Following my leaving BBC Transmission in 1995, I decided to return to pirate radio (which I had left behind when I joined BBC Transmission five years earlier, in 1990 - ironically, to avoid jeopardizing my career there). Having purchased a 12W transmitter from Veronica Electronics, I started Community Net in Clowne.

The original idea of Community Net was for a "multi-station relay service", and for a while it worked quite well. From August 1995, transmissions started each Saturday night - consisting of Radio Ability, Jolly Roger Radio, Ozone International, KING Radio, Angel FM, and - last but not least - Phase 42.

The 12W transmitter was used in conjunction with a home-made Slim Jim antenna, giving a theoretical maximum erp of 25W. The audio feed was with 2 tape decks connected to a mixer, the output of which fed the TX. One tape deck was used for the programme tapes, the other was for a 2-minute long pre-recorded announcement which was broadcast in-between the programmes.

Phase 42 was a non-stop dance music station, initially broadcasting via Community Net for 45 minutes per week. But, as time went by, Phase 42 began to dominate.

Initially, antenna problems meant that the Community Net signal did not broadcast much further than Clowne - which severely jeopardised the credibility of Community Net as a serious relay service. By November 1995, the antenna problems had been fixed, and a new mailing address was in use. But by which time, Phase 42 was increasingly dominating the Community Net schedule.

In late 1995, Community Net left the air for a while as the available frequencies were increasingly being used by Xmas RSL's - notable Meadowhall Radio , which was using the Community Net frequency. Also at this time, Radio Ability was discontinued because the pressures of work, coupled with the lack of positive feedback from local listeners, made it seem pointless continuing with Radio Ability at that time.

The transmitter returned to the air on 1st January 1996, to co-incide not only with the New Year but also with the close-down of the Meadowhall Radio RSL. Phase 42 was broadcast throughout the afternoon and evening until 9pm, when a on-off broadcast called Not Meadowhall Radio was aired. The 90 minute broadcast, with DJ Al Capone, consisted of heavy politics, much swearing, and generally "had a go at" the system and various companies who had pissed Al Capone off over the previous year (and longer ago). At 10:30pm, Not Meadowhall Radio closed down - and so, effectively, did Community Net.

In January 1996, the project - and the station - was officially re-named Phase 42.

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