ICOMJAPAN: OFFSHORE RADIOS OF THE PAST Aimed at British listeners

mercredi 9 août 2023

OFFSHORE RADIOS OF THE PAST Aimed at British listeners

Offshore radio is radio broadcasting from ships or fixed maritime structures. Offshore broadcasters are usually unlicensed but transmissions are legal in international waters.^{[disputed – discuss]} This is in contrast to unlicensed broadcasting on land or within a nation's territorial waters, which is usually unlawful.

The claimed first wireless broadcast of music and speech for the purpose of entertainment was transmitted from a Royal Navy craft, HMS Andromeda, in 1907. The broadcast was organized by a Lieutenant Quentin Crauford using the callsign QFP while the ship was anchored off Chatham in the Thames Estuary, England.

However, the majority of offshore broadcasters have been unlicensed stations using seaborne broadcasting as a means to circumvent national broadcasting regulations, for example the practice has been used by broadcasting organizations like the Voice of America as a means of circumventing national broadcasting regulations of other nations. Unlicensed offshore commercial stations have operated off the coasts of Belgium, Denmark, Israel, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Yugoslavia and the United States.

By the late 1920s, the "UK government concluded that radio was such a powerful means of mass communication that it would have to be in state control", and gave the publicly funded BBC a monopoly on broadcasting. Because of rigid governmental controls and programming mostly consisting of serious music and highbrow issues, much of the UK population began to turn to radio stations from abroad, such as Radio Lyon, Radio Normandy, Radio Athlone, Radio Mediterranee and Radio Luxembourg, especially on Sundays, when the BBC did not carry any entertainment programmes. However, English-speaking broadcast hours were limited and parts of the UK were unable to receive most stations properly during the daytime.

The earliest attempt to establish an offshore broadcaster in England occurred in 1928, when Associated Newspapers (owners of the Daily Mail) acquired the yacht Ceto and installed radio equipment. Unfortunately, the apparatus could not operate properly on board, the signal being heavily affected by the climate conditions. The transmitter was then replaced by Siemens loudspeakers and the Ceto toured England "broadcasting" gramophone records interspersed by advertising.

Unauthorized offshore broadcasting stations operating from ships or fixed platforms in the coastal waters of the North Sea first appeared in 1958. There were as many as eleven such stations in the mid-1960s.^[1]

One of the most popular offshore radio broadcasts in Europe came from Radio Caroline, which developed out both of the strict broadcasting regulations in England in the 1960s as well as the fact the major labels had left little to no airtime to less established acts.^[2] The Radio Caroline name was used to broadcast from international waters, using five different ships of three different owners, from 1964 to 1990. Radio Caroline was the brainchild of Ronan O'Rahilly, who dreamed up a way to air music by "unestablished" rock and roll artists^[2]^[3] Other well-known stations of the period were Radio Atlanta, Radio London, Radio 270 (broadcasting of the coast of Filey, Yorkshire) Radio 390, Radio Scotland, Radio Northsea International and Radio City.^[2]

Most offshore broadcast is usually associated with European unlicensed radio stations; the trend never caught on as much in the United States as most organizations that could afford an offshore broadcasting boat would instead buy a legal station. Still, there were a few American offshore stations that made a lasting impression. The first station to broadcast in the U.S. from international waters was RXKR off of the coast of California.^[4] and broadcast from May 1933 until August 1933. It was operated from a cargo carrier named the S.S. City of Panama, a ship that was actually supposed to be advertising tourism in Panama to Americans from California. The operators of the ship actually broadcast popular music and advertisements, fooling the Panamanian government and eventually being shut down at the request of the U.S. Department of State.^[5]

Unlicensed Radio and TV Noordzee since August 1964 used REM island offshore platform for broadcasting aimed at the Netherlands. On December 12, 1964, a law, which split the North Sea into continental sections was passed in the Netherlands. The sea bed under REM Island, to which the structure was attached, was declared Dutch territory. Five days later, Dutch Marines boarded the platform and ended the broadcasting.^[6]

The Council of Europe in 1965 passed the "European Agreement for the Prevention of Broadcasts transmitted from Stations outside National Territories" to address this loophole, although some member states were slow to implement this in national law.^[7]^[8] Radio broadcasts from ships that are unauthorized under the laws of the recipient may cause radio frequencies to be unusable. This can be potentially detrimental to certain emergency and security services. The 1965 agreement was an attempt to resolve this by treaty.^[9]

In 1967, the UK Government enacted the Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967, outlawing advertising on or supplying an unlicensed offshore radio station from the UK. Several other European countries passed similar legislation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_radio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio

https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Pirate-Radio-Stations-Yoder-1990.pdf

