Pirate radio in the United Kingdom A number of DJs of the newly created pop music service BBC Radio 1 came from pirate stations. The UK Government also closed the international waters loophole via the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act of 1967, although Radio Caroline continued to broadcast (with some sizeable off-air periods between 1968 and 1972 and 1980–83) until 1990. The 1967 Marine Broadcasting Offences Act officially outlawed offshore stations, but unlicensed radio continued, moving from ships and sea-based platforms to urban areas in the latter part of the 1960s (they were already illegal under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949). During this period, home-made medium wave
Capital Radio (pirate) Capital Radio (pirate) Capital Radio (not to be confused with the later British radio station of the same name) was a pirate radio station which operated from international waters off the coast of the Netherlands in 1970. The station was set up by Canadian idealist Tim Thomason. In 1965 Thomason had established the International Broadcasting Society with the intention of bringing together professional broadcasting organisations from around the world. Eventually Thomason decided that the Society should have its own radio station which could be used to broadcast messages from the participating organisations. Thomason and his associates acquired a former German