the law forbidding unlicensed broadcasting. The major London dance music station, Kiss-FM, raises between <3OO to <BOO a weeK through advertising . This covers costs of transmitters removed by the DTl's enforcement адепсу . On average, the station is busteđ once a weeKend, though sometimes it is raided everyday . Kiss-FM has built up its large auđience through promoting blacK music , such as hip-hop, house , disco , and other styles . It has avoiđed the temptations of payola off ered to other stations . The station's leader , Gordon Mac , explains their success as the result of picKing the d.j.s for their musical Knowledge and allowing them to play what they want to play. (Gordon Mac 1988) There is an

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