Brian Anthony R.I.P.

Sad to report the death of Brian Anthony, who was tragically killed in a road accident near Antalya,Turkey, his adopted home of the past decade, on December 11th 2021 aged 76 years.
Brian’s name is known to the soul radio community as the founder of JFM Radio, the London-based pirate station launched in 1980 which continued broadcasting until January 1985.
Brian Anthony started out as a DJ on Radio Jackie which also trialled on VHF known as Jackie FM, and when he started his own station, he appropriated those initials for J.F.M. Radio, which many listeners took to mean Jazz Funk Music from the output of the station.
Transmissions were initially limited to Sundays and Bank Holidays, and the DJ roster featured a number of people (including Pete Tong, Steve Walsh, Gordon Mac, Steve Jackson and Lynn Parsons) who went on to gain wider radio fame.
Early in 1984 JFM began a 24 hour broadcast schedule with a transmitter located at Crystal Palace and studios also located in South London. As the reputation and audience of the station grew, so did the DJ roster, with an accumulation of leading names from the world of Club DJs and music journalism.

Along with running the radio station, Brian also organised listener events and:
‘club gigs’ in London including sell-out events at the Lyceum as well as two successful soul cruises to the Netherlands.

JFM ceased broadcasting in January 1985 after a major studio raid by officials from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Government body responsible for managing the airwaves.

As ex-JFM presenters Clive Richardson, Tony Monson and Mark Davis (now on Solar Radio) were acutely aware of at the time, Brian didn't suffer fools gladly and ran a tight ship! Through his drive, determination and vision, JFM became a 'go to' station for jazz-funk and soul fans in London and the home counties, with many now well-known bands being promoted on the station and appearing at PAs at the station's events. Without doubt, Brian's contribution to the rise of a new generation of radio stations and the popularisation of the music we love is huge - a torch which still burns bright in the hands of Solar Radio.

What can I say other than I first started listening to pirates in 1984 when JFM was on 102.8 before moving to 103.3 and Horizon on 102.5 in 1984 so with the founder of Invicter that I never actually heard Tony John's already dead only the Horizon founder Chris Stewart is still with us. Last time I heard Brian was in 1988 on CD 93 a station that was on 93.2 on Saturdays that shared with Starpiont who were on Sunday's RIP

I don't think many necks on here were even born when JFM were last on if this was a 90s d and b or garage ledgend there would probably be about 30 replies by now? it's good that there are a few of us older people that still remember these early to mid 80s stations they were the true pioneers that made anything from the 90s to present day pirate and community licensed stations possible today

famefm wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:32 am What can I say other than I first started listening to pirates in 1984 when JFM was on 102.8 before moving to 103.3 and Horizon on 102.5 in 1984 so with the founder of Invicter that I never actually heard Tony John's already dead only the Horizon founder Chris Stewart is still with us. Last time I heard Brian was in 1988 on CD 93 a station that was on 93.2 on Saturdays that shared with Starpiont who were on Sunday's RIP

I remember CD93 sharing with Starpoint. Always wondered, did they use the same transmission site? Didn't take much notice of any switchover back then but always a nice signal over in Essex. Could never get Starpoint quite as good when they were on 94.3 and might of been earlier I think they was on 88.6 at some point.

CD 93 was exactly the same equipment as starpiont for the brief time they were shareing with starpiont and starpiont was on 94.3 before 93.2 and 88.6 was before 94.3

Brian had a nice studio in his place in Orpington. MH and I linked it on ~ 485 MHz UHF to the Church Road Crystal Palace site (the one with the stacked quads). The link was analogue stereo using TV Yagis at each end, and was only around 100mW out of the rig in Orpington, and was fully noise-quietening. The path distance was 14.2 km. It was the only time I ever had to use coaxial stub filters on a link receiver input!

Technically, the station was pretty sophisticated for its day, and the big aerial provided some serious gain meaning that even with lower powered rigs they got a good signal into most of London.

The infamous studio raid was probably caused by DJs turning up with big boxes of records, despite having been told that they shouldn't. However, there were also rumours at the time that one disgruntled ex-JFM DJ decided to "get his own back" on Brian, and turned the studio address in to the authorities.

I remember the day well as the authorities cut the power to the whole building on the 12 January 1985 and it was the master mind road show with full crew and almost certainly was a rival dj who grassed up JFM and they never came back