Citizens' Band Association

Accessed

The Citizens' Band Association (CBA) was formed in 1976 to campaign for the legalization of Citizens' Band Radio in the UK. At that time the legal use of short range radio by the general public was virtually impossible except to Radio Hams, who had to pass a complex technical examination and were very restricted in the uses they might make of radio communication, and the Government view was that "One must consider the very serious disadvantages of allowing ordinary citizens to communicate freely with one another." (Lord Harris of Greenwich [LAB] - Home Office Spokesman in a Parliamentary reply in 1976 or 1977.)

The pre-1979 Labour Government never changed its stance on the Post Office monopoly of all radio communication, but Margaret Thatcher's Governement was much more sympathetic, even though many of their civil servants were not. CB was legalised in the UK in November 1981, using FM on 934 MHz and 27.60124-27.99125 MHz - frequencies unique in the World and designed, by the later admission of one of the civil servants involved, to make British CB as unsuccessful and expensive as possible - UK CB still uses 27.60124-27.99125 MHz [934 MHz was withdrawn in 1998] but has since added the World standard band of 26.965-27.255 MHz [also FM, as in most of the rest of Europe, rather than the AM used elsewhere in the World] to the permitted frequency bands.

At its largest the CBA had some 5,000 members. They campaigned mostly by letters to MPs and the press and petitions, and also took part in demonstrations organized by other pro-CB organizations. One committee member, Ian Leslie, stood as a pro-CB candidate in the Warrington by-election in July 1981 Its newsletter, "10-4", was widely quoted by the press. The CBA was unique among the campaigning organizations in that its members were formally forbidden to use CB illegally (many other campaigners during the campaign were illegal CB users - this increased their enthusiasm but reduced their credibility with officialdom). This policy greatly increased its credibility and influence. After the campaign was successful the Home Office revealed that since 1945 no issue, save abortion, had attracted more letters to MPs than the CBA campaign did. One particularly effective policy was to target the minister involved (Timothy Raison) with friendly pro-CB postcards sent to his home. At the peak of the campaign he was receiving several sacks daily.

The Constitution of the CBA provided that when CB was legalized the organization would either disband or have a new constitution as a CB Users' organization. After the legalization of CB, at the request of the Radio Regulatory Division of the DTI, who had taken over spectrum administration from the Home Office, the CBA adopted a role of advisor to the Government during the startup period. It then ceased operation in 1985. Remaining funds, after a delay of seven years during which no financial claims were made against the CBA, were donated to the IEE (now the IET) Benevolent Fund.

I should like to hear from any ex-members of the CBA who may read this page. Send me an email.

The archives of the CBA are now held in the library of the IET.

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