Old News on RADIO CAROLINE

RADIO CAROLINE? - No, RADIO 864!

A couple of months ago Radio Nederland's Media Network informed that Radio Caroline, the famous off-shore station that began its broadcasts on Easter Sunday 1964, and which in spite of many problems still exists and broadcasts every now and again (the last time I heard them was around Christmas 1994 from a 25 W (!) transmitter in Dover), might begin a new phase in its history. Before long they would begin broadcasting from Ireland, where they were said to have purchased a transmitter formerly used by Radio Nova.
Though there are still some rumours in this regard, it is now clear that there are no concrete plans for the aforesaid Irish venture.

In their Octobre 1997 issue, the Benelux DX-Club inform that Radio 864 started broadcasting from Ireland on 864 kHz. The full identification is "Radio 864, the Voice of Evangelism". That should give you an idea as to the nature of the station...

RADIO CAROLINE BACK and GONE...

The same as Radio London ("Big L"), also Radio Caroline will be broadcasting with an RSL (Restricted Service Licence) starting August 9 or 10, for a period of 22 days (as they say on the official Radio Caroline-site). This is a bit strange, since RSL's provide for a licence for a period of 28 days, but they should know best what they will do. Broadcasts will take place from Caroline's own ship the Ross Revenge (see photograph next to these lines), which will be moored near Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppy.
Depending on the frequency this location should also ensure coverage of a considerable part of the Belgian and Dutch coastal regions.
This 14th of August, which is the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Marine Offences Act (which outlawed radio from the international waters), we will be able to relive the unique situation of 30 years ago, when at 2 PM Radio London left the air. On midnight, the moment when the law was to come into force, Radio Caroline continued broadcasting from their two ships, in the North Sea and off the Isle of Man. If ever you listened to offshore radio in the 1960's, you should not miss the opportunity to listen in if you are able to.
Sofar the frequency to be used is not yet known. On July 31, the Radio Caroline-site still didn't give a frequency. Radio Netherlands's Media Network suggested a frequency of 1278 kHz as the only possibility. If this is so, we can be sure to receive it most of the time. There is a 150 kW station on this frequency in Brest (Bielorus) and a 200 kW station in Iran, but at midnight my local time the only station I receive on this frequency is a 0.4 kW station from Bradford. Personally I would not be surprised -if this indeed is to be the frequency- if reception would even be possible during the night...

On August 9, 1997, Radio Caroline indeed started broadcasting on a frequency of 1,278 kHz. In the dark hours, unfortunately, two -relatively weak (10 kW each)- stations from Cork and Dublin make reception impossible on the Dutch side of the North Sea. Worse than that, the BBC World Service operates a transmitter two channels up (on 1,296 kHz), which causes a very strong interference during its broadcasts, in spite of my using a narrow band receiver (4 kHz). Nonetheless, reception is possible in the Northwestern part of the Netherlands, so no doubt it has to be good in the Belgian coastal region and in Northwestern France.
The Radio Caroline broadcasts are to finish on August 31, 1997, so there still are two weeks left to try and hear them.
There still is another Caroline-related web-site (which has the blessings of the official Caroline organisation): Caroline Now.

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