The History Channel, Original Podcast.

Hey history, the Sweet listeners, Sally here. Today we're bringing you an episode

from the archives that is fit for summer beach listening. This is the story of the Rock and Roll

Pirates who took to the seas and broadcast pop music to the British public. Hope you enjoy.

History this week, August 14, 1967, I'm Sally Hound.

Gail Force winds off the coast of England, choppy waves, foam blowing in streaks across the water,

and a small group of pirate ships that have been fighting to stay afloat and are about to lose.

These are pirates of a particular kind, less sword fighting and treasure hunting, more spinning

records and dancing laid into the night. For the past few years, a handful of boats have made

at their mission to broadcast popular music from international waters, because the BBC won't play

much pop, and this is the 60s. The people want to hear it. This was always just barely legal,

and now the government has put its foot down. Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, these pirate

radio DJs will become criminals. Several boats have already given up, and today, the last possible day,

the first to stop broadcasting is Radio London. The next to drop is Radio 27O, so named for the

frequency that it airs on. In their final hours, they have a rough go of it. The bad weather

prevents most of the DJs from making it out to the boat, so they have to record their farewell

messages from the shore. A helicopter pilot agrees to drop a package of tapes on board the ship,

so the DJs who are on board can play them, but he misses and the tapes plunge into the water.

Plus, 27O has some technical difficulties after jellyfish get sucked in with the water that's

supposed to cool the generators. But their final broadcast is poignant nonetheless.

Right before midnight, Radio 27O is now closing down. Radio Scotland shuts down at the last minute, too.

In the dying minutes of Radio Scotland, through again, thank you from the bottom of my heart, and to say,

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