Longest running London FM Pirate station still going?

[teckniqs]

Would it be Lightnin' 90.8? Think they've been about since 1989 or something like that.

.....I know they had a few years gap (approx 1995 to 1999) but regardless of that I'm sure they are the longest running FM London pirate?

[sproggy]

Station FM calls itself "London's longest running community radio station" and celebrated its 33rd birthday earlier this year. Is it still on 89.8?

[shuffy]

Would it be Lightnin' 90.8? Think they've been about since 1989 or something like that.

I was living and working in London from the late 80's to the mid 90's and Lightning was definitely on in 89 - perhaps earlier! I was around at the start of Rinse and PB as pirates, and it pre-dated those by at least 5 years, probably more. Dunno how long the gaps were (or how it affects this "ranking"), I'd left by then.

[teckniqs]

Would it be Lightnin' 90.8? Think they've been about since 1989 or something like that.

I was living and working in London from the late 80's to the mid 90's and Lightning was definitely on in 89 - perhaps earlier! I was around at the start of Rinse and PB as pirates, and it pre-dated those by at least 5 years, probably more. Dunno how long the gaps were (or how it affects this "ranking"), I'd left by then.

Yeah I remember when both Rinse and Point Blank first came on, which would have been around the year of mid to late 1994.
....PB used to come from Langley flats (east Slough) on 101.2 with just 50w but used to get out considerably well!
And Rinse came on 91.8 as a pure Jungle station back then.
(neither of them are still on FM or the longest running though, so that's both of their rankings straight out the window. Haha)

Do you remember what frequency Lightnin' was on, was it 90.8 back then as well?
I didn't hear it until around early 1993 and it certainly was 90.8 then but was that the original freq??

As for Station FM which came on a good couple of years after Lightnin' I think it was on 101.5 back then but definitely not the longest running as 33 years ago would be 1991.
Not sure if it's still on 89.8, but I haven't heard them when I've been over London ways in more recent times but they certainly aren't the longest running and 90.8 definitely been on longer.

....Oh and...Does anyone know how long Vibes FM 93.8 has been on for? ....They were defiinitely on in 1993 when I first heard them but as for the year they started I haven't a clue....?

[famefm]

I can answer the lightning question for sure it was January 1989 on what they always said was 90.8 but until 1994 it was actually 91.0 and was very clear I used to pick it up in Reading it moved to 90.8 when the bbc got a crystal Palace relay on 91.0 for radio 3 but lightning had a nearly 3 year break at the end of the 90s so the longest continues station is Vibes 93.8 and has been on since Autumn 1990 and station FM started in January 1991

[famefm]

Yes station is definitely January 1991 and was on 101.5 for only a few months and was crystal clear then as nothing else was up there 2 years before classic started but they only lasted a few months then tried 99.6 for even less time and has been on 89.8 since the end of 91 when I was in London last it wasn't on fm but it definitely was earlier this year and as for pointblank 101.2 that was very brief as I am sure they moved due to Unique FM 101.2 that also started around 93? But unlike other other ones I don't remember exactly when Unique started but definitely before pointblank

[shuffy]

Do you remember what frequency Lightnin' was on, was it 90.8 back then as well?

I just read Famefm's post and agree. I remember the first time I heard Lightning, around 89. I was living near Clapham Junction, across the road from the Northcote pub! It wasn't a regular listen but I do recall noting how strong the signal was. As regards frequency, I had an idea it was 91 point something, but all I had at that time was the Walkman which had accompanied me through college, with a small analogue dial. I don't think I ever knew the exact frequency, sorry. It could have easily been 90.8.

[famefm]

Do you remember what frequency Lightnin' was on, was it 90.8 back then as well?

I just read Famefm's post and agree. I remember the first time I heard Lightning, around 89. I was living near Clapham Junction, across the road from the Northcote pub! It wasn't a regular listen but I do recall noting how strong the signal was. As regards frequency, I had an idea it was 91 point something, but all I had at that time was the Walkman which had accompanied me through college, with a small analogue dial. I don't think I ever knew the exact frequency, sorry. It could have easily been 90.8.

like I said first it really was 91.0 until the bbc got it for radio 3 at crystal Palace in 1994 but lightning always I'd as 90.8 from the very beginning and were only on 90.8 properly from the time the bbc took 91.0

[cocksock]

Slightly OT but an honorable mention to Genesis who was running before all of those stations but obviously hasn’t been on the FM for last 10 years or so.

[teckniqs]

like I said first it really was 91.0 until the bbc got it for radio 3 at crystal Palace in 1994 but lightning always I'd as 90.8 from the very beginning and were only on 90.8 properly from the time the bbc took 91.0

Yeah I knew it had to be between Vibes 93.8 and Lightning 90.8 so thanks for confirming 90.8 were a year before Vibes.

