“Radio North Sea International”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

In 1968 Erwin Meister and Edwin Bollier were among a group intending to broadcast as Radio Gloria from the former Radio London ship, Galaxy. On 2 July 1968, the German government banned off-shore broadcasting. The Gloria project collapsed.^[3] Meister and Bollier bought their own vessel, the Bjarkoy, and set up a radio station. They renamed their ship Mebo, then Mebo I, and, after transmissions ended, Angela.^[4] Before fitting was completed, the Mebo was found to be too small for broadcasting but too big as a tender. However, she was used while the Mebo II was operating off England.

Mebo II

Originally Silvretta, and built in Slikkerveer, Netherlands in 1948, the 630-tonne vessel was 8.85 metres wide, 3.25 metres deep and 53 metres long. In 1969 Mebo Telecommunications bought Silvretta, fitted her as a floating radio station, and renamed her Mebo II. Since Mebo was too big to tender Mebo II off the Netherlands, RNI used a smaller vessel, Trip Tender, which Radio London had also used (when she was called Offshore 1.) The psychedelically-painted Mebo II carried a MW transmitter at 105 kilowatts (more than twice the 50 kW TXs used by Radio London and Radio Caroline), though it operated at 60 kW or less.

One of five RCA-built prototype transmitters, and the only one still in service, it rarely if ever broadcast at full power. It had the highest power of any ship-based pirate station, and the second-highest of any ship-based broadcast station^[5] Mebo II also had SW and FM transmitters, able simultaneously to broadcast four different streams on four different channels.^[6]

On 23 January 1970, Mebo II began test broadcasts from the Dutch coast, in English and German. When regular broadcasting began on 11 February 1970 it was more popular in the United Kingdom than the Netherlands or Germany. On 23 March 1970 Mebo II sailed to the East coast of England, arriving at 09:00 on 24 March 1970 and anchoring in international waters, five miles from Clacton.^[4]

Jamming

The Labour government in Britain began jamming Mebo IIs MW signal at 2030 hours on 15 April 1970. RNI responded with pro-Conservative political messages for the general election on 18 June 1970. On 13 May 1970, RNI responded to complaints about interference by changing its MW channel to 1230 kHz (244 metres). This improved reception but was adjacent to the pop music service of BBC Radio One on 1214 kHz (247 metres). Jamming followed five days later, causing interference to BBC Radio as well as RNI, especially in Kent, south-east England.^[4]

Radio Caroline International

On 13 June 1970, five days before election day, Radio North Sea International changed to Radio Caroline International and launched a campaign in support of the Conservative party. The name change and political campaign were supported by Radio Caroline's founder Ronan O'Rahilly. Listeners were told that their freedom to listen to the radio station of their choice was under threat and that, if the Labour party were returned to power, the station would close: their vote should therefore be Conservative, the only party that supported commercial radio. Ronan O'Rahilly headed the campaign on land, using a double-decker bus and posters depicting Harold Wilson as China's Chairman Mao.^[4]

They believed the Conservatives would end jamming. Conservative policy was to establish local land-based commercial radio in the UK. At a Fight for Free Radio rally the weekend before the election, Conservative loudspeaker-vans urged 'Vote Conservative and fight for free radio'. The Conservatives won and there is evidence that the Caroline and RNI campaigns made a difference to the result.

Reversion to RNI

Two days after the election, the station reverted to RNI. Because jamming continued, Mebo II returned to the Dutch coast on 23 July 1970.^[4]

The British government jammed Mebo IIs broadcasts with tones, usually an 800 Hz heterodyne supplemented with a pulsed beep (whistle and "pip pip"). Norway's interference with RNI on 6215.0 kHz was explained thus:

Paul Harris's book Broadcasting from the High Seas, published in 1976,^[7] suggests the UK government suspected RNI's shortwave equipment was sending coded messages to unfriendly countries, in particular the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

Harris also claimed Edwin Bollier vowed to take revenge on the British government because he felt RNI had been singled out for jamming. Harris's theories are controversial and there has never been evidence to support them.

