Maart 2005

Hans Knot schrijft tweemaal in de maand in zijn International Report over medianieuws en mediaherinneringen. Hierbij staan de zeezenders centraal. Dit is het International Report voor de maand maart. In dit Report o.a. nieuws over de Communicator en Radio Caroline, bijdragen van Bob LeRoi en Juul Geleick en herinneringen aan Radio Veronica, RNI en Radio Luxemburg.

Just before last report went out I did get the news that the MV Communicator was sold by owner David Miller. Reason enough to sent him an email to ask for more information about the new owner. However this can not be revealed: ‘Hi Hans, Unfortunately due to restrictions placed in the contract I have to adhere to not stating the new owners of the vessel. However I am confident that these people will continue to refurbish the vessel to a high standard and use her as a radio station again in the future. I am personally quite excited about her future as a radio ship. Kind Regards Dave Miller.’

Clive wrote in that he want to share memories with us: ‘Hi Hans. This is Clive Warner (Corell) the TX eng for the Mi Amigo in winter 1974. I did the final engineering for the Radio Mi Amigo tape studio, and I also did the 12 midnight - 2am period. See Monitor no. 8 for details, and also see my piece, about 6000 words, at www.citiria.com/novelist/caroline.html

Last month an e mail was sent in by Martin van der Valk about AM Radio and I asked after that which your favourite station is. A few of the answers I will put in this newsletter:

Peter Timmerman lives in Holland and answered that he’s listening to Arrow Classic Rock o­n a regular basis. However when the RSL Veronica was there last year he did tune in to that station. He ends with the words that if Radio Seagull/Waddenzee will start o­n AM he certainly will tune in to Seagull at lot. Have a look, by the way, o­n www.beachradio.nl

Another e mail coming in after reading last report, was from Henk de Boer: ‘There has been o­nly o­ne good radio station: Radio Nordsea! A super, super station....Very strong in the Northern part of Holland. When I read your info about this super station it makes me little happy again. Then I did remember the super R.N.I.-years. Years later we got Laser! And not forgetting the English Service of Radio Luxembourg 208. With their super AM modulation....Hans I get tears in my eyes. I do miss such stations as Radio 192 o­n the medium wave. Thanks for your info, Henk’

Well reading it back I think Henk had more than o­ne station he loved to listen to. Also o­ne from England:

‘Thanks for the February copy of your radio report. I am slowly getting through it in my spare time as I have a heavy work schedule being a nurse. I did notice you writing about if anyone has the radio tuned to any certain stations. As a sixties and seventies music fan I am constantly listening to Radio Tijngold (Radio 10 Gold) o­n 1008 AM. I live in East London and can pick this station up clearly in daylight hours. Other stations with decent reception from mainland Europe in my part of London which I also listen to from time to time are Radio 747 and RTL.(now mostly LW) .Dank u wel. Paul Mears.’

And it’s really funny to see all the e mails coming in from the English readers who do tune in a lot to Radio10 Gold and Arrow Classic Rock. Some of them also wrote down that it brings the memories back from the Offshore Days.

Cor Vonk reads the international report o­n internet versus www.mediapages.nl and writes: ‘I’m a regular listener to Keith Skues and Andy Archer o­n internet. It was during listening to o­ne of the programs that I remembered making photographs of the MEBO II in Rotterdam in 1977, just before the ships were leaving to Libya. In those days I just to live at the Northern Isle o­n the river Maas. As colour photos were expensive in those days I made black and white
photographs and chose the best o­ne to sent to you.’

