HARWICH’S LV18 light vessel has been granted an AM radio licence with people in the area being invited to tune in. The Lightvessel LV18 on Harwich Quay has been home to radio stations for more than 25 years.
It also boasts a museum covering the history of the 1960s and 1970s pirate radio stations – a history captured in the film The Boat That Rocked.
From late 2023, the LV18 has had its own permanent online radio station Radio Mi Amigo.
It has been a long-term aim of the LV18 crew to host their own AM radio station to demonstrate how they used to work and “bring history to life”.
Ofcom has now granted the vessel a low power AM licence which covers the area of the LV18, which is moored permanently on Harwich Quay.
Station manager and licensee Tony O’Neill said: “We’ve been broadcasting on temporary licences for 25 years and are pleased to announce that we have now been granted this five-year licence.
“Our long-term aim has been to remember the important part the offshore radio pirates played in Sixties pop music and this ties in with our on-board museum.
“Harwich has a very important role in this aspect of its rich maritime history.”
The medium wave station programmes will be the same as the 24/7 online station, broadcasting a mix of Sixties and Seventies music to reflecting the era of the offshore pirates.
Those in the vicinity of LV18 in Harwich can tune in on 1575kHz MW.
Radio Mi Amigo will also be holding a live weekend between August 14 and 17.
A team of DJs, many of whom were the original pirates of the airwaves, will be broadcasting live from the LV18 on 1575kHz medium wave and online at lv18radio.uk.
https://www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk/news/25319168.harwichs-lv18-given-radio-licence—residents-can-tune/
Ydun Ritz (2025-07-18)