The Solar Radio JICRAR Forgery scam was the final nail in the coffin and ended all hopes of those new radio licenses that were due to be released in 1986. Years of hard work by Radio Jackie, Invicta, JFM, Horizon, DBC, Alice’s Restaurant plus others along with many thousands of listeners who had signed petitions and sent letters to the Rt Hon Douglas Hurd (Minster UK Government). This is the story certain people do not want to reminded about or today’s listeners informed about.
JICRAR, Later To Become RAJAR
Introduction to JICRAR, later to become RAJAR. RAJAR stands for Radio Joint Audience Research. They are the official body in charge of gathering radio listener data in the UK. The company is jointly owned by the BBC and the Radiocentre on behalf of the commercial radio sector. In short they collect data from listeners as to who they listen to and when. This enables RAJAR to find out the performances of radio stations, which are the most popular and have the most listeners, amongst other things.
Along comes Solar Radio in 1985/6 who had closed down on the 29th of September 1985 (in order to apply for one of the new radio licenses). Solar Radio’s close down that day was full of technical issues and the alcohol was flowing. It came across on air as amateurish and unprofessional, a great advert to the IBA not to issue licenses in itself.
Weeks before they held an event at Cinderellas Rockafells in Purley Croyden where they had a poor turnout of listeners (According to the then manager of the venue). PA’s did not turn up and capacity of the venue 800, was no where near full. Did Solar Radio need something to combat the close down of Horizon Radio on the 15th of September 1985 at the Harrow Leisure Center in North West London where at the lowest offical figures, 12000 turned out. The Horizon Radio event was also broadcast live for 8 hours. Horizon Radio had 25 PA’s from Soul and Reggae Artists and many more even turned up, DJ Steve Walsh, asked to speak to the crowd and Steve was never on Horizon Radio as a DJ, but did say he wished he would have been an Horizon Radio DJ in his speech to the audience as it was the No1 Soul Station by a long way.
Solar Radio JICRAR Forgery
Did Tony Monson or AN OTHER in order to save face, decide to combat the success of Horizon Radio’s massive close down of the 15th of September 1985. Who Knows? Solar Radio under the guidance of Tony Monson came up with new unofficial (forged) JICCAR listener figures for that year. The Solar Radio FORGED figures showed Solar Radio as the most listened to radio station in London in 1985. Solar Radio “clandestinely” distributed the document after the media offices had closed, by shoving the paperwork through media letterboxes. Surely if Mr Monson had really thought that document was real, he would have walked in to the offices proudly and handed it over, but no it was clandestinely delivered.
Within days of that forgery, details were printed in one of Mr Monson’s preferred media outlets. This resulted in the BBC and the then ILR radio stations (JICRAR) being inflamed with the forged document. JICRAR put in a complaint to the newspaper who had to printed the forgery. The newspaper had to retract the forged Solar Radio figures and apologise for the miss information. It did not stop there, JICRAR the BBC and ILR stations went to the government and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and asked the question “How on earth can you think of licensing people who act like this?. “Radio Gangland” like the clubland of the 50/60’s” was mentioned on many occasions). The IBA knew exactly what had been going on during the last 10 months or so.
Time For Mr Monson of Solar Radio To Explain The JICRAR Forgery
Lets let Tony give an explanation here in an email to Chris Stewart on the 10/03/2018 shall we?
Mr Monson again trying to associate or lay the blame on Horizon Radio, he well knows that so called EX Horizon Radio DJ had been dismissed like himself on the 11th of October 1984 when Horizon Radio was closed down by the Radio Interference Department (RID) and DTI. That DJ (if there was one) like Mr Monson had been a member of Solar Radio’s management team since the start of the Solar Radio on the 12th of October 1984.
Why would I lie about that asks Mr Tony Monson? We don’t know the answer to that one.
Who Produced The Solar Radio JICRAR Forgery Document?
Your guess is as good as ours, but in 1985 desk top publishing was not yet with us, no computers or printers, we did not even have mobile phones in those days. To produce a document that would pass the scrutiny of the likes of London’s Evening Standard & others, probably would have been produced by someone with publishing experience. The owner of Horizon Radio knew all of the presenters on that station and knew that only one person had that kind of experience. Many of the other DJ’s/presenters could not even change a light bulb.
