Pirate radio in the United Kingdom Caroline and Radio London started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from offshore ships or disused sea forts. At the time, these stations were not illegal because they were broadcasting from international waters. The stations were set up by entrepreneurs and music enthusiasts to meet the growing demand for pop and rock music, which was not catered for by the legal BBC Radio services. The first British pirate radio station was Radio Caroline, which was launched by Irish music entrepreneur Ronan O'Rahilly, and started broadcasting from a ship off the Essex coast in 1964. By 1967 ten pirate
Pirate Cat Radio culture through the unique creations of baristas of the Pirate Cat Radio Cafe...". After years of only warnings from the FCC, in 2009 the FCC gave Pirate Cat Radio a $10,000 fine forcing the station off the air, thus causing it to become internet radio only. The fine was issued for broadcasting without a formal license from the FCC. There have consequently been a number of fundraisers hosted by the volunteer-based and commercial-free radio station. Although the fine had taken Pirate Cat Radio off the air Monkey continued to voice the importance of a free public radio. By May 2010,