Radio Caroline

Radio Caroline is a European radio station that originally commenced transmissions as an offshore radio station broadcasting from a ship anchored off the coast of South East England in international waters. Unlicensed by any government for the majority of its life, it was labelled as a pirate radio station.

1989 Joint Anglo-Dutch Raid

On land, the UK Thatcher government sharpened the 1967 anti-offshore broadcasting law further, this time to permit the boarding and silencing of stations operating even in international waters, if British nationals were involved. On August 19, 1989 James Murphy, an investigator for the Office of Official Solicitor acting on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry, led colleagues and counterparts from the Netherlands Radio Regulatory Authority carried out a raid on the Ross Revenge in which vital equipment was wrecked or confiscated. It was claimed that Caroline's use of a short wave frequency in the 49 metre band for the transmission of paid-for religious programmes was causing interference to other short wave broadcasters.

Related Topics:
Thatcher - August 19 - 1989 - James Murphy - Official Solicitor - Netherlands Radio Regulatory Authority

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That station was called World Mission Radio and its on air announced address was in California, USA. Prior to the raid in 1987, Allan Weiner of Maine, USA had twice attempted to broadcast on AM (Medium Wave and Long Wave), FM and Short Wave from the motor vessel alleged to be the Sarah off Jones Beach, Long Island, New York, under the name of Radio Newyork International. Weiner also been on board the Ross Revenge where he had earlier attempted to install a shortwave transmitter. On board was his DJ friend John Ford from the USA. Later, after Ford left Radio Caroline he became one of the original investors in Radio Newyork International. Transmissions were received over half of the USA. The first attempt ended when the vessel was boarded in international waters by U.S. Customs, FBI and FCC officials and the vessel was taken into port at Boston.

Related Topics:
California - USA - 1987 - Allan Weiner - Maine - Jones Beach - Long Island - New York - Radio Newyork International - John Ford - Radio Caroline - U.S. Customs - FBI - FCC - Boston

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Following the raid on the Sarah in which Weiner had been brought back to shore in handcuffs, he flew to England for an offshore radio convention in Blackpool and later met Michael Bates whose father Roy claimed to have established an independent country off southeast England. Under a paper transaction, Weiner sold both the radio station and the radio ship to a British company managed by Michael Bates, upon the provision that at a later time Weiner would be able to buy back both the radio station and radio ship. Under this agreement Weiner was to manage the radio station for the alleged British company, while the radio ship itself was to be re-registered by Michael Bates in the country which his father was alleged to have established. Thus Weiner claimed that he no longer owned the radio station or the radio ship.

Related Topics:
Handcuffs - Blackpool - Michael Bates

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The following year in 1988, the vessel returned to sea again off Jones Beach and again attempted the same broadcasts under the same call-sign, only this time it claimed be owned by a British company with the radio ship itself registered in the independent Principality of Sealand. This so-called "principality" was in reality a former British World War II fort built in England on board a barge, floated out to sea and then intentionally sunk on Rough Sands sandbar which was between 6 to 8 miles off the coast of Southeast England. After the sinking only the twin legs and top deck of the superstructure of the sunken barge could be seen above the water line.

Related Topics:
1988 - Jones Beach - Principality of Sealand - World War II - Rough Sands - England

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The US government immediately contacted the UK Department of Trade and Industry concerning these British connections to both the radio station and the radio ship, when attorneys representing Allan Weiner also began citing Radio Caroline as an internationally accepted offshore radio station during the case brought against Weiner and his associates that resulted from their first offshore broadcasts in 1987 which had led to Weiner's arrest. Connections were then made between World Mission Radio and the USA.

Related Topics:
Department of Trade and Industry - British - Radio Caroline - World Mission Radio

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Later, in 1990 during an Administrative Court hearing into a shortwave radio license being sought by Allan Weiner, the US government again contacted the DTI for help concerning the Principality of Sealand registration of the MV Sarah. In return the same James Murphy who had led the British part of the raid on the MV Ross Revenge then performed a sworn document made under the laws of both the UK and the USA. In this document he stated that he was an Investigator for the Official Solicitor on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry and that he had personally carried out an investigation into the alleged Principality of Sealand. He reported that it was neither a state nor an entity capable of registering ships. The 1990 this US Administrative Court decision was later appealed by Allan Weiner in 1991 and the original Opinion was upheld in court.

Related Topics:
1990 - Sealand - 1991

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These international court case connections eventually led to Ryan Lackey abandoning the Havenco internet project on Rough Sands.

Related Topics:
Ryan Lackey - Havenco - Rough Sands

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Part of the raid was broadcast live before officials finally cut off the transmitters. Dutch staff were arrested and taken back to the Netherlands, together with most of the broadcasting equipment that had been used for the Dutch language broadcasts. Although the British staff were not arrested and were left on the ship, Radio Caroline was no longer in a position to broadcast.

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