DJ's Revolt
Horizon Radio

DJ’s Revolt The Lies ?

DJ’s Revolt Horizon Radio, This was the first of the many outright lies, deception and misinformation that came from Solar Radio individuals starting late October 1984. Some of the DJ’s who were previously on Horizon Radio (only a few) started to come out with misinformation or outright lies in an attempt to bad mouth the station that gave them the biggest break of their lives and at the same time enlarge their own over inflated ego’s. Treats to Kill and Theft of Horizon Radio’ studio equipment by the new Solar Radio team had also taken place by the time the farmyard manure started to flow.

Below you will find a full account of what happened on Thursday 11th of October 1984, starting at 14.47pm (3 years to the day after Horizon Radio first launched on the 11/10/1981). Over those 3 years Horizon Radio had grown from a small local area unlicensed soul radio station to become one of the biggest radio broadcasters in London. Some said bigger that the legal pop station in London as far as listeners where concerned. This was never confirmed. After the Horizon Radio final close down in September 1985, many in the radio industry (legal) asked the question “How on earth did you make Horizon Radio bigger than Capital Radio“?

A quick Reminder, Horizon Radio was the first 24hr Soul Music Radio Station in the UK. It followed Radio Invicta and JFM (two outstanding radio stations) on to the airways in October 1981, at that time broadcasting on Sundays.

When you Lie and spread misinformation that you know is untrue, it says a lot about you does it not?

Lets Turn To The Events of Thursday 11th Of October 1984

The Radio Interference Department (RID) & The Department Of Trade & Industry (DTI)  had spent Monday to Thursday of that week trying to locate the JFM studio (ref Gas Board High Court Judgement Against JFM For Interference). They were unable to locate the JFM Studio during the biggest RID/DTI raid in radio history. They had brought in teams of trackers from all over the UK. Thursday afternoon they hit the Horizon Radio PR studio at 14.47pm. It appears that location had been grassed up according to a DTI offical. Horizon Radio in late August had been given a tip to be very careful in the forthcoming weeks (from a very reliable source). A procedure had been put in place for DJ’s to follow and CCTV covering the entrance area to the complex had been installed.

DJ Careless (Oi Oi Oi) was in the studio at the time and he just panicked and failed to follow the procedures. He wasted time telephoning and failed to act as he had been trained to do. He later admitted on the Solar Radio Pirate Special broadcast in October 2017, by saying “he got it wrong” (His Words). He claimed he fought to keep his £75 bag of records, but did not seem to care about the £20.000+ (1984 prices) studio Horizon Radio lost that day.

Chris Stewart on arrival at the complex was greeted by the RID’s Eric Gotts who came out with a comment, “I told you I would get you one day you little Ba-tard”. Eric was stood 4 steps up on the staircase. Chris challenge and from the alcove on the lower floor stepped an DTI offical and a female police officer. Mr Gotts was told, that was uncalled for and to go back upstairs and get on with his job by the DTI offical. Police even warned that DTI offical, that the comment said to Chris was provocation and she did not want to hear anymore of it. Chris was then asked to join the DTI offical and police in the back of the lower ground floor flat where the old Horizon Studio was. Here with Police present the DTI offical explained about the new laws which saw heavy fines and prison sentences, even for building a transmitter. He even warned Chris that the RID knew where he lived and had witnessed transmitters being tested there. On a brighter side he said that the government were now looking at new radio licenses and Horizon Radio had been recommended as a responsible broadcaster.

Chris then went and sat in Junior Kings front room (Lower Flat). A few minutes later in storms DJ Careless (Oi Oi Oi) ranting on about being arrested and loosing his £75 bag of records. He then went on to state that Chris had to pay for his records and for the fine he might get. That got over heated as the idiot knew all the risks, as did all the DJ’s on every unlicensed station. Chris challenged him and he legged it out the door and disappeared for a while. If you get arrested you do not get released in under an hour, DO YOU?

The RID removed all studio equipment value well over £20k and left the complex. It was known they did not have a transmitter, so hopes were high they would have to return it. Later in a court case where a judge fell asleep (on record), they kept all equipment. The RID at the same time had hit all of the unlicensed transmitter sites on Crystal Palace in a simultaneous raid, removing antenna’s masts and transmitters.