Attempted Hijacking

On 12 August 1970, Kees Manders, a nightclub owner involved with Radio Veronica, became commercial director of RNI. But RNI's managing director, Larry Tremaine, said nothing had been agreed. Bollier and Meister had invited Manders to start a Dutch service from the Mebo II, and offered him a directorship in RNI, but withdrew when Manders leaked the story.^[4]

A few weeks later, on Saturday, 29 August 1970, a salvage tug named Husky approached Mebo II at about 13:30. Accompanying the tug was a launch, the Viking, aboard which were Kees Manders with a woman and a child. In the studio, DJ Andy Archer interrupted his programme with appeals to listeners to tell RNI's offices of what appeared a threatening situation:

Manders' demands were refused. He returned to the Viking, threatening to cut the anchor chain and tow the Mebo II to port. Crewmen on the Husky made to use a water cannon on the radio mast, but decided against, presumably having heard they risked electrocution. While Archer and Muldoon continued to broadcast, others armed themselves with knives and petrol bombs to repel boarders. Switchboards in London, The Hague, and Zurich received calls from listeners. Erwin Meister arrived on a launch, followed by the Eurotrip tender and other craft. Husky and Viking left, and were never seen again. Later that day van Ness, a frigate of the Royal Dutch Navy stood by. As the day ended, Larry Tremaine went on air with this statement:

Radio Silence, And Return

RNI closed at less than 24 hours' notice at midday on 24 September 1970, in exchange for one million Dutch guilders (about £100,000) from Radio Veronica. RNI agreed to close down after concerns that Veronica, which had been broadcasting for many years and very popular in Holland, could be forced off air because of the recent problems. A final hour was hosted by Andy Archer and Alan West, and Steven Ladd After that the transmitters were silenced. Mebo II remained in international waters off Scheveningen in the Netherlands.

But on Friday, 29 January 1971 Mebo II restarted broadcasts, on 220 metres MW and 48 metres SW, channels the station used until forced to close in 1974. The station identified itself on 14 February 1971 thus:

Regular English language programmes restarted at 14:00 on Sunday, 21 February 1971. Dutch programmes began on 6 March 1971.

The 1971 Bombing

On Saturday, 15 May 1971 at 22:50 DJ Alan West interrupted his programme to say there had been an explosion and that the ship was on fire:^[4]

At 23:40 the transmitters switched off and Mebo II was abandoned. The following morning, at 02:30, Mebo II restarted broadcasting, closing at 03:00 as normal, and normal Dutch language programmes began at 06:00 on Sunday 16 May 1971. Repairs to the Mebo II were carried out at sea, allowing the station to continue without interruption.

On 17 May 1971, 48-year-old Norbert Jurgens, the advertising manager at Radio Veronica, was arrested and questioned by Dutch Police, and the following day Veronica director Bull Verweij was also held. Verweij appeared on Netherlands television to tell how he had paid a man 12,000 guilders (approximately £1,100) to force Mebo II into territorial waters. Once in the three-mile limit, the ship would have been liable to arrest or confiscation by creditors. In September 1971, all five suspects re-appeared in court, where it became clear how the plan had been developed and implemented. According to one of the three frogmen, Jan Plat, their motivation was money and adventure. And they had heard that RNI was involved with espionage for the eastern bloc. However, Judge Mr van't Veer ruled,

Although Meister and Bollier did not want to prosecute the offenders, all five were sentenced to one year in prison. The bombing of RNI convinced the Dutch government that it was time to outlaw the supply from the Dutch mainland of offshore radio stations on the high seas. The Marine Offences Act came into force on 1 September 1974.

RNI 2

On 30 September 1972 Radio Veronica changed its frequency from 1562 kHz (192 metres) to 557 kHz (539 metres, announced as 538), announcing that it would close at 12:30 PM and reopen on its new frequency at 1:00 PM. A moment after the station closed listeners were surprised to hear "Man of Action," RNI's signature tune, on 1562 kHz. This was followed by announcements in both English and Dutch by RNI DJ Tony Allan acknowledging Veronica's 12-year history and welcoming listeners to the new sound of "RNI 2". At 1:00 RNI 2 relayed part of Veronica's reopening broadcast. That day RNI 2 carried separate programming from the main AM and FM service on 1562 kHz and on SW but then closed without warning the following morning, never to return.

