Helmed by veterans and ex-pirates, listeners abandoned by the BBC are turning to Boom
On a quiet Sunday in August, for the first time in more than half a century, pirate radio filled Britain’s airwaves.
Johnnie Walker and Roger Day, who earned their stripes as DJs on Radio Caroline in the 1960s, led the line-up of presenters. Classics from the likes of the Beach Boys and The Kinks filled the schedule.
But the tunes were not broadcast from boats. Instead, they were beamed into British homes from the bedrooms, basements and sheds of the presenters on Boom Radio, a fledgling station catering for the over-60s.
The pirate special was the crowning glory in a whirlwind two years for Boom. Its nostalgic offering has tapped into a generation of listeners left behind by the BBC. Now, flush with cash from a fresh funding round, the baby boomer station is looking to grow further.