RID/DTI Vacate Studio Complex

Once the RID had departed, a check was made to see what equipment in other rooms was left. It was observed that a Tascam Porta Studio, Link Transmitter, RF transistors, spare, tools etc was still there. All equipment was kept on site encase of emergency breakdowns. Chris returned to Junior Kings lounge and sat in the armchair thinking about the events of the day, the actions of an  incompedent idiot and what the DTI offical had said. Other members of the Horizon Radio Crew along with some DJ’s turned up to see what happened. Then DJ Careless returned (maybe after talking to is Mum). He told the story of the £75 bag of records and being arrested, if he told that story once he told it 20 times, laughing every time as he thought it a big joke. Buick turned up and immediately went into one of how he could get the station back on air as he could build transmitters and had a station called Contact FM before joining Horizon Radio. One wonders why he wanted to join Horizon? He also stated his best mate “Howe” was the best transmitter builder in London (Not). Yes the same one who made JFM’s transmitters mysteriously disappear so often from the tower blocks. Once a connection between Buick and Howe had been established, it was too late to get rid of Buick, so he was told told not to bring Howe anywhere near Horizon Radio due to his reputation with the Radio Interference Department. Eric Gotts loathed Howe due to the trouble he had caused in the past with the Amateur radio people. It fell on deaf ears as far as Buick was concerned.

Trouble with a capital T. A few weeks before in August 1984, Buick had been complaining about Tony Monson and the Body Oder (smell) he left in the studio, saying it was costing him a can of air freshener every day he took over from Mr M. To be fair here, there where others who said the same thing. In another telephone conversation when Buick really lost it. Mr Buick suggested Mr Monson and the charts he made up for a well know publication are a load of F——-Tosh (as he put it) and if found out Horizon would get the blame. (Horizon Radio was not involved with that chart or ever supported it). Mr Buick also did not want Mr M compiling those charts in the studio while he was doing his show as the place F—– Wreaked and Mr M kept interrupting him.. So he suggested we get rid of Mr M and he would do the breakfast show. Buick who had only been with Horizon a few weeks and was lucky to get promoted off overnights to mid morning, now wanted the Breakfast show? Buick had been warned not to bring Howe near Horizon, he took no notice and brought him to the transmitter site when the new advanced antenna was going up. He was warned again, but on the Soul On A Summers Day Event  July he brought Howe again as you may see in photos of that event on this website. That was it, the decision was made, he would have been dismissed ASAP. Very Very colourful language on that tape, but it might end up on this page.

Horizon Radio over the last three years had broadcast more hours than all of the other soul stations combined, so why would we need Howe and Buick to lead the station. You could see and feel where this was heading. Chris just listened to what was said and did not speak himself. 3 hours in, Tony Scales came over and asked Chris are you going to put Horizon back on? Based on what Chris heard and seen that day he replied No. Mr Scales said “F–K You then we will”.

Everyone left the complex at about 8.45pm (approx) knowing Horizon Radio had been closed down and would not return.

DJ Line Up For Thursday 11th Of October

The DJ line up for Thursday 11th of October was Tony Monson on breakfast, Buick at 10pm, Chris Stewart at midday, DJ Careless at 2pm, then it would have been Gary Kent on Drive, followed by Steve Bernard with the reggae show. Plain & Simple no DJ had revolted or left the station.

The next day, Friday the 12th of October, other DJ’s called Chris at home for an update as they had been told the station was going to stay closed and this was confirmed. At 11.22am (Time Stamp On The Horizon Radio Answer Machine which recorded the conversation) Mr Tony Monson called and asked if it was true what he had been told, that Horizon Radio would stay closed.

Mr Monson was told that what he had heard was correct and the reason why that decision was taken. He then asked Chris and we quote “Have you got any objection to us putting the station back on”.  Mr Monson was told, we quote again “Tony you all can do as you see fit, but do not use the Horizon Radio name or ask myself to help you”. Comments taken from the answerphone tape recording.

Now lets fast forward to an email sent by Tony Monson in 2018 after he had been asked what he remembers about the events of the 11th of October..

We have blurred out parts of the above email from Mr Monson, but you will see more of the said email later on other pages on this website. The blur out was done to make sure the sheep and snowflakes who believed the Solar Radio lies over the years can at last now see the truth.

