A distinct childhood memory of mine is my grandfather playing Radio XL during our car journeys. Though I never paid attention to the music, the cheery ‘Radio XL!’ jingle is permanently branded into my mind.
Other British Asian millennials may remember their own car journeys with Radio XL, Sangam, Sunrise Radio, Asian Sound Radio, Fever FM and of course BBC Asian Network.
Little did I know Radio XL was the first 24 hour Asian Radio Station to broadcast in the West Midlands. And who did they have to thank for that?
Pirates.
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Not the ocean roaming thieves kind. Rather pirate radio stations set up by British Asian broadcasters in the late 80s and early 90s to broadcast the best of Asian voices and music.
One such original pirate was Anjum Rafiq, a radio broadcaster who witnessed the birth of pirate radio stations and was an early fighter for Asian representation on the air waves.
