Rock Radio

[BearRokJok@xxxxxxx]

Alice's Restaurant Rock Radio

Are you a rock fan, fed up with what's on radio, who wants to do something
about the situation, but doesn't know how?

It's crazy, that the country that has spawned some of the world's greatest
rock bands, has no rock radio! Others have radio they can listen to all day
every day, so why not rock fans too?

What can be done about this appalling situation? Should rock bods protest
outside the BBC, burn effigies of well known pop stars on bonfires, or storm
Virgin Radio, and demand to be flown to Cuba? How about a pirate radio
station?

But seriously folks...

In desperate situations where there's no other way, some people go to great
lengths in order to get their point across. Along those lines I've been
involved with pirate rock radio stations in London for many years, including
T1, Alice's Restaurant, HMR, Amanda, Andromeda, RFM, and Rock 106. Of these,
80's station Alice's Restaurant was the most long lived, and arguably the
most well known. Playing 100% album rock, from AC/DC to Zeppelin, Accept to
Zappa, Aerosmith to ZZ Top, soft n' heavy, new n' older, well known &
obscure, you name it Alice's Restaurant played it. Alice's was described as a
"rock giant" by singer/songwriter, journalist, promoter, broadcaster and
millionaire Jonathan King, and the famous Alice's name is still well
remembered by the rock bod in the street, and by those in the radio and rock
industry today.

On Talk Radio UK more recently, our ol' mate Jonathan King said it was
"criminal" that there was no rock radio. Rock IS a popular style of music,
and official BPI sales figures show this very clearly indeed. Close on the
heels of pop's 38%, rock's 33% album sales are way ahead of the next
category, easy listening - at just 8%, with ALL other styles lagging behind
in the single figures category!! The fact that rock sells far more than most
musical styles which have dedicated stations, like country, classical, jazz
and easy listening, speaks volumes about the greatest music on the planet!
Considering its popularity, a rock station is badly needed, and in these
times of equal rights and opportunities, it's both unfair and undemocratic
that there isn't one dedicated rock station on air.

There was a time when I thought that chucking wires over trees in fields, or
clambering around on tower blocks setting up pirate radio transmitters at
night in all weathers, was the only way to get rock on radio. Not any more.
I've realised pirating is a waste of time, hard work and money - not to
mention the risks involved; confiscated equipment, 2 year jail sentences and
worst of all, the loss of irreplaceable record and CD collections!! Come to
think of it, icy roofs with a sheer drop 30 storeys up on top of a tower
block were pretty risky too!! Okay, pirate radio gives many people a start in
radio, but most move on to bigger, better and legal things. Off the air more
than on, pirate radio's wasted effort, time and money, could all be
channelled into a legal station, which only needs setting up once, and would
be on air 24 hours a day. Rock radio at the flick of a switch, all day every
day. Isn't that what every rock fan wants?

For several years I've looked at ways to do a legal rock station, I know what
needs to be done, and how to get Alice's back on. However, there's nothing
I'd like more than to work with REAL rock fans - ex pirates or not, who know
their stuff and are serious about rock radio. Many other people are taking
advantage of the legal radio scene - what rocker wouldn't want a piece of the
action too? I'd like to hear from serious and dedicated rock enthusiasts who
want to get involved - I need to get a good team of people together that can
help run Alice's. I'm not expecting people to be Tommy Vances or Alan
Freemans, as long as you're keen on rock that's the most precious credential
you'll need. Oh yeah, a few records or CD's would help too! If you're not
into rock radio, you may know others who are! Initially, I'm looking for
people in and around the London area.

Do nothing and you let your music, your culture, your side and yourself down,
surely no real rock fan would do that? Do something positive - get involved,
and help get real rock radio on the air 24 hours a day. DJ's and office/sales
bods etc, e-mails to:

ALICE'S RESTAURANT ROCK RADIO. 

e-mail: bearrokjok@xxxxxxx   [BearRokJok]

Together we can do this; united we stand, divided we fall.

I'm standing. How about you?

Bear.