MEBO II IN ROTTERDAM 1977 Photo: Cor Vonk

Steve Pregnall sent in the next o­ne: ‘Thanks for the report. Hope you like the following shots of Radio Caroline taken by Mike Stevens in 77. I’ve downloaded o­ne shot, which was taken o­n the day that Frank van der Mast (Mi Amigo) and Peter Chicago went out with the rowing vessel and a rope attached to this ship as well as the Mi Amigo broke. The waves brought them away from the ship and they could not row back to the ship. An SOS was sent out and lucky enough the British Airforce was good enough to bring them both o­n board the ship again.
www.geocities.com/steveprag/album.html
All the best, Steve Pragnell’

CHICAGO IN RAF RESCUE Photo Mike Stevens

With normal post I received a package filled with two cd’s from Whitstable. To be precisely they came in from Bob LeRoi. He did produce two new cd’s which are titled ‘MEBO Memories’ and ‘Flashback Two’. The first o­ne bring a very good mix of RNI jingles with a duration of 25 min. Next o­n this cd you can listen to Mark Wesley as well as the late Carl Mitchtell – both from 1970 as well as a special report from A J Beirens about the bomb attack, which took place o­n the MEBO II o­n May 15th 1971. Nice to hear a very short abstract from King Kong and the last recordings date from the years the MEBO II was locked up in Slikkerveer Harbor (1974-1977). Robin Banks, who stayed for a long time o­n the ship when impounded, made a fake radio station called ‘Radio Scheissenhausen’. A CD worth to order from Bob. The second o­ne gives a rundown from jingles taken of the air, as well as off air recordings – including from the very early days Caroline and Radio Atlanta when they hadn’t merged yet. Most excellent is the mix of news and weather donuts and the mix of the start of a day in 1973 when Veronica, RNI and RNI were all transmitting of the Dutch coast. Go as soon as possible to Bob his site where you can find all the information how to order the new CD’s: www.bobleroi.co.uk

Former technician from Veronica in Offshore Days, Juul Geleick writing in as a response o­n last issue where the Veronica buttons were shown. He was very enthusiastic about seeing those buttons and didn’t remember them at all. Also he mentioned that he never saw them back with former Veronica colleagues so he advises Burkhardt Nowotny to be very careful with the buttons. So here we are with a photo of another set of buttons from the sixties.

Next e mail comes from Bram Peek, an official licensed amateur broadcaster with the call letters PE2EK. He is interested with everything to do with technique. He’s born in September 1973 and so was not yet a year old when the Dutch offshore stations Veronica and RNI did close down. It’s very nice to read that his interest in Offshore Radio comes from the recordings his father made from the station o­n international waters. Tapes which have been listened to by Bram when he was very young and have now been transferred to CD. He started listening to offshore radio himself when Radio Monique was o­n the air in the mid eighties of last century. He asked me if there’s something known about the future of the Norderney. As I mentioned in September there are plans to bring the ship back to England. Strange enough the people who talked about a possible return at the Laapershoek Veronica reunion are very silent since that Saturday. Maybe Mr. Ten Cate, who’s also reader of the Knot Radio Report, can tell us more. Bram talked to him o­n the phone and suggested that it would be nice to have for a weekend a o­ne time amateur station from the Norderney in the future. It is indeed a wonderful idea and maybe a contest could be connected to that too. So Mr. Ten Cate could you please confirm if there’s something known about the future yet?

It seems there will never be an end to the list of nick names as this time also some new o­nes are sent in. We go back to Wonderful Radio London and found these o­nes: Norman 'St Jack' St John, a name given to Norman by Keith Skues. Also we found Willy 'Uncle Willy' Walker, Chuck 'Chuckles' Blair who was also called Chuck 'Baby' Blair o­nboard the MV Galaxy.

TM jingle company which originates from Dallas now has an official production office for Europe and information can be found o­n their new internet site:
www.tmeurope.nl/dbase.php

With thanks to Clive Boutell we can also mention the internet address from Besco International. A company which sold Caroline their transmitters way back in 1982. Dick Whitkovsky has special memories to that deal and o­n his company site some nice pictures of the Ross Revenge in Santander harbour can be found: www.besco-int.com/pictures.htm

In 2006 a RSL will be o­n the air using the name of a o­ne time offshore radio station, called Radio Sutch. All information you can find o­n: www.sutchonair.co.uk

Mark Keable reflects o­n last issues topic, written by Ian Biggar. It mentioned a lot of deejays who worked for RNI just a short period. He has sent us some more info about o­ne of the mentioned people, John Denny: ‘Hi Hans Mark Keable here. Regarding John Denny I can tell you that I worked together with him o­n Hospital Radio Yare a few years back Although all at the station knew of John’s RNI involvement I always got the impression he was not there for long as he never went into any great depth about it when asked. He was running his business of car driving instructor in a market town called Beccles, Suffolk although I haven't seen him around town for a while. He no longer is involved with Radio Yare either so may have moved o­n. He was involved with the Norwich based RSL Crown FM at o­ne time and was also
involved in radio consultancy work.’

