|
|
  Offshore
Pirate Radio |
|
{3}
|
| ss |
 1968
- 1970
|
Almost
exactly one year after The Marine etc, Broadcasting
( Offences ) Act came into effect a station called
RADIO LONDON THREE transmitted for about an hour
on 204 metres as a protest against the Act. Over
the next few days the station changed its name to
RADIO FREE LONDON and was heard intermittently.
The signals were finally traced to a flat from which
ex- RADIO CAROLINE disc jockey Spangles Muldoon
( alias Chris Carey, who was later to become the
head of RADIO NOVA ) was broadcasting. The radio
transmitter was dismantled and confiscated but the
ex-pirate had the last laugh. The equipment that
was taken was a false set-up and the actual working
transmitter was left intact!
|
|
In October of 1968 RADIO VERONICA started carrying out tests
on 538 metres in an attempt to avoid interference from the
Swiss. Gloria International, the company who had bought
the RADIO LONDON ship 'Galaxy', announced plans to open
a new German station on November 1st broadcasting on 266
metres. The deadline passed but nothing was heard on the
air, presumably because by then the German government had
started proceedings to introduce their own Marine Broadcasting
Offences Act.
|
|
|
|
This prompted the company's
directors Emile Luthle and Norbert Gschwendt to finally withdraw
financial backing for the project the following January. During
1969 an abortive attempt was made by the owners of a prospective
new pirate radio station to re-float the 'Galaxy'. They finally
got onto the air in January 1970 as RADIO NORTH SEA INTERNATIONAL,
but not aboard the 'Galaxy'.
The first test transmissions were made on January 23rd from a curiously
psychedelic multi-coloured ship called the 'Mebo II' which was named
after the owners, Messrs Meister and Boller. Their disc jockeys
were to include Andy Archer, Stevie Merike, Dave Rogers, Ian Anderson
and the much-travelled Alan West.
|
|
A
land-based pirate station appeared in March broadcasting on 227
metres from somewhere in south-west London. Identifying itself as
RADIO JACKIE it was run by 17-year old Mike Knight who occasionally
had to stop during broadcasts to avoid government detection teams.
Despite this the station managed to grow and survive well into the
Eighties.
CAPITAL RADIO was formed by the International Broadcasters Society
on August 23rd 1969 who then proceeded to buy and refit the 360
ton coaster 'Zeevaart', renaming it 'King David'. The ship had a
unique lateral circular aerial ( which caused them a lot of problems
) and was equipped with the transmitter salvaged from RADIO 270.
CAPITAL RADIO made its first test broadcasts, using the same 270
metre wavelength, on May 1st 1970.
|
|
|
|
Out
of History and Into Legend . . .
The last of the legendary Sixties offshore pirates still
operating in its original form, RADIO VERONICA, finally succumbed
to the Dutch Marine Broadcasting Act on August 31st 1974. The last
half-hour of disc jockey Rob Out's show featured a clock ticking
loudly in the background. There was a news bulletin at 5:30p.m.
followed by the owner, Bul Verweij, until 6p.m. when Rob Out took
the chair to sign off with the epitaph:
"This
is the end of VERONICA. It's a pity for you, for VERONICA and
especially for democracy in Holland"
These
final few words were followed by the Dutch national anthem and a
station jingle,
which only got halfway through before the signal ......................
|
|
SixtiesCity 2008