THE LAST PIRATES: Britain’s Rebel DJs

BBC Four

TX September 2017

In the 1980s a new generation of pirate radio stations exploded on to Britain’s FM airwaves, creating a platform for black music in an era when it was shut out by legal radio.

In the ensuing game of cat and mouse which played out on the rooftops of inner city London, these rebel DJs used legal loopholes and technical trickery to stay one step ahead of the DTI enforcers who were tasked with bringing them down. And as their popularity grew they spearheaded a cultural movement bringing Britain’s first multicultural generation together under the banner of black music and club culture.

Presented by Rodney P whose own career as a rapper would not have been possible without the lifeblood of pirate radio airplay, this is the untold story of how Britain’s greatest generation of Pirate radio broadcasters changed the soundtrack of modern Britain – forever.

Presented by Rodney P Edwards
Director of Photography Anthony Thomas
Production Manager Sacha Whitmarsh
Editor Derek Kersting
Producer Vanessa Van-Yeboah
Assistant Producer Evie Buckley
Executive Producer Simon Ford
Directed by Jaimie D’Cruz