18.7.12

Cecil Abraham Morris (PCRL Founder)


Born in Claredon Jamaica in 1946 {edited from 1947, 2016}. He grew up with both his grandparents who took turn in showering with lots of love and affection. He recalled fondly the memories of his childhood growing up in Jamaica. "Whenever I was naughty one of my grandparents' home", I'd run away to my next grandparents home, he replied.
 The first of nine boys, he grew up in the church and from an early age formulated his life around a reverential fear. From a musical family, he remembered his days singing on the church choir and his uncle playing guitar and sometimes the trumpet. " My mother is a brilliant singer, even now", he said.
 I left Jamaica and came to England in 1962 and headed straight for Birmingham where he's lived ever since. At the age of 17 he became more and more interested in pop music. He followed singers like The Beatles. Otis Redding and some British pop stars. With £500 saved he decided to invest in a drum kit to kick-start his career into music. This was to take him all over the country.

 After a while he started his own management company looking after artistes like The JALN Band, Capitol Letters, Herthers etc. Spotlight Entertainment ran regular talent shows and handled bands such as Steel Pulse, Beshara, Matumbi and many others about the time the early lovers rock began to emerge. By this time the young MM had grown up to be a singer, musician,entrepreneur business man, husband and father of four.
 "I got involved in radio because as I got to understand the music business I quickly realized that what was needed to get the music to the public". And at that time black peoples music was not represented in main-stream radio". He mused. BRMB (Birmingham radio station) had just been started at the time and a group of black entertainers from the music industry along with Music Master approached them about doing a radio programme for the Black group. Their reply was less then encouraging. MM explains, "They (BRMB) said that they are English speaking people and there was no need for any specialist programme and that the radio station covered programmes for everybody, black, white and Asian."
 Undaunted by this set back, our heroes took their petition to the BBC Radio WM who weren't  themselves very eager. By this time the youths were becoming very frustrated, talented though they were, their music were going nowhere. "I  kept pestering them (radio stations) said MM, then finally we were making some progresss'" The men sat down to talk.

The management of the BBC were offering us thirty minutes to do a programme on Sundays' I was disgusted. And I said, "we (black group) make up 10% of your listening audience, we pay licence fees like everybody else, and we deserve 10% of your air time". MM began to calculate. "Your total station time is 140 hours a week. 10% of that is 14 hours per week, so expected air time works out to be 2 hours per days". That sounds logical enough. "They thought I was mad", MM retorted. During the Handsworth riot MM set up a transmitter to warn people not to go out to Handsworth and that was the birth of MM in radio.



Why PCRL ?
This Group was formed in 1980 as a pressure group to highlight the lack of input into the broadcasting media for the ethnic community. When we approached the BBC and the IBA Stations in our area, negotiations were held but no meaningful improvement was forthcoming. We then applied to the IBA in 1982 for a Radio Franchise to broadcast to the dis-enfranchised groups.

We were informed that the only frequency available for the Birmingham area was already allocated to BRMB and they could not entertain our request for several years to come. Our next step was to approach the then home Secretary - the Rt. Hon. Leon Brittain ­ for a Special Test Transmission Franchise for Community Radio. Our letter from the Home Secretary stated that Britain's airwaves were governed by the European Broadcasting committee in Geneva and negotiations would be taking place for an extension of frequencies to accommodate community radio.

This was subsequently granted in 1983. As a result of this a pledge was made that by the end of that year the first Community Stations would come into being. We were very optimistic when twenty-one Test Franchises were promised - but alas this was abandoned. In the meantime, we set about training would-be broadcasters in the practical elements of radio broadcasting. As a result of our continuous lobbying and a visit to the House of Commons we engaged the support of key MP's; leading church figures, local Councillors and other major organisations. PCRL was one of a number of groups consulted prior to the formation of a Local Media Skills Training Initiative. Many PCRL Presenters have benefited from the creation of the Community Radio Training Project which was funded by a local Charitable Trust as a result of these consultations.

