ANARCHY ON THE AIRWAVES
Laser 558 appeared on BBC TV news bulletins on 17th August, when reporter Philip Hayton visited the Communicator and was shown around the ship. The report concluded how established radio stations were losing listeners to the new wave of pirate broadcasters, both offshore and onshore. The Mail on Sunday, for 19th August, continued on the same theme. "What we are facing is anarchy on the airwaves," said John Baldwin, the IBA's Deputy Director for radio and their pirate specialist. "It is a nightmare and the authorities seem to be doing nothing to put it right. A time is rapidly approaching when we will have to find a way of dealing with the major operators ourselves ". Paul Rusling's book "The Lid off Laser" was launched in August 1984. The book mentioned an unnamed European backer and his adviser, a man involved with BBC news and production. The London evening paper "The Standard", for 21st August revealed that the BBC man was Roger Parry and later identified Philip Smyth as the backer of Laser.
The Kent "Evening Post" for 23rd August, reported that Laser's deejays had been appearing at the Laser Lover's roadshow, a contravention of the MOA. Maidstone based agent Bob Steptoe denied this, saying "there have been no
DJ's from the boat appearing at any of our disco's ". Mighty Joe Young made his debut at 19.30 on Tuesday 4th September, taking over the last hour and a half of Jessie Brandon's show. Jessie was feeling unwell.
 

Mighty Joe Young  by the transmitter

Paul Dean and Mighty Joe Young

DAILY EXPRESS Monday August 27 1984