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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Euro pirate BBC Essex prepares for launch


uro pirate BBC Essex prepares for launch


More than a dozen Sixties DJs are set to broadcast once more on Pirate BBC Essex. Johnnie Walker of BBC Radio 2, Emperor Rosko – who is flying over from Los Angeles to take part – Norman St John and John Kerr, both coming over from Australia, are just four of the DJs. They will be boarding the LV18, a former lightship moored half-a-mile off Harwich, for six days of music and chat, with the emphasis firmly on Sixties music.

Programmes start on Thursday 9 August 2007 and continue 24-hours a day until 3pm (1400 UTC) on Tuesday 14 August – 40 years to the day and time that nearly all the original pirate stations went off air, scuppered by the Marine Offences Act.

Tim Gillett, Programmes Editor for BBC Essex, says the original pirate DJs were queueing up to take part in this unique radio event, legally broadcasting from the bridge of the LV18. ”We did a similar thing in 2004 when we celebrated 40 years since the start of pirate radio, when pirate radio, led by Radio Caroline, broadcast off the Essex coast,” he says.”It was phenomenally popular, with thousands of emails and hits to the website from all over the world.

“Johnnie Walker sent us a recorded message of support then – now he’s here in person, taking up the 9pm-midnight slot he broadcast in way back in the 1960s. He is also looking forward to a ‘flashing’ session when people in their cars on shore communicate with him by flashing their car headlights.”

The presenting team, which also includes BBC Essex presenters, will be heading out to sea this week along with the supplies they need for their sojourn which starts at 6am (0500 UTC) on Thursday. Listeners are reported to have organised holidays so they have time to drive to Harwich to spot the boat from the shore.

Some of the original photographs, letters, records – and even an original Radio Caroline microphone – will be on display at a free exhibition to mark the occasion which runs at the Ha’penny Pier in Harwich. The exhibition is open 9am-5pm, 9-14 August 2007,

As well as by tuning in to Pirate BBC Essex on 729, 765 and 1530 kHz, the shows can also be heard via the website http://bbc.co.uk/essex.

(Source: BBC Publicity/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
Photo: Offshore Radio