One presenter did have publishing experience as he wrote reviews of the latest records and created (Imaginary Charts) for a well know publication of the day. So had publishing experience. A journalist maybe who also knew where to get the Solar Radio JICRAR Forgery Document Printed, as you would need a commercial printer in those days. You may get the answer in this next document, but who knows. Page 14 is interesting.
Lets sum it all up. Mr Monson’s Solar Radio station came on air in late October 1984 on the frequency of 102.5 fm/vhf which had been made one of the most listened to radio frequency’s in the South East by Horizon Radio, a ready made audience was waiting. Solar was on air for just 10 short months (a lot of the time off air due to RID raids and engineers who loved the money). The station was a very poor copy of JFM (as it is today), diving into soul music and presenter favourite rock fields at all times of the day, which may please the minority of listeners, but not the majority.
It should have been a straight forward transformation from Horizon to the new Solar Radio as many of the personnel had been part of Horizon for years. But no from day 1 of Solar Radio, lies started to flow (11 DJ’s revolt being the first), theft and threats to kill started on day one. Over the next 10 months trouble that had never been seen on the unlicensed radio network before, became an everyday occurrence.
Mr Monson claims he did not talk to the press.
We found this and 5 more in in the archives, plus more at other media locations, perhaps one should think before answering.
What a stupid thing to do washing you dirty lien in public!
“The love and peace image once associated with”?
The press release above came out in July 1985, but also had come out in January 1985. Only two stations were on Christmas 1984 and they were JFM and LWR. Solar Radio did not show up that Christmas as they were caught red handed creating a new studio insight of the Gas Board Special Investigators who had their base above the Gas Board Showroom Westow Hill which was well known at the time. Sheer incompetence.
Jealous Rivals?
The above press release reappeared days after Horizon Radio (which had returned to the airwaves on the 15th of January 1985), had made in known live on air ( July 1985) that Horizon would close down and apply for one of the new radio licenses. Solar Radio, 2/3 weeks later copied Horizon Radio in announcing their close down. Press releases like this were concocted to get press attention and sympathy cry babies need, but did more damage than good as each story released alerted the authority’s to the shenanigans going on since the arrival of Solar Radio. At the time investigators were watching everything and even warned Paul Buick of Solar Radio about the problems the $hit stirring and lies were causing. High Court action was about to take place against JFM/Brian Anthony, resulting in a severe daily financial penalty for causing interference, Police were also investigating theft and threats.
Telephone Chat With Lead Special Investigator on the 6th of January 1985 after he had spoken to Paul Buick.
In the clip above you also heard it was a red Astra with a Radio Jackie sticker in the back that sped away from the new attempted Solar Radio studio that day and not as Howe and Buick told Monson it was Chris Stewart’s car with an Horizon Radio sticker in the rear. Chris Stewart’s car at no time ever had an Horizon Radio sticker in it for security reasons. The Astra was the same car Howe used to arrive at Horizon Radio in April 1984.
Mr Tony Monson claims he did not talk to the press, so the press are liars (possible). All comments in various publications have a certain theme.
Nice article here confirming what so many have heard so many times. “Tony Monson estimated the Solar Radio Audience at 125.000″ but his then friend at Record Mirror said 1,475,000”, so did the JICRAR forgery<<<<. Then more press releases that had a go at the IBA and the government with derogatory comments. Utter stupidity, but some people could not keep their typewriters silent as they needed to see their name in print to justify their existence.
Not all information in this book is 100% correct, but the RID did raid all stations due to the release of the fake Jicrar figures, Horizon Radio was the first one to return that day. This is what happens when dirty laundry gets washed in public by people who should have more sense.
According to this article Mr Monson said the wrong people would get the license, one wonders if he was talking about Horizon Radio Broadcasting?
Solar Radio came back on air after the licenses were cancelled and again fighting with other stations and hitting the press yet again at every opportunity playing the sympathy card. That is what children do.
We got so close to having a soul radio station on FM VHF, such a shame silly people got those new radio licenses cancelled. But if you cannot trust people to run radio stations, you cannot expect the authority’s to issue new radio licenses can you?
Whoever issued that Solar Radio JICRAR forged document, put radio expansion back years here in the UK and robbed soul music listeners of their first love. He/She? should never be aloud to broadcast ever again. Some just want to hear their own voice in headphones every day talking down to others they feel are below them, just like their ancestors did.
It’s time Mr Monson came clean and named the person who forged that Solar Radio JICRAR Document, but don’t hold your breath.
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