THE BIRTH OF THE 60’s PIRATE SHIPS (Part 1) The 6th episode in our series The History of DJ arrives at the PIRATE RADIO period in the ‘Swinging 60’s.’ Featuring Ronan O’Rahilly’s famous Radio Caroline. The whole episode was because Ronan couldn’t get Georgie Fame’s new record played on either the BBC Light Programme or Radio Luxembourg. Alan Crawford an Australian music publisher was already planning to launch his Mia Migo Ship to be named Radio Atlanta but the Radio Caroline ship, Fredericia, beat him to the high seas. With the first voice of Christopher Moore the station’s Programme Director and Simon Dee established as their first dee-jay broadcaster, the ship became the first of a flotilla of pirate ships and radio forts in the Thames estuary. Our tale is woven by Sir Roger Gale the DJ who became an MP, Richard Park from Radio Scotland, now head of Global Radio and regarded as the most powerful man in European radio. Keith Skues and Tony Blackburn return to Caroline on the MV Ross Revenge and we see the personalities who made the Pirate Radio period so unforgettable. This is the first episode to cover off-shore radio and there will be more to follow. Tony Prince is your host and the Royal Ruler was aided and abetted in this remarkable episode by DMC’s Cutmaster Swift.

pisodes 6 & 7 covered the Radio Caroline & Radio London 60’s pirate ships and their fight with the British Labour Government. This time DMC’s Tony Prince gives you a guided tour through DJ history looking at the Pirate Forts in the Thames estuary where one was launched by Screaming Lord Sutch. DJ Mark Wesley revisits his own career on Radio 270 off the coast of Scarborough, Yorkshire and Radio Scotland gives birth to Richard Park who today has become the most powerful man in British radio as head of Global Radio. Here’s the pirate ship that launched the career of Stuart Henry the future BBC/Radio Luxembourg star DJ who suffered and died from Multiple Sclerosis. With rare and unseen footage from this music revolution we are guests at the Radio Caroline North wedding of DJ Mick Luvzit & Jan Teret. This surely was the boat that rocked although, as we will see, Paul Burnett was one of the many DJs who couldn’t stand too much rockin’!

The British labour Government thought it was all over when introducing the Marine Offences Act in August 1967. Radio London, Radio Scotland, Radio 270 all closed down but Ronan O’Rahilly, the Irish owner of Radio Caroline continued to broadcast. After the new law was introduced off-shore broadcasters from Switzerland launched Radio North Sea International which, for a while, after Radio Caroline had gone aground, took on the name Radio Caroline pumping out anti-Labour propaganda which saw the Conservatives take power. North Sea was attacked by real pirates with real bombs as you will see in film taken during the incident when DJ's scrambled into lifeboats. Dutch gangsters also tried to take over the ship as DJs bolted down the hatches to stop them entering the studio. Here is actual film of the events from the mouths of the DJs who were there and are still alive today to tell the story with DMCTV. Tony Prince produces a final episode in the amazing story of British pirate radio. This was the golden age of pirate radio with high seas spinners such as Mark Wesley, Tony Blackburn, Ron O’Quinn, Johnnie Walker, Robbie Dale, Andy Archer, Ed Stewart, Bob Stewart, Spangles Muldoon (alias Chris Carey), Daffy Don Allen, Kenny Everett, Colin Nicol, Dave Lee Travis, Jerry King, Alan West, Brian McKenzie, Keith Skues, the Emperor Rosko and the story-teller himself the Royal Ruler. Exclusive interviews include Radio Scotland’s Richard Park now boss at Global Radio, Sir Roger Gale was one of the most toured pirates starting with Caroline, Radio 270, Scotland until eventually he joined BBC Radio One on the Newsbeat team. Mark Wesley too was well travelled on the seas around the UK,. He eventually became a record plugger for The Beatles and Elton John but not before playing their music from forts and ships before and after the act of Parliament which made it illegal to work or advertise on the pirates. The end of this episode is an emotional time-line from 1964 to that fateful day in August 1967 when DJs risked prison sentences or came ashore to seek work with the BBC or Radio Luxembourg. “We changed the face of radio in Europe”, said Tony Blackburn. “Not arf”, said Alan Freeman! Welcome on board this 35 minute cruise back in time.

FREE books in PDF

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/STATION%20BOOKS/Broadcasting-From-The-High-Seas-Harris-1977.pdf

https://monoskop.org/images/6/65/Chapman_Robert_Selling_the_Sixties_The_Pirates_and_Pop_Music_Radio.pdf

Aimed at British listeners

Radio Caroline

Laser 558

Radio London

Radio City (previously Radio Sutch)

This is the film shot by Leon Tipler during his short stay on the Pirate Radio Station Radio City, on the Shivering Sands Fort in 1965 or 1966. This film was found in Leon's archives when he died. Watch out for Leon climbing over the side of the fort roof towards the end of the film. Provided by Steve England