Radio Atlanta

Radio Atlanta was an offshore commercial station that operated briefly from 12 May to 2 July 1964 from a ship anchored in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England. While the station was dubbed as a pirate radio station, its actual operation took place within the laws of the day and its offices were located in the heart of the Soho district of London. Its ownership was vested in company known as Project Atlanta, Ltd., which had been specifically formed by British political, banking, theatrical and music publishing interests.

The on air studio and 10,000 watts AM transmitter of Radio Atlanta were located on board the motor vessel "Mi Amigo". This radio ship had been originally converted and outfitted (under the name "MV Bon Jour") as the home of the offshore Swedish station Radio Nord by Swedish businessman Jack Kotschack and a Texan consortium that included Gordon McLendon and Clint Murchison.

Origin of the Station

Radio Atlanta was the brainchild of the Australian music publisher Alan Crawford who was doing business and residing in England. The origins of the idea for Radio Atlanta began with the English language CNBC test broadcasts from the Dutch radio ship that was the home of Radio Veronica, and the proposed offshore stations known as GBLN "The Voice of Slough", and GBOK, all predating the arrival of Radio Atlanta, but owing inspiration to Alan Crawford.

tation history

Following the closure of Radio Nord by Swedish legislation, the "Bon Jour", as it was then known, anchored off the coast of Holland for some time, prompting speculation that it was to be used as a Dutch pirate station in competition with Veronica. However, the ship was then bought by a Texan, returned to Texas, renamed the "Mi Amigo", and stripped of its broadcasting equipment. This meant that when Crawford finally managed to acquire the ship, it was necessary to refit it as a radio station.

Meanwhile Ronan O'Rahilly had also devised a plan to launch an offshore radio station under the name Radio Caroline. When he heard of Crawford's rival operation, O'Rahilly offered Crawford's ship the use of the O'Rahilly family port at Greenore in Ireland, neglecting to mention that his own ship, "MV Caroline", was also being fitted out there for the same purpose.

Both Crawford and O'Rahilly admit that, while the two ships were being fitted out, numerous acts of mutual sabotage occurred, with each company doing its best to delay the other's launch. The "Mi Amigo" was first to leave Greenore, but problems with the rigging supporting its antenna mast meant that the ship had to put in at Falmouth for repairs, and because of this delay Radio Caroline went on air first, on March 28, 1964.

Radio Atlanta began test broadcasts on the 12 May 1964. Its earliest tests were on 1520 kHz (197 metres), the same frequency as Caroline, after Caroline's evening closedown and were clearly intended to steal Caroline's audience. Official programming began shortly afterward on 1495 kHz (201 metres).

The majority of Radio Atlanta's programmes were pre-recorded in London and were rushed out to the ship for transmission on the same day or the next. On occasions when bad weather made this impossible, the onboard DJs had to present more live shows.

Radio Atlanta remained on the air until 2 July 1964. Audiences and advertising revenue had not lived up to expectations, and Crawford was reluctantly forced to join forces with Caroline.

The original Caroline radio ship moved from its anchorage off Felixstowe, Suffolk to a location off Ramsey, Isle of Man, as Radio Caroline North, and Radio Atlanta's ship stayed at its original location under the new identity of Radio Caroline South, replacing its taped shows with live DJs.

After Atlanta

Crawford's company Project Atlanta remained in control of Caroline South until late 1965, but the station continued to lose ground as new stations came on the air, most notably Wonderful Radio London. Eventually Crawford pulled out, leaving O'Rahilly in charge of both Caroline ships, and Caroline South's audience figures improved under its new management.

The two Caroline ships remained on the air in defiance of the British Government's 1967 Marine Offences Act, but were silenced and towed to Amsterdam in 1968 in a dispute over unpaid debts. The "Caroline" was scrapped in 1972, but that same year the "Mi Amigo" returned to the air as Radio Caroline, and was used by Caroline and its Belgian partner stations until its eventual sinking in March 1980.

ee also

*Clint Murchison - Texas entrepreneur and promoter of U.S. political interests
*Gordon McLendon - U.S. broadcasting pioneer from Texas who created Radio Nord
*Stockholm, Sweden - Target audience for Radio Nord
*Radio Nord - Swedish offshore radio ship that became the new home of Radio Atlanta
*CNBC - the Commercial Neutral Broadcasting Company
*GBLN - "The Voice of Slough"
*GBOK
*Alan Crawford - Australian promoter of music, records and Radio Atlanta in London
*Oliver Smedley - British Army Major, Liberal Party member and promoter of Radio Atlanta
*Tony Windsor - DJ, known by his real name Tony Withers on Radio Atlanta
*Radio Caroline - Radio Atlanta became Radio Caroline South.

References

*Richard Cockett, "Thinking the Unthinkable: Think-Tanks and the Economic Counter-Revolution, 1931-1983". Fontana, 1995. - Background of Major Oliver Smedley

External links

* [http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/ Radio Atlanta in the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame] - Contains many audio, visual and text biographical stories relating to personal involved in the 1964 venture.
* [http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/odds37.htm Alan Crawford interview from 1984]