Thanks a lot Mark and all information, news, memories and other things can be sent to my email address: Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.

Indonesia had a remarkable station lately as is was mentioning itself Suara Mitra 97.7FM and the deejay was telling the listeners that the program was broadcast from a studio located at East Java Police Headquarters. And indeed the station, were three deejays en three journalists are working seems like every other radio station. It’s located o­n the second floor of the police building. Next to the fact it is transmitting from the police office with about 3 kW the station, following the words of the East Java Provincial Broadcasting Commission (KPID) is illegal because it does not have an operation permit from the commission. A spokesman from the KPID told a local newspaper that it is getting more and more difficult to raid illegal stations now that radio stations without licences are operated by governmental institutions.

Next to Suara Mitra in East Java there is another station illegal runned by the Police, which is JT FM. KPID officers think they know exact where the 11 illegal radio stations o­n the isle of Surabya are located, including Radio Delta – which operates from a four star hotel. The law in Indonesia tells that such stations must have a licence and also must be runned by private organisations. When for instant police or any other governmental organisations wants to make a radio program, they have to use the state run radio stations.

All stations have a written permission to start broadcasting from the Minister but not a official licence, which has to be provided by the KPID. Outside the isle of Surabaya there are much more illegal radio stations. KPD figures are as follows: 52 radio stations in Malang, 37 in Jombang, 26 in Kediri, 24 in Jember, 19 in Madiun and 8 in Banyuwangi.

Now back to Colin Lamb who informed us about the hospitalisation of Phil Mitchell two issues ago: ‘Enjoyed the report, as always, but wasn't expecting it until next week. I was going to give you an update o­n Phil Mitchell, so I'll do it now and perhaps you will include it in the next report. I printed off a copy of your January Report, as you suggested, and read it to him, and he very much enjoyed it. The next time I visited him, I was able to read out 10 ‘get well soon’ messages which had been emailed to me, as a direct result of the feature in your report. Phil really appreciated all the messages and especially the note that Chris and Mary Payne put o­n their Radio London Website and even though he cannot do so himself, a big thank you to everyone who sent messages of support to him, via myself. Phil is still in Colchester Hospital. To look at him, he appears totally normal and he is able to understand just about everything that is said to him. However his problem is him communicating with everyone else. He is now able to say about six/seven small simple words like "Yes", "No", "And" "But" and "Am". He cannot communicate by writing as he cannot identify any letters and therefore cannot spell out even the simplest words. He is receiving speech therapy every day and he is making progress, albeit very slowly.’ And some weeks later o­n February 27th the news came in that Colin has visited him and that the hospital staff are hoping that he can be discharged o­n about March 15th. Of course Phil has to go a long way but there’s progress.

Some four years ago I did a lot of research o­n the topic ‘Radio Luxembourg, the very early years’ which resulted in a in depth article. After this first article I wrote o­ne about my personal memories to the Dutch as well as the Flemish service of Luxembourg. Both articles were published in two magazines as well as in the o­n line Journal for Media and Music Culture, Soundscapes. It can be found at www.soundscapes.info

When you found this, simply go to Volume 4 (2001) and scroll. You then find three different articles o­n Luxembourg as well as pages with unique photographs from the fifties and sixties.

Late October last year I was phoned by o­ne of the people of public broadcaster VPRO Gerard Leenders, from the program ‘OVT’ . He told me that they found my articles and suggested that they wanted to use it as a kind of red line for a documentary and if I would like to think about the idea.

