ON February 24 1997, the first live Internet radio show in the UK started broadcasting from a basement studio in the heart of London. interFACE, the brainchild of former pirate DJ Mad Ash, has reached approximately 467,000 listeners since its launch and remains the only live radio show on the Net in the UK (although there are some prerecorded commercial ventures currently in operation).
With over half a million pounds-worth of donated equipment (some by benefactors, others by software companies eager to show off their technology), interFACE is just like any other radio station, except listeners type their requests onto the station's home page, rather than phoning in.
"The other difference is we're a collective of people fighting our own battles to get our product out there without selling out," explained Ash. And it seems to be this spirit which has attracted shows from the likes of Charlie Hall, Reinforced Records and Journeys By DJ, as well as Muzik's very own weekly show. More importantly, Internet radio is an innovation which could herald a whole new era for radio broadcasting.
When Muzik spoke to the DTI we were told Internet radio, "is not radio under current regulations because there are no radio waves". A Radio Authority spokesperson said, "Internet radio isn't regulated at the moment. It's something the Government will have to look at. We're not over-keen to regulate it, but as we are a Government organisation, we will act if told to."
In the meantime, Internet radio in the UK remains an infinite slice of cyberspace waiting to be filled, as has been happening in the States for years. Ash told Muzik, "In the future, we want to have a server in every single country. We want to open three more stations in the next two years, with different priorities such as charity work or arts programmes, and have local primary schools in to do work on the Net, as well as continuing to support new music."
Perhaps the most exciting development will be the introduction of video footage to accompany radio broadcasts. With interFACE planning live broadcasts from cybercafes from June, the digital cameras and ISDN technology they will be using will allow anyone on the Net to tune into an audio-visual interactive show 24-hours a day for the cost of local telephone call.
Ali Knapp from London's Cafe Cyberia concluded, 'The lnternet has always posed a potential threat to centralised broadcasting, be it radio or television. With the new technology, that threat has become real as more and more people have the sufficient technology to receive live audio-visual elements".
Musik's show is live on interFACE every Thursday from midnight until 1am. We will also be joining interFACE at London's Cybercafe on a regular basis. You can find interFACE on the Net at http://www.pirate-radio.co.uk
It began as a pirate radio station, but now interface is completely legal, thanks to the interent. Matt Mundy on a broadcasting revolution