Laser 558 - All Europe Radio - remember it?

[cupid_stunt]

This month it's 35 years since it launched, from the North Sea, and gained a massive audience of around 8-10 million, because of its non-stop music format, and catch-line "never more than a minute away from music", which was in contrast to the 50% speech imposed on the likes of Radio 1 & licensed commercial at the time, because of 'needle-time' restrictions.



If you remember it, you'll remember all the DJs were all yanks, or were they?

In fact during early test transmissions, on 729 rather than 558, the British engineer, an old mate I got to know during my time on pirate radio in Ireland back in the 80s, was one of the first voices heard on-air.



Johnny had 'jumped ship' from Radio Caroline to help set it up, but is now back on Radio Caroline.

 

[planetgeli]

Blast from the past. Yes, I remember it. Definitely not as well as you, but I was an early listener. I’d forgotten it existed.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Yes, found it about 35 years ago (oh fuck) when i was in my teens and producing a (in hindsight fairly crap) mainly music based rag (maybe what would now be called a fanzine) at secondary school. vaguely remember writing something about the station.

 

[danski]

Yes. It was good.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Don't remember this at all.

 

[AverageJoe]

Remember it when I was on scout camp. Late at night I managed to tune my little radio in and found it.

They only played two songs on repeat that night but one was Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood so all was good

 

[Celyn]

35 years ago? Eek! Yes, I remember it. Loved it. I think one of its DJs, Charlie Wolf, later turned into a bit of a right wing weirdo. The only other one I remember was a woman named Holly something, possibly Michaels.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

It's odd because I definitely had my own radio back then and used to stay up late listening to all sorts that I could pick up, even broadcasts in other languages, but don't remember this. I might just have thought it another music station and moved on, unless the range didn't extend to NE England?

 

[cupid_stunt]

35 years ago? Eek! Yes, I remember it. Loved it. I think one of its DJs, Charlie Wolf, later turned into a bit of a right wing weirdo. The only other one I remember was a woman named Holly something, possibly Michaels.

Yes it was Holly Michaels, and Charlie Wolf did indeed turn out to be a right-wing writer & political commentator, at one point he was also the Communications Director of Republicans Abroad UK.

 

[cupid_stunt]

It's odd because I definitely had my own radio back then and used to stay up late listening to all sorts that I could pick up, even broadcasts in other languages, but don't remember this. I might just have thought it another music station and moved on, unless the range didn't extend to NE England?

Unlikely during the daytime, but I would have thought it would have reached you after dark, as indeed should have Radio Caroline.

It was short-lived, only lasted about 18 months from May '84 to late '85. Whereas Radio Caroline had carved out a niche as an 'album station', so no major threat to legal stations, and funded it by hiring out airtime to a Dutch station & US-based religious nutters on their second channel. Laser went 'full-on' to attract a mega-audience with a 'all hits' format, in the hope of attracting international advertising, which wasn't going to happen, because it was illegal to advertise on offshore pirates.

By building a massive audience, they totally pissed off licenced commercial stations, they insisted the government took action, which resulted in the DTI spy ship, the Dioptric Surveyor, monitoring it to track boats supplying it it. They claimed it was supplied from Spain, which was total bollocks, supplies were smuggled out from Kent & Essex. The lack of advertising, and the DTI blockage, referred to on-air as "Eurosiege", resulted in the ship coming in & being seized.

Eurosiege resulted in them releasing a parody record "I Spy For The DTI" by the Moronic Surveyors.



Ironically when the government auctioned off the ship, with the condition it wasn't used to broadcast again, a chap with pirate radio connections, called Ray Anderson, brought it, then sold it onto to a overseas 'shelf company' he controlled, without that condition attached. So, having spent a fortune forcing it off air, they sold it to someone who just sailed it back out & re-launched as 'Laser Hot hits', which again was short lived, because of a lack of funds.

 

[Idris2002]

Didn't they operate via a land based transmitter in Ireland for a while? Or am I thinking of something else?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Didn't they operate via a land based transmitter in Ireland for a while? Or am I thinking of something else?