Early January another phone call was made as well as the decision to cooperate in this documentaries. A meeting was settled and within minutes it clicked between me and Gerard, who seemed to be a ‘simpatico’. We first overlooked which material was available in my archive as well which people were still alive and could tell us all about the Dutch Service in the fifties and sixties. Also arrangements were made to make the first part, talking about the thirties and forties.

The decision was made to bring a visit to the Grand Duchy to tell the story of the early years at several location in use or used by Radio Luxembourg. We travelled early February for a few days to Luxembourg and first visit the Junglinster transmitter site, where much of the engines of the thirties are still in use.

Photo's: transmitter and engine room @ Hans Knot 2005

We also visited the old studio building at Villa Louvigny in the heart of the city Luxembourg where still o­ne studio is ‘active’. There the concerts of the Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra are still registrated but from 2006 this will be done from the New Opera Building, just outside the main city of the country.

Many rare recordings have been found in the meantime, including o­ne at the ‘Sound and Vision Archive’ in Holland were commercials were found from the Dutch Service way back from 1935. Also there’s a recording from German Chancellor Paul von Hindenburg from 1933. It will warm all your ears listening to those two documentaries as also people who have worked for the Dutch service in the fifties and sixties will tell their stories. It was great to meet up with Dave Christian, who still lives in Luxembourg. Gerard and I had a long talk with him and I interviewed him about his career, which will be published at a later stage in the Soundscapes Journal.

Photo's: The main entrence Villa Louvingy & Dave Christian @ Hans Knot 2005

Dave gives his regards to all readers of the Knot Report and he really enjoys reading it all the time too.

The results of our visit and the memories of all people who have been interviewed can be heard o­n Sunday March 13th and 20th in the program OVT which will be aired by the VPRO o­n Dutch Radio 1 at 10 o’clock CET. Remember the program last for 2 hours and the documentaries are part of this total program. It will be also broadcast at the same time at Radio Netherlands, World Service. We wish you a lot of listening pleasure.

The program OVT has also an own internet site where the programs will be in the archive after being transmitted.

http://www.vpro.nl/geschiedenis/ovt/index.shtml?4158511+3299530

All the other photos I took in Luxembourg (about 50) can be found at Martin van der Ven’s site: www.offshore-radio.de

When entering just click o­n ‘Hans Knot’ and you’ll find lots of interesting things with o­n the right side: Hans Knot visits Luxembourg and when you click o­n that photo you’ll find the mentioned photos. Do enjoy this nostalgic trip too!

Nickname reporting this month we have to go back to 1972. At the end of the year a new station from the Mi Amigo took the airwaves as Radio 199 with English and Dutch language programs and listening back to o­ne of those recordings in my archive I heard Andy Archer two times mentioning Jeremy ‘the man of leisure’ Bender, who was o­ne of the Dutch service.

February 14th brought us o­n BBC TV o­ne a special about o­ne of the biggest collectors of vinyl in Great Britain. The programme showed a guy who started collecting way back in 1958 and he told the interviewer that he bought his first record while it was packed in such a beautiful sleeve. When he started working in radio the records came in with hundreds and hundreds a year and still the collection is growing each week. It’s all about Keith Skues who can talk for hours about his obsessive hobby as well as the love for vinyl, which gives such a colourful and tuneful feeling. He also told how he brought success to an unknown group, way back in the sixties who later became big stars: The Byrds. But he confessed too that he made a misery decision to not let a young female singer in his program, as he thought she would never be a star. Some years later she was Bonny Tyler and we all know the story.

A day later I did found in my mail box an e mail from Keith in which he mentioned that a new book from his hands will be out at the end of May: ‘For the last three years I have been working o­n another book - That's Entertainment - which is due to go to the printers in the next month. To be published o­n 20th of May. It has nothing at all to do with pirate radio - or even radio. It will be of limited interest to those in show business who are connected with charity organisations. I intend devoting some time to Barbara's labour of love from May o­nwards, so we should see some results later in the year. It is just I was overtaken by events and I have not yet got from under them.’

His last comment o­n Barbara is about a book o­n Keith Skues life, which we mentioned in our report about 18 months ago. Thanks Keith and keep enjoying life.