The station's management claimed that RNI 2 was set up to prove that RNI could broadcast additional frequencies in case of emergency, although the nature of that emergency was never specified. Sceptics claimed that it was just an attempt to grab some of Veronica's audience. With the launch of RNI 2, the Mebo II became only the second radio ship to broadcast two separate mediumwave stations, the first being the Olga Patricia / Laissez Faire which broadcast Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio and their successors in 1966-7. Subsequently the Radio Caroline ships Mi Amigo and Ross Revenge would be the only other vessels used to broadcast two mediumwave channels simultaneously.

Final transmission

From June 1971 until the end of August 1974 Radio North Sea International was a regular and reliable broadcaster from international waters, four miles from the coast of the Netherlands. The main MW transmissions continued at about 50 kW on 1367 kHz, shortwave using 10 kW on 6205 kHz and VHF FM on 100 MHz. Dutch programs, which were mostly taped on land, were extended eventually to 20:00 Central European Time (CET). Programs in English extended at the weekends from 03:00 until 06:00, when Dutch language programming began. The second 10 kW AM TX was tested on medium wave 773 kHz, and on 30 September 1972 as RNI 2, a second stream on 1562 kHz, in addition to the main stream on 1367 kHz, and intended to assure advertisers that, if need arose, Mebo II could continue transmissions on another frequency. The main English language service closed at midnight on 30/31 August 1974, and Dutch transmissions ceased on 31 August 1974 at 20:00.^[4]

RNI Presenters (English Service)

This is an incomplete list as many short-term and temporary presenters were also heard at various times.

Destination Libya

While the two vessels were laid up in the Netherlands, both were fully refitted. Early in 1977, Mebo I, now renamed Angela and Mebo II were sold to Libya. They sailed, each with a crew of nine, for Libya, arriving Tripoli on 9 February 1977. Mebo II was renamed El Fatah, and Angela was renamed Almasira. El Fatah then broadcast as Radio Jamharia with programmes such as the Arab Voice, Libya International in English and the Holy Quran. This continued until 1980, when Heinz Hurter, Edwin Bollier's second wife's brother was the only Swiss national to remain aboard.^[3]

One of RNI's former DJs, Robin Banks (né Adcroft, not to be confused with DJ Robin Banks), accompanied the vessels to Libya, and stayed with them as a transmitter engineer until 1980.^[3] The Almasira and the El Fatah were said to have been used as target practice by the Libyan Navy in the 1980s, and were sunk in the Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea.^[8]

Notes

1. ^. The company, registered in Switzerland, used the German name, whereas references in the UK were to Radio Northsea International. DJs on air mixed the usage. The Souvenir Book, in 1971, although in English, swaps between English and German. This article, predominately about the English service, and written in English, uses the English variant. Some publications have a tendency to split the "Northsea" into two words
2. ^Souvenir Book of Radio North Sea International by Victor Pelli {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104162127/http://www.rni220.nl/rni_book1/albframe.htm |date=4 January 2009 }}
3. ^¹²Bob Leroi's RNI Scrapbook
4. ^¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹[https://web.archive.org/web/20150521070051/http://www.cwgsy.net/private%2Foffshorepirateradio/rniradio.html RNI Timeline]
5. ^. The Voice of America's MV Courier in the 1950s had the highest, with 150 kW on mediumwave.
6. ^Edwin Bollier announces that RNI has achieved a broadcast output of 90,000 Watts
7. ^Broadcasting from the High Seas (Edinburgh, Paul Harris Publishing, 1976), {{ISBN|0-904505-07-3}}
8. ^Target practice in the Mediterranean {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611054038/http://www.offshore-radio.de/fleet/mebo2.htm |date=11 June 2011 }}

Radio Gloria