|
|
|
|
|
Swinging Radio EnglandSwinging Radio England ("SRE") was a top 40 commercial pirate radio station with studios and transmitter located in the hold of the MV Olga Patricia, renamed MV Laissez Faire, a former US built World War II merchant ship. The station broadcast from its ship-based anchorage three and a half miles off Southeast England from May of 1966 until November 1966. It shared the cargo hold of the vessel with Britain Radio, which was billed as being the Hallmark of Quality by playing a format of easy listening music. Origin of the station Swinging Radio England was the brainchild of Don Pierson who lived in Eastland, Texas, USA. According to an interview conducted by Dr. Eric Gilder with Don Pierson which was published by Sibiu University Press in Romania during 2001, Don Pierson got the idea to start Swinging Radio England following the success of his earlier venture called Wonderful Radio London. The unique format of SRE was built around a hybrid collection of sounds and formats. Its jingles were made by PAMS in Dallas, Texas as part of a package originally made for WABC, New York. Its rapid fire bannerline news format was borrowed from WFUN in Miami, Florida and its hyped-up music format had the sound of KBOX in Dallas, Texas. Its theme of Boss Radio featuring boss jocks instead of djs, was originated by KHJ-AM in Los Angeles, California, although the SRE version of boss radio sounded nothing like the original KHJ version of boss radio. Station transmitters Swinging Radio England broadcast using a 50kW Continental Electronics transmitter adjoining another 50kW CE transmitter in the hold of the MV Laissez Faire. Each station's signal was radiated on a different frequency via two cage antennas strung from a central mast rising from the hold of the ship. Unfortunately the technical concept of two high power radio stations broadcasting from a single mast on board ship were ahead of their time and the technology seldom worked as intended and consequently both stations had difficulty in maintaining their around-the-clock, 24 hours schedules. Studios Both stations shared adjoining studios built into a manufactured building that had been lowered into the hold of the ship, with the good music station enjoying the use of an automated broadcasting system. Management Ownership of the venture resided with investors in North and West Texas. Advertising sales were assigned by exclusive contract to a British company called Peir Vick Ltd with offices on Curzeon Street in the Mayfair district of London, England. Peir Vick Ltd in turn assigned a secondary exclusive sales contract to a British firm called Radiovision Ltd., which was a subsidiary of Pearl and Dean whose reputation had been established by selling space on British cinema screens. Noteworthy events Nothing about SRE was performed in a shy or retiring manner, everything was "in-your-face" with echo. The station was launched in 1966 at the London Hilton hotel during what was billed by the press as "The Party of the Year". This star-studded affair was hyped on the radio so that fans showed up to "watch the stars arrive". This event was then followed up by a nationwide tour called "Swinging 66" featuring the Small Faces and other pop groups of the 1960s.
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|