Mr Monson told the truth, but the call from Tony came on Friday morning and not as he stated Thursday night. In plain English for the sheep and Snowflakes, Chris Stewart sole owner of Horizon Radio, said after the raid by the Radio Interference Department (RDI) and the Department Of Trade & Industry) (DTI), Horizon Radio would not broadcast again due to certain activities (Idiot Looses a £20k Studio but tries to save his £75 bag of records etc) 11th of October 1984. So the  DJ’s Revolt Horizon Radio story is just a pack of lies which we have seen too much of over the years from Solar Radio personnel.

Barry T Solar Radio Close Down

This was Barry T (Townsend) on the last day of Solar Radio Sep 1985 at the Live On Air drunks Party

 

Barry T said “For political reasons We Decided All to Leave Horizon as Horizon Did not want to do etc”. This is Solar Radio doing what Solar Radio does best and that is telling big porkies. According to Barry T, By the sounds of things Horizon Radio did not get shut down on the 11th of October 1984 by the RID/DTI and Chris Stewart did not tell Tony Monson at 11.22am on the 12th of October 1984 he would not put the station back on due to the events he saw from certain people. Barry went to the Horizon Close down on the 15/09/85 and what did he say about that, crying with envy again, but his heart told the truth?

Clip from the Solar Radio Close down 29/09/1985 very unprofessional broadcasting with all the drunks in the background, one wonders what the IBA thought of that days events. No wonder we soon saw forged Jicrar documents claiming to be the most listened to soul station appear and finally those cancelled radio licenses of 1986.

 11 DJ’s Revolt Horizon Radio

The 11 DJ’s Revolt story was first said on the mid morning show hosted by Paul Buick on Solar Radio in week commencing the 5th of November 1984. Mr Buick was heard to say it on air by a number of people, (Nick Moss, Junior King and others). Two other DJ’s muttered much the same soon after. Buick in January 1985 turned up at the new transmitter site as the antenna mast was going in for Horizon Radio 1985. This was when the station returned in January of that year and in front of 12 people said “It was a good job Horizon had been raided in October as the DJ’s were going to leave a record playing in the studio and walk out“. Was that comment true? no of course not, just Buick doing what Buick does best.

Tony Monson has known the truth for over 3 decades, but over the years has avoided telling the facts, as it suits the Solar Radio agenda of being the biggest and best soul station of all time, when in truth it’s just a poor imitation of the great stations that preceded it. Some people will say anything to make themselves look superior, but lies are lies. One wonders what Mr M told DJ’s after that telephone conversation with Chris Stewart on the 12th of October 1985 as some people can be very eeconomical when it comes to the truth.

We can confirm Paul Buick was never allowed near the Horizon Radio engineering, he was never allowed to even see a transmitter as he was not trusted. Over the years he has told many people he was the man when it comes to Horizon Radio. Now you know the truth.

Who Set Solar Radio Up?

We know on the 12th of October 1984 at 7pm a meeting organised by Tony Monson took place with other people (Scales, Buick, Jackson, Howe +) and possibly at the Horizon Radio studio complex in Peckham London. If it was at that location, none of the participants had permission to use that location as the rent was paid by Horizon Radio. It was also the night that thousands of pounds worth of equipment and tools that was stored there were taken into Solar Radio’s possession. Plain and simple theft and you can read about that studio theft here. Mr Monson or any of the others involved, never ever paid for, or returned that equipment. Debt outstanding!

Worth a Read

DJ’s Revolt was just a pack of lies as some were trying to make a quick name for themselves any which way they could and in doing so by their actions over 10 months of mayhem and madness that followed discredited all the work done by others to get the broadcasting authority’s to look at issuing new radio licenses. Over the decades that have followed, they have turned soul music radio into kindergarten broadcasting, that has seen soul music audiences disintegrate. Today its seems to be all about the next DJ money making event and who can put up the most amount of GIFs in an hour or 2 and getting the next shout out. The Children & Snowflakes have taken over soul music radio.

The Artists who work hard to make the music come second these days, a far cry from the days when the radio stations put the artists first.

Horizon Radio was unstoppable until selfish stupid people Like Mr M got involved and screwed up radio broadcasting forever in the UK by forging documents to say they were the number 1 soul station in London, yet more lies. Then crying to the press at every opportunity just to see their name in print. Small Brains, Big Ego’s. Not surprising, these were the people who never got their ass up a tower block to make it happen.