....Looks like BBC R3 91.0 came on in early 1995, I actually remember it being 95 very well so I had to double check if it was 94 or 95...

Crystal palace dates.png

[teckniqs]

Slightly OT but an honorable mention to Genesis who was running before all of those stations but obviously hasn’t been on the FM for last 10 years or so.

Is the Birmingham Genesis anything to do with the old "Black Power" Genesis 91.6 from London? ....As that's certainly been on in the last 10 years but I can't remember what frequency it is or was on up there.

....But yes, as you quite rightly say, they haven't been on FM in London for many years now.

[famefm]

The London Genesis is the only one I knew and it was 91.6 and I think it might have started in 1988 but I didn't listen I liked lightning at the time more and as for the earliest station it was actually supreme the one that's now on 99.8 it actually started before lightning on 90.4 but closed down at the end of 1990 and some of the people started station fm but just before 2000 supreme came back and for a while called themselves milliniam supreme

[teckniqs]

The London Genesis is the only one I knew and it was 91.6 and I think it might have started in 1988 but I didn't listen I liked lightning at the time more and as for the earliest station it was actually supreme the one that's now on 99.8 it actually started before lightning on 90.4 but closed down at the end of 1990 and some of the people started station fm but just before 2000 supreme came back and for a while called themselves milliniam supreme

Ahh OK then, so it looks like Surpreme 99.8 have taken the longest running London Pirate Veteran winning slot (leaving any off the airtime gaps aside) if they came on in 1988 like you say then they will be the longest station still going in London.

....I only first heard them when they came on as Millenium Supreme around the 99/2000 sort of time on the same frequency 99.8 which was never a good choice with Kiss 100 only 200k away. I remember being in Stoke Newington around that time and 99.8 was badly over deviating into Kiss as it was very strong around there.
Also, S-Dance 96.1 was called Supreme FM from around 1997 to 2000 before becoming Dance UK and then S-Dance.

(I gather you meant to put 90.8 and not 90.4 for Lightning FM?)

[famefm]

Sorry It might have been confusing I me supreme on 90.4 before lightning started without putting 90.8 and because supreme had such a long break it has to be lightning but even they had a 3 year break so the prize has to be station fm January 1991 with no break but the only thing is I haven't heard it since February?

[teckniqs]

Ahh OK yes my confusion, I was actually going to ask Supreme's original first frequency so you answered that question.

....As far as I know station isn't on at the moment (it certainly wasn't the last few times I was in London). Last time I heard them they were very strong in Central London so must've been using a good block quite close by but nothing heard since.

But like I say regardless of any offair-time gaps, the longest running "London's Multi-Platinum Award Winning" prize goes to 99.8 Surpreme FM.

[teckniqs]

as for pointblank 101.2 that was very brief as I am sure they moved due to Unique FM 101.2 that also started around 93? But unlike other other ones I don't remember exactly when Unique started but definitely before pointblank

Sorry I missed this post previously. Unique started in 1995 after Point Blank went off air. But there was another Unique FM before it playing Breakbeat Hardcore and Jungle ran by Tracey AKA Lady Vexs which later became Vision 95.2 (not to be confused with today's Vision 88.4)

PB came back on in early 1995 on 106.2 before Heart FM came on but there was another station from Kingston on 106.1 called Skandal FM who they got into a bit of a frequency-war with but looks like they won as Skandal quickly moved to 104.2 shortly afterwards.

....When Heart FM came on PBlank moved up to 106.9 (if I remember correctly)

[famefm]

Correct 106.9 for a while and briefly 96.1 I might possibly be wrong and then the famous 108 until 2007 when unknown fm decided they wanted 108 anyway and they had a dispute until they swapped frequencies as unknown were using 90.2 and pb agreed to swap and lasted until they got the licence they have now in 2021

[teckniqs]

Yeah that's correct but wasn't a good idea with S-Dance/Surpreme on there from South London so wasn't on 96.1 for long, I also heard PB on 90.5 shortly after this time coming through strong near Edgeware where I was living at the time.
Bashment/Platinum also came on that frequency as well after LJ moved from 87.9 to 87.5, this was around the year 2000 and were taken off a few times.

....90.2 was never a good frequency for Slough with 90.3 BBCR3 Guildford but after PB was sold off and moved a lot further into London it worked wonders. Now they are just another needle in the DAB haystack.

[famefm]

Guildford 90.3 radio 3 and I used to get pb 90.2 very well and I was only 17 miles away and was good enough in my car driving round Slough and as for s dance 96.1 how old is it now?

[oldtech]

Not continuous of course and now legit, but Radio Jackie was on the London Transmitter of Independent Radio 94.4 MHz in 1972/73, then after a long period on MW and a few gaps it returned to FM 107.8 MHz in 2003 with a license.