Time to get your list with nicknames from the shelve and add to it that I heard an old Caroline Cash Casino program in which Bill Hearne mentioned him self ‘the old money man’. In my archive, looking for something totally different, I found an old note o­n which was written that Tony Windsor o­n Radio London gave o­ne of the cooks, who did the ‘recipe time’ in his Coffeebreak, a nick name: Ossie ‘Scouse’ Jones. But I’ve more. Listened to a Rosko Show from August 13th 1966 and he mentioned DLT Dave ‘The Fly Killer’ Travis. Well Rosko could you, as reader of the report, tell us almost 40 years later why you gave him that nick name? Talking about Rosko, he mentioned him self ‘the leader’.

Radio London transmitted in August 1965 a Kenny and Cash Program in the two brought in ‘The Wilhelm Tell Overture’. It was played by the London Philharmonic and of course they invited their colleagues to play in the orchestra. This led to some more nick names: ‘Madama Paula’ Kaye, Pete ‘Fingers’ Brady, Tony ‘Swingle’ Windsor and Ed ‘Strings’ Stewart.

Months have gone by after I noted the first marks about all the commercials which could be heard o­n Radio London between December 17th 1964 and August 14th 1967. It's not that commercials could be heard from the first day o­n the air, this would happen around early February 1965 for a Company from Gravesend. But during the years the station was o­n the air enough money was brought in by Philip Birch and his team by selling airtime to companies. Hundreds of advertisers brought in several ten thousands of Pounds at a monthly base. Not o­nly advertisers were attracted but also the religious organisations from the USA, who bought airtime. Next to that there were several sponsored shows. In the list I mention also those charities organisations which have been plugged by the deejays o­n Radio London.

The list can be found at www.offshore-radio.de  (go to the button Hans Knot and you will be arriving in my archive) or at www.mediapages.nl  If you think I've forgotten o­ne or more commercials please mention it at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken. In the future other stations like Veronica, RNI and Caroline will be highlighted too this way.

A big thank you to Mitch Murray for sending me a mint copy of the 1966 single Skyliner, which he recorded with The Mitch Murray Gang way back in 1966. He had found the site www.soundscapes.info , where the massive discography list can be found. Mitch had made many number o­ne records in several countries in the sixties and seventies. Also he has written several books including those o­n o­ne liners, which were massive hits too. He is a long time director of the Performing Right Society and still travels the world. He lives o­n the beautiful Isle of Man and above all he is a reader of the International Report too. Yes, he was active in radio too, including Metro Radio.

Photo: Mitch Murray

But Mitch was o­n Offshore Radio too. Just see what John from the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame had to write about him: Mitch Murray was o­ne of the leading song-writers of the beat boom era. In 1963 alone, he wrote (or co-wrote) I'm Telling You Now and You Were Made For Me, top 3 hits for Freddie and the Dreamers, and How Do You Do It and I Like It, both number 1's for Gerry and the Pacemakers - as well as many more. So it was a surprise to see his name mentioned by Gerry Bishop in his book Offshore Radio as being a DJ o­n Radio Caroline South. The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame had no recollection of ever hearing him. So we got in touch with Mitch. Had he been a Radio Caroline disc-jockey?: “I was probably the shortest-lived DJ o­n Radio Caroline and it was a spur of the moment thing. I had gone o­n board to be interviewed. I can't remember who conducted it, but it definitely wasn't Tony Blackburn. He'd finished his shift and left o­n the tender o­n which I arrived. Suddenly I was stranded by stormy weather which prevented the tender from returning that day. As I found myself spending the night o­n Caroline, someone suggested that I present a show of my own. I came up with The Seasick Show. I'm pretty sure the original presenter was present but I can't recall the balance of contributions. I think the show lasted a half-hour, o­ne hour tops. Then the tender arrived and my Radio Caroline DJ career was over. I hadn't been paid, so frankly, my dear, I didn't give a damn.” So Gerry Bishop was right. Mitch was a DJ, although his offshore broadcasting career lasted o­nly an hour or less. He continued to write hit songs but has recently concentrated o­n speech-writing and humour books. o­ne of his books, How To Write A Hit Song, apparently inspired Sting to become a songwriter. A number of his books including: Mitch Murray's Handbook for the Terrified Speaker, Mitch Murray's o­ne-liners for Speeches o­n Special Occasions, Mitch Murray's o­ne-liners for Business Speeches and Mitch Murray's Complete Book of o­ne-liners for Weddings. are available from Amazon. www.offshoreradio.co.uk

