Why am I so interested in offshore radio? Is it just an obsession?

Most people you meet think that Radio Caroline only existed in the sixties. After that many never twiddled their dials, and were happy with Radio One, and all the poor quality commercial stations that followed.

They were all playing the same old tripe, over and over again. But not Radio Caroline. They were playing album music, rock music, something different. They hung on out there until 1990.

Since the creation of the Radio Authority to control all the sterile independent radio stations, this bureaucracy has grown and grown. Stations have to comply. They have to broadcast what they are told. Success is measured by listener figures (because the advertisers pay more for more listeners) and this leads to stations playing "safe" music and being totally unadventurous.

The only station to infiltrate the system has been Atlantic 252, which broadcasted pop and dance music on Long Wave from Ireland and could be picked up in most parts of the UK. Alas, the station fell on hard times and closed down around 2001. It didn't play my kind of music, but still deserves a place in the history books for operating outside the jurisdiction of the Radio Authority.

A similar project is now being set up in the Isle of Man, where the Isle of Man Broadcasting Company (set up by Laser 558's founder Paul Rusling) will transmit high-power signals on 279 k/cs. This is taking a long time to materialise, for there seem to be never-ending hurdles, but will hopefully justify the wait. The transmissions will be from an offshore structure named Caroline Island.

But meanwhile, Caroline has come bouncing back! Initially broadcasting for just a few hours per day on a disused satellite channel, the station now transmits twenty-four hours per day by satellite and live through the internet. It is like having the clocks turned back - but with modern technology the quality is better than ever.

Many argue that broadcasting through mediums that require payment is not "free radio" but I believe the real meaning of free radio is that the station is free to broadcast what it wants. Radio Caroline has achieved that once again, so you can hear Led Zeppelin over breakfast and all the other music you haven't heard for so long - blended with modern rock music too.

To listen in you need equipment - the cheapest option is though the internet but if you pay for your internet connection calls by the minute you won't be staying on for long. Tuning in by satellite requires some investment - in equipment and/or subscriptions. Worldspace radio is a brilliant option, because you get the versatility of a portable radio and tune in using a portable satellite dish no bigger than a saucer. Yes, you'll have to buy the equipment and buy an annual subscription - but it is worth it. Buy Sanyo's Worldspace radio and it will plug into your stereo system, too. Then you can pound out the quality loud enough for your neighbours to know what you are listening to.

Some would say Radio Caroline has sold out by not broadcasting from a ship. I say that getting back on air in any way is an achievement, and one the station should be proud of. They deserve your support.

Undoubtedly it would be nice to be able to tune in on Medium Wave on your tranny, but would you soon desert the station for a high-quality signal from a station on FM? Times have changed, and listeners flock to FM stations for the crisp, stereo signal.

My past pleasures have included listening on the car radio. None of the new technologies yet have this capability, but maybe soon . . .