Radio static at Alderney's 'pirate' station

Thursday 21 December 2023

An alleged illegal radio station operating out of Alderney has gone offline, after an investigation was launched into the so-called 'pirate' radio station.

On 12 December an enforcement officer for OFCOM (The Office of Communications) sent letters to several properties in Alderney.

The letter said that an investigation had been launched and that the houses that had been letter-dropped were in close proximity to an aerial broadcasting the station.

Earlier this week, Express revealed that local law enforcement has been working with OFCOM to identify the source of the station, which has been broadcasting on FM 105.4 for several years.

In a statement Guernsey Police said: “Officers are now working with the regulator to both inform islanders about this and stop the transmissions taking place.” 

It came as Riduna Radio - an online station in Alderney - sought to distance itself from the pirate station.

“Riduna Radio Limited would like to make it clear that the letter distributed by Guernsey Police to properties on Alderney today, including Riduna Radio, have absolutely nothing to do with Riduna Radio Limited," it said in a statement online.

Express has since learned that the station went quiet earlier this week and that Ofcom has identified the general area of an aerial that was broadcasting the station.

It is illegal to broadcast on FM frequencies without a licence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. The offence can attract a penalty of up to two years in prison, or a substantial fine.

A pirate radio station is a station that broadcasts without a licence. The activity is deemed illegal because it can harm legitimate stations and interfere with many other types of radio communications, including those used by pilots.