Then we’re going to read what Martin Gilbert wrote: ’Hi Hans, Do you know of the people and how I can contact those looking at the REM Island. It would be a great shame to see it go, do you know what there plans are?’

I know that a group of interested people is going to found a Foundation, if they have found enough people with money to cover all the costs which have to be paid o­n a yearly base. Quite an amount as a new owner o­nly gets the isle under very hard restrictions. o­ne of them that the Rem Island has to be in perfect condition. I can’t tell names but surely Martin has found his way already as I did sent him a contact address from the owner Rijkswaterstaat.

Just a few months after the big mast came down o­n the MV Ross Revenge, a new magazine was issued in January 1988, Horizon. A dream became reality for John and Jenny Knight. March 2005 brings the 100th edition of Horizon and it can be seen as a tribute to Jenny, who passed away last year. Thanks John to have the strength going o­n with your work and many greetings. Also thanks to Bill Barnes who does assists John for the past issues of Horizon.
www.horizonmagazine.co.uk

Next a long e mail from Don Stevens: ‘Good day Hans, I am so busy I have no time for myself, but I am so sad to find from my back-emails that my old mi amigo, Phil Mitchell is in trouble, and, thanks to you Hans, I have been able to send my felicitations and best wishes...and with luck I hope to see Phil shortly. I will keep you posted. Meantime, nicknames Hans, o­n the MV Mi Amigo, Don Stevens was known as the 'Lumberjack'...for sure...ask Peter van Dam. Don 'The Lumberjack' Stevens was so named because of the heavy duty US Cavalry boots he wore o­n the ship, which kept everybody awake especially as Don was the DJ who carried out the Caroline to Mi Amigo crossover, so he stomped around the ship between 4am and 8am maintaining the shows. That’s why the skipper and the engineers gave Don Stevens the 'idiot' script to read between records which made things easier for them, Don was in the studio, so no movement, so plenty of sleep.

Hence, o­ne fine day, listeners heard, in fractured Flemish, regular links between tunes from the Mi Amigo's first hour of programmes announcements giving time checks etc. I can say, as Don Stevens, blame Peter Van Dam (Gangboord Fame), ships Captain and Rob Ronder, but it was a laugh. I ran the first hour of Radio Mi Amigo International as an international service, so it was fun to play Donna Summers first hit 'Hostage' and pre and back announce in the tunes. Even our chef brought my breakfast to the studio, and enjoyed the fact that I played all the 'Joepie' magazine hot hits before 'Joepie' listed them. All links in Flemnederlish (Flemish, Nederlands and English) and nobody complained in mainland Europe, but the British listeners did not enjoy this type of programme and complained.

Thanks to you Hans, I have been able to close the circle. Phil Brice and I are in touch, thanks to you sir, and we have opened up the whole potential of the 'Golden Age of The Voice of Peace' web site, this is still in preparation but Phil has linked me up to Jules...and thank the old Great Maker, these fellers are finally going to get a slice of history chalked down to their hard work. These blokes created the Israeli offshore scene, they will be remembered. Jules sends fond regards to Robin Adcroft and asks that he contact Don Stevens for updated info o­n Jules. I can be contacted at: Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken. If former VoP staff would like to contact Phil, Ken and Jules I will be happy to forward your details to these pioneers of good radio. Hans, these boys have given me so much update that our website will be an accurate and historical view of these Australian boys real contribution to free radio in Israel, and the foundation of modern Israeli broadcasting. This news has enabled me to close the circle, Tavas, Keith Ashton the whole caboose. Hans, mi amigo, watch this space. Must go Hans, have to write a load of copy for my magazine, Warp Core Preach o­n the ending of Enterprise. I'm gonna miss Jolene Blalock, LA is now Trek philosophy. Live Long and Prosper Hans’.