We were very much encouraged when in 1988 the IBA announced that they were to issue twenty Incremental ILR Contracts and on 2 December 1988 they received our letter of intent. We are talking about the black community for the first time having control, i.e., editorial control, production control, control of who is involved and who can become members of the station. As we train more and more people we increasingly prove that anyone can learn the skills of radio broadcasting and thereby there will be alot more cultural debates, more political debates and different sorts of music.

During the time that we were on air we concentrated on the music and information that existing radio station just don't give enough of. I think that we have enough interesting and closer relationships between the radio station and its off air work. I see our developments as complimentary to public service broadcasting and we shouldn't be regarded as a threat, on the contrary, we have always striven to work hand in hand with all existing media.

During the time I have been with the organisation we have also established a training ground for would be broadcasters with the introduction of community radio training course, because from a community base one can then move to local regional and then hopefully into mainstream. We see that afro­caribbeans are the people that are least satisfied with services which are provided because of the way the mass media is structured. It is generally expected by all that the media has a very powerful influence on its audience - if this is so where is the justification in preventing the public in deciding for itself?

I would suggest that PCRL and the British Media in all its forms is allowed to have freedom of speech and leave an intelligent British public to decide whether to support it or not.  (Cecil Morris - 1987)


D.T.I. Pressure
In 1978 a man had a vision about us black people in Birmingham. Our own radio station that would cater for all nationalities, and so Radio Star, Mother of P.C.R.L. Radio 103.5FM was born to serve this community more than any media.

When we are in a jolly mood we listen to P.C.R.L. When we are down we listen to P.C.R.L. When we want to communicate with loved ones, family, friends, we listen to P.C.R.L. Radio. In times of celebration weddings, births, birthdays, announcement of bereavement, we use P.C.R.L. This organisation P.C.R.L. has picked up the mantle for Black People here in Birmingham, and fought a struggle on our behalf so we could be more educated about ourself and others through radio.

The legal Media/Radio and T.V. who are predominantly white are run and programmed without any positive input for Black People P.C.R.L. applied for a Broadcasting Licence with a backing of £300,000 and because P.C.R.L. will not turn coat and be a coconut (black on the outside white in the inside.) They were robbed of that licence that went to Buzz FM who went bust three times in their short life span.

Now after we have got our own Radio Station P.C.R.L. the D.T.I. (Department of Trade and Industry) are hell bent on taking our radio station. The D.T.I. raided 151 Dudley Rd, Ideal Record shop on Wednesday 19th August 1992. They were searching for evidence of who really runs P.C.R.L.

P.C.R.L. Radio Station, that is our Radio is under attack from the Home Office Officials namely ISI (Radio Investigators Service D.T.I.). Unless we the community start UNITING TOGETHER to save this Radio Station P.C.R.L., we will live to regret this. So let us come together and show the authorities that we are not going to stand aside and watch them break down and abolish the inspiration that found our Foundation of, Peoples Community Radio.

March we will on Black History Month on the same date that one of our National Hero walked. Paul Bogle walked for freedom on Sunday 11th October 1865 in Jamaica. P.C.R.L. Radio will March by 100's of 1000's on Sunday 11th October 1992 in tribute to Paul Bogle and for Freedom of speech, LEGALISE BLACK RADIO STATION P.C.R.L. NOW.

The March will take place from:­ Handsworth Park, Hinstock Rd, Oxhill Rd, to Rookery Rd, off Soho Rd, Dudley Rd Edgbaston to Winson Green Rd, back onto Soho Rd, off Soho Rd, Whitehall Rd back to the Park.

This March MOTTO is: Healthy Walking, Unity to be together and freedom to demonstrate our frustration without BLACK RADIO and P.C.R.L.

HEALTH, UNITY, AND FREEDOM

(1992 from the Ideal Cinema Club book)

Audio from Pirate Archive (click on 'music master')
Music Master 26-05-85


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