Illegal Broadcasting - West Midlands County - November 2012

Radio related FOI responses by Ofcom to be posted into here for reference & discussion!
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sde-1104
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Illegal Broadcasting - West Midlands County - November 2012

Post by sde-1104 » Sun Jan 04, 2015 9:22 pm

Thank you for your request for information regarding pirate radio stations broadcasting in the
West Midlands County from January 2005 until November 2012. We received your request
on 30 October 2012 and have considered it under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the
Act’). I have answered your questions in turn below.

The information on unlicensed broadcasting pre 2007 is held on Ofcom’s archived system
and is not readily accessible as a considerable amount of time would be needed to locate,
retrieve, identify and extract any relevant information. Section 12 of the Act provides that a
public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority
estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”.
The appropriate limit is set out in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
(Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, and is, for Ofcom, £450. That sum is
intended to cover the estimated costs involved in determining whether Ofcom holds the
information requested, identifying, locating, retrieving and extracting the information from any
document containing it. The Regulations provide that costs are to be estimated at a rate of
£25 per person per hour.

Ofcom estimates that it would take at least 18 hours to identify, locate and extract the
information you require for this question and as such the cost of complying with your request
will exceed the appropriate limit. We will therefore not be able to provide any information pre
2007.

1. How many prosecutions against individuals have taken place between the
specified dates?


27 (from 2007 to end Oct 2012)

2. Out of the number of persons identified, how many have had multiple
prosecutions?


None

3. Please list the names of all the unlicensed broadcast stations and the number of
times enforcement action has been carried against each of them, clearly showing
the method of enforcement used (i.e.: studio raid, main transmitter removal,
mobile telephones disconnected, website domain name blocking etc).



2010 - Caribbean Vibes? 99.7
2012 - Dance Asia 92.4
2007 - Deep FM 89.6
2012 - Deep FM 89.6
2011 - Distinct FM 87.5
2010 - Dream FM 92.3
2008 - Dream FM 99.2
2007 - Frontline FM 106.3
2010 - Frontline FM 106.3
2012 - Frontline FM 106.3
2009 - Fubar FM 90.2
2011 - Fusion 90.2
2012 - Fusion 90.2
2007 - Hot FM 92.0
2008 - Hot FM 92.0
2009 - Hot FM 92.0
2010 - Hot FM 92.0
2011 - Hot FM 92.0
2012 - Hot FM 92.0
2009 - Irie UK 99.7 / 99.4
2010 - Irie UK 99.7 / 99.4
2011 - Irie UK 99.7 / 99.4
2012 - Irie UK 99.7 / 99.4
2007 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2008 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2009 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2010 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2011 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2012 - Kriss FM 95.1 / 95.3
2007 - Midlands Rush 92.2 / 58.3 / 97.5
2008 - Midlands Rush 92.2 / 58.3 / 97.5
2009 - Midlands Rush 92.2 / 58.3 / 97.5
2010 - Midlands Rush 92.2 / 58.3 / 97.5
2009 - Pure FM 97.5
2010 - Pure FM 97.5
2007 - Real FM 99.6 / 99.7
2008 - Real FM 99.6 / 99.7
2009 - Real FM 99.6 / 99.7
2010 - Real FM 99.6 / 99.7
2007 - Silk City 101.5
2008 - Silk City 101.5
2009 - Silk City 101.5
2007 - Skyline FM 94.2
2008 - Skyline FM 94.2
2009 - Skyline FM 94.2
2010 - Skyline FM 94.2
2012 - Skyline FM 94.2
2007 - Smooth 93.8
2008 - Smooth 93.8 1
2007 - Sting FM 107.5 / 97.5 / 106.6
2008 - Sting FM 107.5 / 97.5 / 106.6
2009 - Sting FM 107.5 / 97.5 / 106.6
2010 - Sting FM 107.5 / 97.5 / 106.6
2010 - Supergold Stafford 97.5
2007 - True FM 103.5
2007 - Underground FM 107.0
2008 - Underground FM 107.0
2009 - Vibez 87.5
2010 - Yard Vibes 99.2 / 99.7
2008 - Unidentifed 92.4
2010 - Unidentifed ?
2011 - Unidentifed ?

4. How many enforcement visits have been as a result from information supplied
from members of the public or licence paying broadcasters.


2007 - 22
2008 - 46
2009 - 29
2010 - 18
2011 - 13
2012 - 2

5. Please supply a breakdown of costs for each case of enforcement action carried
out.


This information is not readily accessible as a considerable amount of time would be needed
to locate, retrieve, identify and extract any relevant information. Section 12 of the Act applies,
as explained above.

6. Please give details of any complaints or allegations made against Ofcom's staff in
the enforcement section.


We do not hold this information. We do not believe there were any complaints have been
made against Ofcom staff post-2007

7. Out of the unlicensed broadcast stations identified, if any have not had
enforcement action against them please supply information as to why it hasn't
taken place.


We do not hold this information. We do not believe there were any complaints made against
Ofcom staff post-2007

8. How many reports of interference to safety of life services or aviation have been
reported in West Yorkshire between the dates stated above, if any please state
which authority reported it and if the interference was proven to be attributed to
pirate radio?


1 report from Swanwick/NATS re interference to Birmingham Airport. Proven to be an illegal
broadcast station in Birmingham.

Mr F
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Post by Mr F » Sun Jan 04, 2015 9:50 pm

Where's that thread gone about worst station names? Need to add 'yard vibes' to it!

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ofcomhater
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Re:

Post by ofcomhater » Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:12 pm

Mr F wrote:Where's that thread gone about worst station names? Need to add 'yard vibes' to it



viewtopic.php?t=401

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