ARLA/CLUSTER: Recordando os anos 60 e as escutas de estrelas Pop em Radio Piratas nas Ondas Medias

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

A life on the ocean (medium) wave

For a short period, way back in the 1960s, millions of pop fans tuned
into pirate radio ships, anchored several miles out from Britain’s
shores, pumping out pop music 18 hours a day.

The reception was often poor, the signal crackling and fluctuating,
but it was the only way to hear the latest offerings from bands like
the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Hollies, the Who and many more
fronting the decade’s music revolution.

Broadcasting from the east Yorkshire coast and attracting listeners
over the North of England, and Midlands and even overseas, was Radio
270.

Work had begun in November 1965 by a group of Northern businessmen to
set up an off-shore commercial radio station. These men included Wilf
Proudfoot, a former Member of Parliament for Cleveland who became the
Managing Director of Radio 270. He was the owner of a chain of
supermarkets and an adventurous man with a dynamic personality. The
chairman of Radio 270 was Leonard Dale MD of a thriving electrical
concern exporting British made goods to the world. Also involved were
promoter Don Robinson, local fisherman Bill Pashby and farmer Roland
Hill.

They all believed that folk in the North and Midlands were entitled to
competitive commercial radio. During 1966, a Dutch lugger ‘Oceaan 7’
(first launched in 1939) was acquired and experienced tradesmen and
commercial radio personnel set to work converting the ship from stem
to stern into a pirate radio station at a cost of around £75,000.

Publicity announced the ship would house the North’s first commercial
radio and shouted: ‘It’s not just a station, it’s a sensation.’

Originally to be called Radio Yorkshire, the station became Radio 270,
named after its wavelength, and intended to play, between 6.30 am to 1
am, the top selling records of the day, as well as hourly news
bulletins, sports flashes and weather and community announcements.

The ship emerged flying the Honduran flag after being registered in
Puerto Cortes. Sailing into the North Sea, and anchoring four miles
off the East Coast at Scarborough, Radio 270 began transmitting
commercial radio during June 1966.

For those interested in technical details Oceaan 7 was 139ft long,
22ft wide, weighed 160 tons, and the mast was 154ft above sea level.
There was a water distillery unit on board, the gallery had every
modern appliance and the aerial was of the vertical birdcage
construction.
All modern navigational and life saving aids were on the ship.
The transmitter was 10 kilowatts and manufactured by RCA.

In subsequent months Radio 270 floated around between Scarborough and
Bridlington, depending on weather conditions and the Captain’s
predilections for deep sea fishing! Oceaan 7 was commanded alternately
by two captains, on a month on, month off basis. The highly skilled
crew and technical staff worked on a fortnightly roster.

The DJ turn-over at Radio 270 was high and many have special memories
of life on board the ship.
Some are catalogued on http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/ one of the many
websites recalling the halcyon days of pirate radio stations.

You can read the full Yorkshire Post story by Peter Tuffrey at:
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/nostalgia/
a-life-on-the-ocean-medium-wave-1-6828782

Our thanks to Mike Terry for spotting this item