27th March 1964 - Radio Caroline (ding ding) began its test broadcast 50 years ago. Without a doubt they shook up and changed the face of radio broadcasting in the UK, and europe. Gone were the days of "the light program" gone were the days of listening to Radio Luxembourg fading in and out at night.
Being an Essex lad we had a certain pride and excitement it was happening off "our" coast not that far away. I was tuned in almost right at the start. (tho I deserted them for "wonderful radio london"
One of those seminal - always remember - moments.
www.offshoreradio.co.uk
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>> One of those seminal - always remember - moments.
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"Where were you when Radio Caroline first broadcast?" - a much more significant moment than any other big event in the 1960s. :)
I was musing recently about why the convention developed from quite early on of defining radio stations as "Radio X" rather than "X Radio".
English conventionally puts the adjective in front of the noun:
Station Cafe, Red Rover, Odeon Cinema, etc.
But sometimes, to add grandeur, we put them the other way round:
Cafe Royal, Hotel Bristol, Plan B, Operation Dynamo.
Hence it has always been Radio Luxembourg, rather than Luxembourg Radio.
But other languages that always put the adjective second don't apparently have this option in reverse- Radio Ceredigion ought by analogy to be Ceredigion Radio. But instead they all use the English convention.
Some may find that interesting :)
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>> >> One of those seminal - always remember - moments.
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>> "Where were you when Radio Caroline first broadcast?" - a much more significant moment than
>> any other big event in the 1960s. :)
At home - it was easter half term. Can even picture the large upright Grundig radiogram I tuned it in on. (mono, very large single cone speaker - fabulous bass, valves, great reception with a long wire hanging out the window)
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>> I was musing recently about why the convention developed from quite early on of defining
>> radio stations as "Radio X" rather than "X Radio".
>> English conventionally puts the adjective in front of the noun:
Indeed. For a while the Midland Bank changed itself to Bank Midland for some obscure reason. I also inadvertently tuned the television to some sport related thing the other day whilst waiting for a proper programme and they were talking about something called Team GB, Team Kylie and Team Wayne, which seemed very peculiar.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 27 Mar 14 at 08:53
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Would it be normal though in French for the word radio to come first?
Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française was (is) the French state broadcaster and RTL (Luxembourg) and RTFB as the Francophone arm of Belgium's radio/TV service follow same linguistic.
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>> Would it be normal though in French for the word radio to come first?
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>> Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française was (is) the French state broadcaster and RTL (Luxembourg) and RTFB as the
>> Francophone arm of Belgium's radio/TV service follow same linguistic.
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That's my point really - English has the option to switch the adjective front/back to change the emphasis slant. Does any other language do that?
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Radio Caroline (ding, ding) never did it for me.
I was a Big L fan - Radio London 266m.
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Not been on any of the original ships, but I have been on board the Ross Revenge when it was moored in docklands. I think as cheek, I probably won that day as I was driving a BBC technical vehicle, got a security guard from another building to keep an eye on it (there is no legit parking anywhere near, and got a very nut and bolts tour of the ship when I declared my employer!
I did help them with their TV aerial though!
I was a student DJ when the Mi Amigo sank, and did a half hour tribute which finished up with my playing their unofficial theme, 'Caroline' by the Fortunes, and water noises off a BBC sound effects record.
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The architect of the bill which killed off pirate radio was the recently departed Tony Benn who was Minister of Posts and Telecommunications at the time. He used the no brainer argument that broadcasting which wasn't strictly controlled by the ruling junta would cause nuclear weapons to go off, or wolves to attack the babies of coal miners.
Or something.
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Have to agree with Zero on this one. I can't recall exactly when I first heard Caroline but being in NI I presume it was the northern ship. The radio was definitely my first transistor radio that I kept in my bedroom to tune in (and out and in and out ....) of Luxembourg. The Light programme was suddenly very dated, well I suppose it already was.
Big fan of Rosko and Jim (Murph the Surf) Murphy. Very happy memories.
alfalfa
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I used to lurve the Edmudo Ros show on a Sunday.
OK - I'm lying. :-)
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And as an example of cookie reading/internet stalking my Amazon page now includes multiple recommendations for 'Boat That Rocked' and other offshore radio related ilms/books etc.
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When we used to sail across the North Sea in the 1970s we would often sail past Radio Caroline. It must have been pretty boring for the DJs being stuck out on what was a fairly small boat for weeks on end.
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Oh Dear - "The Boat That Rocked" was a truly dire load of ullage.
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Pirate Radio - 50 Years ago today - Cliff Pope
