Offshore August

August is a month of great significance for Offshore radio fans in Europe. This year, August 14th marked the 42nd anniversary of the Marine Offences Act in the UK, and in a few days' time, August 31st will be the 35th Anniversary of the Dutch equivalent. Those Acts made it illegal to advertise, work for and suppy the Offshore stations and, effectively meant the end of an era for both countries, even though offshore radio did continue in a much reduced form.

It's been a tremendous month for re-living those memories as veronica192.nl run by the Veronica Foundation "Stichting Norderney" have been running special archive programmes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Radio Veronica. We're currently racing towards the back end of this special programming as the webstream plays the whole of the final week of programmes broadcast by Veronica from sea in August 1974.

I recall those final few hours very well. My best friend, Peter Barber and I drove down to Great Yarmouth and holed up inside a hotel armed with radios and tape recorders determined to capture as much of those final moments as we could.

Veronica's programmes were punctuated with an announcement at the top of every hour... "Nog 77 uur... Nog 76 uur... Nog 75 uur " (only 77 hours left, only 76 hours left, only 75 hours left"). It was heady stuff, especially in the Netherlands where, in 14 years, Veronica had become a much loved part of the furniture. I was more of an RNI fan, so I probably didn't really appreciate how Veronica was viewed in the Netherlands. Listening to the archive programmes 35 years down the line, I realise I didn't give due credit to Veronica, the programming was top notch and covered a much wider "family-oriented" spread than RNI's, which was more pop-oriented, but then I was just a youngster in my twenties.

So, if you get a chance, do listen to the webstream as programmes reach a climax in the re-broadcasting of Veronica's Final Hour on Monday 31st August 1600-1700 BST (1700-1800 CET). I remember, all too well, as the programming closed with Rob Out announcing "Part of the democracy in the Netherlands is dying with the closure of Radio Veronica and that is a tragedy for the country" - this was followed by the Dutch National Anthem and a Veronica jingle. In the middle of the jingle, the transmitter carrier was cut and Veronica was silenced forever. I wasn't alone in shedding a tear.

The programme schedule is available on-line.

As if that wasn't enough, I've just read that Surfradio.eu will be doing a similar thing for RNI (Radio Northsea International) which also closed down on 31st August 1974.

For two days, commencing Sunday 30th August, you will be able to hear the final programmes of RNI. Surfradio will replay the original programmes as broadcast on Friday, August 30th. 1974, between 1100-2300 BST (1200-2400 CET) - this will feature the close down of the International/English service of RNI.

On Monday 31st August, Surfradio will give a complete replay of programming from 31st August 1974 between 0800-1900 GMT (0900-2000 CET) when the station closed down forever. During the period 1200-1400 BST (13.00-1500) you can hear the final two hours of the International Shortwave service of RNI.

Again, I recall those final hours of RNI. I felt the closure of the Dutch Service was particularly poignant as it ended with a jingle of Loe van der Goot repeating "Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee," and superimposed over this were the sounds of waves, getting louder and louder, until they drowned out the announcement. Again, the carrier was cut prematurely and RNI died forever.

I'd been a big fan of RNi right from the start in 1970 when I heard Roger Day's taped test transmission announcements. RNI had been through a troubled life - in 1970, the ill-fated move to the UK coastline brought a ferocious response from Labour Government of the day. For weeks, the programmes were jammed - normally an act I associate with totalitarian Communist Governments tryng to stop free speech during the Cold War. In the end, RNI conceded defeat and limped back to it's home off the coast of Scheveningen, near The Hague in the Netherlands - but not before a General Election brought about a surprise change of Government. The vote had been extended from 21 to 18 and I was one of millions of newly enfranchised voters (I was just a few months from my 21st birthday).

RNI was running out of money, having been unable to secure advertising and in September 1970, reached a deal with the Veronica organisation who had paid a million guilders to the owners of RNI, in return for the station going off-air.

A few months later, early in 1971, that agreement was shattered when the owners regained control of the RNI ship "Mebo 2" and came back on air, initially with just English programmes and a few weeks later with a daytime Dutch Service and English programming in the International Service in the evenings.

During that period, RNI thrived and had great stability producing some superb programming, the Dutch programmes largely being recorded on land. Faves of mine in the early days were Joost den Draaier, the madcap Dutch DJ "Joost with the most off the Dutch coast", who had been so successful on Veronica in the 60s and Ferry Maat, whose soul-oriented programming became a big hit with me and with countless other listeners. Other favourites on the Dutch Service were Leo van der Goot and Hans ten Hooge who presented Driemaster, an afternoon show live from the Mebo 2. As regards the English service, notable faves of mine were Don Allen, Brian Mackenzie and Graham Gill, who introduced his programmes singing over the B side instrumental of Junior Walker's Way Back Home, "Well I come from Australia, that's where I come from.."

I absolutely adored RNI and most of my listening hours during that period were to RNI, whether it was the Dutch or English Service. The music was brilliant and the delivery was fast-paced. For me, it was the best station ever. Nothing beats it. My love of the Netherlands and things Dutch was largely shaped by RNI.

Enjoy the final hours and relive them online with surfradio.eu.