Well a lot of information of the past and future and hope when the site is open for everyone we will get the internet address from you Don. Good luck with the site and we’re most interested to see it. In the meantime I’ve sent some twenty more e mail addresses to Don as a lot of people who have worked o­n the Peace Ship between 1973 and 1993 are reading this newsletter.

From Herman in Belgium we got an internet address where all the former Top 50 can be found from the Dutch service of RNI: http://home.hetnet.nl/~rele/

He also sent in the next o­ne:
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/freq_find/trans_hist1.html

Another interesting site brings a lot of photo material shot during the past two decades o­n the subject ‘MV Communicator’: http://www.radiolaser558.nl/

News from Mike Brand in Israel:’ After a year of bureaucratic hold ups, the joint Israeli / Palestinian All For Peace radio station has started broadcasting in English Hebrew and Arabic o­n 107.2 megahertz o­n the FM band The transmitter is placed in Ramallah in the Palestinian Authority, but the studios are in Jerusalem, enabling both Israeli and Palestinian staff access to the station. The broadcasts are 100 % legal. The station put out test transmissions of non-stop music in English and Arabic in January and February o­n both 98.4 and 107.2 FM , with the 107.2 frequency being the far superior. Reception reports have been received so far from Haifa in the North, to Gaza in the South, and from Cyprus! The signal is particularly strong in the Tel-Aviv area. If you live in the broadcast area, please try and e-mail me to tell me how you are receiving the station.
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I wish Mike and his colleagues all the success in the world.

Next news from Alan Day who writes in: ‘Europa Radio International will begin broadcasting from Miami in March via WRMI o­n 6870/15725 to North America and o­n 9955kHz to the Caribbean. Progress o­n our own recently acquired AM transmitter, as expected, has been slow due to transit delays and poor weather conditions however we hope to have some good news by mid-April. So watch out our internet site at:
www.europaradiointernational.co.uk

Then rounding up the report with some messages from Caroline’s Headquarter in Highgate London and Peter Moore reporting: ‘Before the latest o­n Radio Caroline Eric Wiltshire complained that I had got the name of his new station wrong. He is quite correct. I had the name Talassa in my mind for some other reason and I should have used the correct name Tatrus. The name refers to a mountain or range of mountains where the first transmitter is said to be located. If you look at a map of Slovakia you will see two regions, the Low Tatrus and High Tatrus. We could take the view that the signal will spread across the Czechoslovakian border. I am not told the frequency. Eric, in a good natured way took issue with my suggestion that this was very much like Merlin. He says it is not. I insist that there are similarities in that it is a satellite signal with terrestrial relay. So was Merlin. Eric was o­n Merlin with his media programme, so was Radio Caroline, so was Johnnie Reece with his Album Zone, so was Lee Williams with his Country programmes and we also had Rock Radio Network o­n there. RRN is no more but Pandora who worked with them is back o­n Tatrus and so is all the other programmes mentioned above. So it must have some similarities to Merlin. I believe that Eric has put his launch back from Easter to early April. Then here’s more news o­n Caroline. I know that over here the BBC have decided to borrow Ross Revenge o­n Easter Saturday and not Friday. This is because they have to use some of their Essex AM frequencies to transmit a football match o­n Friday. They will share the ship with us from 2 pm until 6 pm. It (may) be that then BBC Kent takeover o­n board with the rock show presented by Dave Cash. This is not certain yet, but 2-6 pm is certain. It seems that Technisat have encrypted the Caroline signal o­n Astra, but they always said that they would do so. I think that people with satellite equipment must now pay a small fee of 20 Euro to get Caroline for a year (and some other stations as well) or if people want to buy new receivers from Technisat, the Caroline signal can be built in to the new equipment. Greetings, Peter Moore.’

Thanks Peter and always for every reader it’s possible to share your memories, your news, photographs and other material and you can sent it to Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.

Till next report with the best greetings

Hans