February 10, 1961
Voice of Nuclear Disarmament pirate radio station began operation off shore, by hijacking the audio channel of BBC television after they closed down at 11 p.m. It was run by John Hasted, an activist in the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament and urged people to attend their rallies. “Pirate radio” in the UK first became widespread in the early 1960s when pop music stations started to broadcast on medium wave to the UK from international waters, typically offshore ships or disused sea forts. The stations were set up by entrepreneurs and music enthusiasts to meet the growing demand for pop and rock music, which was not catered for by the legal, state-run BBC Radio services.