You're thinking of Atlantic 252 Long Wave Radio, that was a joint venture between RTE & Radio Luxembourg, that came a few years later, with a similar format and some ex-Laser DJs, such as Charlie Wolf.

 

[Idris2002]

You're thinking of Atlantic 252 Long Wave Radio, that was a joint venture between RTE & Radio Luxembourg, that came a few years later, with a similar format and some ex-Laser DJs, such as Charlie Wolf.

Ah yes, Atlantic 252. I think I only listened to it a couple of times.

By the way, issue 58 of Lobster magazine (available at the mag's site) has an interesting article alleging CIA involvement in the "classic" pirate radio stations. Worth a look, if you're interested in the pirate story.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Ah yes, Atlantic 252. I think I only listened to it a couple of times.

By the way, issue 58 of Lobster magazine (available at the mag's site) has an interesting article alleging CIA involvement in the "classic" pirate radio stations. Worth a look, if you're interested in the pirate story.

There was a lot of murky goings on with the funding of offshore pirates, and it's possible some C.I.A. money was involved, but there's no proof, and I am very sceptical about such claims.

But, cheers for the heads-up on that article, although I can't believe a word of it, it has so many very basic facts wrong.

It says that after the merger of Radios Atlanta & Caroline in '64, the Atlanta ship headed to the Isle of Man to become Caroline North, it didn't, that ship became Caroline South, and the original Caroline ship headed to the IoM.

It claims Ronan O’Rahilly managed to pay off the debts due on the MV Mi-Amigo, after it had been towed to Holland by the supply company due to unpaid bills in '68. He didn't, both ships were auctioned off in '72, the MV Mi-Amigo was purchased by an anorak to turn into a pirate radio museum, O’Rahilly managed to con him out of control of the ship, and relaunched Caroline.

It claims the government had problems 'dealing with O’Rahilly – a citizen of Eire, who resided overseas', certainly his Irish citizenship allowed him to operate a radio station from international waters, because the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act only applied to British citizens, but he mainly resided in the UK, unless his flat in the Kings Road, Chelsea magically got moved!

 

[Idris2002]

There was a lot of murky goings on with the funding of offshore pirates, and it's possible some C.I.A. money was involved, but there's no proof, and I am very sceptical about such claims.

But, cheers for the heads-up on that article, although I can't believe a word of it, it has so many very basic facts wrong.

It says that after the merger of Radios Atlanta & Caroline in '64, the Atlanta ship headed to the Isle of Man to become Caroline North, it didn't, that ship became Caroline South, and the original Caroline ship headed to the IoM.

It claims Ronan O’Rahilly managed to pay off the debts due on the MV Mi-Amigo, after it had been towed to Holland by the supply company due to unpaid bills in '68. He didn't, both ships were auctioned off in '72, the MV Mi-Amigo was purchased by an anorak to turn into a pirate radio museum, O’Rahilly managed to con him out of control of the ship, and relaunched Caroline.

It claims the government had problems 'dealing with O’Rahilly – a citizen of Eire, who resided overseas', certainly his Irish citizenship allowed him to operate a radio station from international waters, because the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act only applied to British citizens, but he mainly resided in the UK, unless his flat in the Kings Road, Chelsea magically got moved!

There's always one cynic who has to go and spoil the magic with his/her facts and logic.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Ironically when the government auctioned off the ship, with the condition it wasn't used to broadcast again, a chap with pirate radio connections, called Ray Anderson, brought it, then sold it onto to a overseas 'shelf company' he controlled, without that condition attached. So, having spent a fortune forcing it off air, they sold it to someone who just sailed it back out & re-launched as 'Laser Hot hits', which again was short lived, because of a lack of funds.

This report, which I've not seen before, has just been posted on a pirate radio forum.

Ironically after the government spent an estimated £250k to get Laser 558 off the air, Ray Anderson brought this floating radio station for just £35k, the report ends before Laser Hot Hits did finally launch, but due to lack advertising again, only lasted about 6 months.

Ray Anderson is interviewed, claiming he no longer had a financial interest in the ship/station, which was total bollocks.