Rinse FM, London’s biggest pirate radio station, has been awarded an FM broadcasting licence.

It’s fantastic news for the station, which was founded in 1994 and has played a key role in the evolution and dissemination of grime, garage, dubstep, UK funky and much else besides.

It was the first station to give exposure to Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, and provided an early outlet for the likes of Kode9, Skream and Plastician. More recent recruits to Rinse’s regular programming schedule include Brackles, Scratcha, Braiden and Bok Bok.

“Without Rinse, grime and dubstep would be very different,” wrote FACT’s Simon Hampson in 2007. “Indeed, it’s fair to say that they might not even exist at all.”

Legendary grime DJ Slimzee famously received an ASBO in 2005 as a result of Rinse’s illegal broacasts, banning him from all rooftops in London’s Tower Hamlets borough. The station has been broadcasting online since 2006.

Congratulations to Rinse FM and all its staff on this richly deserved and long overdue success.