Reference: 749851
Jerin John
Information Rights Adviser
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx
5 August 2019
T Mather
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear T Mather,
Freedom of Information: Right to know request
Thank you for your request for information about pirate radio stations in England.
This was received by Ofcom on 26 July and it has been considered under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 (“the Act”).
You asked:
Please would you provide a count of illegal (pirate) radio stations or radio broadcasts that Ofcom
was aware of in England during 2018?
Please also include stations that Ofcom was aware of but didn't take any action against.
If possible, could this list could be broken up by county?
I appreciate that the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 prevents you from identifying aspects of a
particular unauthorised broadcast in Section 2 (I).
Taking this into consideration, I would also like to ask for a separate unidentified list of what content
the stations were broadcasting - if you hold this information.
As there was surely more than one illegal broadcast in England last year, I don't believe that this
would be considered an advertisement for any one of the stations, especially as the list wouldn't need
to contain frequencies, station names or other identifiable information.
We do not hold all the information you requested. Where do we hold some of the information you
asked for, we do not hold it in the form you requested.
We hold the number of illegal broadcast stations known to Ofcom by financial year (1 April 2018 to
31 March 2019). The total number of illegal broadcast stations known to us for this period is 99. This
Page
1 of
3
includes all stations we were aware of, whether we took action against them or not. We do not hold
this data by county, and nor do we record the type of content used by any station.
If you have any queries, please contac
t xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx. Please remember to
quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely,
Jerin John
Page
2 of
3
If you are unhappy with the response or level of service you have received in relation to your request from Ofcom, you may ask for an
internal review. If you ask us for an internal review of our decision, it will be treated as a formal complaint and will be subject to an
independent review within Ofcom. We will acknowledge the complaint and inform you of the date by which you might expect to be told
the outcome.
The following outcomes are possible:
• the original decision is upheld; or
• the original decision is reversed or modified.
Timing
If you wish to exercise your right to an internal review
you should contact us within two months of the date of this letter. There is no
statutory deadline for undertaking internal reviews and it will depend upon the complexity of the case. However, we aim to conclude all
such reviews within 20 working days, and up to 40 working days in exceptional cases. We will keep you informed of the progress of any
such review. If you wish to request an internal review, you should contact:
Corporation Secretary
Ofcom
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Page
3 of
3