Wonderful Radio London

During the heyday of Pirate Radio, one radio station stood out. It was called Radio London, and it was the most professional, the most innovative and the most popular. It also became the blueprint, not only for BBC Radio One, but for most commercial radio stations in the UK.

However, behind the scenes, this station, which was British run, was owned by American businessmen amongst who were some with murky connections and business dealings.

This is the story as to why, over half a century later, tales still swirl around about this station as a possible clandestine broadcaster of propaganda and one which also had a proven ability to influence democratic elections in the UK.

This video forms part of the Espionage & Intrigues series from "Great Stories from the Past" that looks at tales about spies, intelligence, informers, fake news, forgeries and propaganda.

[THEFOXMAN]

don't care what they did, they gave a lot of enjoyment and happiness to a lot of people.

[Derek_S]

Radio Caroline was the first but Radio London was the best by a mile.

[andrewwest]

I think that at 45seconds the DJ saying "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...." is Mike Lennox, not as captioned. Great memorie, thank you.

[frankedwardcurry]

That's not Ed Stewart at the start of the video - It is Mike Lennox - Great Documentary though !

[Muswell]

My beloved Big L. . I could still well-up when I think about it. That awful rainy August day. It felt like my World had collapsed. I was 14 & it had helped me & had given me a lot of comfort during 3 very difficult adolescent years.

[kevmichael]

Radio London was the best.. we had a station in California called Big 1110 KRLA.... anothor was Boss Radio 93 KHJ.. .. Radio London came to us through LPS ....by the Who and the Yardbirds.. ..wish I was there in London doing that time.. . Have CD recordings of this station 😊. It sounds great 👍 in 2025

[BoggWeasel]

What a breath of fresh air and fun they brought to the younger people of the UK... broadcast entertainment, especially radio, was so dated, stodgy and dull and only of interest to people over the age of 40 +. I was 8 when Caroline started broadcasting and would tune in with a crystal radio to hear the latest pop music hits....

[Bulletguy]

I was fortunate enough to be a teenager during the days of Pirate (offshore) Radio. I still remember lazing on the back lawn at home listening to Radio Caroline and my Dad shouting at me, "turn that off, its illegal, you will get me into trouble"!! But the DJ had me hooked as they had a brand new record just released which they were going to play "so stay tuned". I did!! It was The Animals "House of The Rising Sun" and the DJ played all 4minutes + of it. I remember some time later reading The Animals were told by their manager, "its too long, no radio station will ever play it"!

[paulm.]

Radio London was not the first pirate, but was the most professional ... in terms of format/presentation and as a business entity. It became the blueprint for BBC Radio One, in large part due to its use of PAMS jingles. Gordon McClendon was the radio master, but Bill Meeks was the founder and brain behind PAMS. (The PAMS building shown in this video is just a few miles from my home in Dallas ... it still stands but is just offices now, on the edge of "City Place"). PAMS was bought out by JAM Productions and JAM operates from suburban Dallas.

[raymondlee]

I remember as a 12 year old listening to the stations back then, They made BBC radio sound old fashioned it has been said many times BBC radio was stuck in 1949, Yes there must have been a lot going on in the background but millions of people couldn't be wrong? Harold Wilson was paranoid about every thing back in the mid 1960's, Left to him we would have been stuck with the BBC Light again he ran into trouble with the House Of Lords over the bill hence BBC Radio 1.

[radiosaido]

15:16 one small correction, PAMS wasn't founded by Gordon McLendon at all. In fact, he had barely anything to do with PAMS at all. It was actually Bill Meeks who founded PAMS in 1951.

[xewkija]

I can so remember the jingle, and trying to fine tune the old Grundig as it started to finally warm up. Good times.

[frankv.]

Just started going down the rabbit hole of pirate radio and more specifically, the offshore pirate heroes of the 60's and 70's. Wonderful video!

[TimHollingworth]

Caroline was my first love, although I did listen to Big L and enjoyed the the impression of a giant hollow studio when they used the echo effect. Very impressive to a young 13 year old. The pirates have stayed with me all these years, I'm 71 now! 📻

[Hygienist-]

I’ve seen so many documentaries about British pirate radio of this era, and yet cannot seem to find any recordings of the actual broadcasts on YouTube. Anyone able to steer me in such a direction?

[nobby]

Ah….those happy days of Radio London, Big L. Get your kicks on 266. I really enjoyed listening too it and found it a very interesting story. Well presented. Thank you.

[AndyT]

Anyone remember Radio North Sea International? The BBC actually jammed their transmission signal!

[barrydevonshire]

Really interesting . As a pirate radio fan for Many years . I did not know this. Of course Radio Caroline is the lone survivor still broadcasting. Ironically from the former BBC world service site. I am sure there's a conspiracy theory there somewhere

[Muswell]

I'm so honoured to have received a lovely message from Philip Birch a year or so before he died.

[Roger.Coleman]

Fascinating content and sinister anecdotes unknown to the majority of listeners to Big L. I loved the station with passion as most teenagers did, the brash American style over the staid BBC Popular Music output which was minimal. I always turned off at 7.00 pm when Garner Ted Armstrong came on and how cheekily Kenny Everett sent it up !.