Author: Beatrice Camarlinghi

In the early 60s the Irish music manager Ronan O’Rahilly realized that independent records were rarely on air. He asked Radio Luxembourg to include them in their program but the station refused as it was already linked to major record companies. O’Rahilly’s reaction was to go offshore.

In 1964 he creates with some other colleagues what was to become one of the most famous pirate station: Radio Caroline. Sailing on the English Channel and inspired by other Scandinavian attempts Radio Caroline broadcasted until 1967 when the British Government outlawed offshore broadcasting.

Radio Luxembourg 208 was directly influenced by these pirates because it adapted its programmes in reaction to their success and even hired some of their DJs!

Sources:

HARRIS, Paul, When Pirates Ruled the Waves, Aberdeen: Impulse Publication, 1970, pp. 215.

Interview with Ronan O’Rahilly in Offshore Echos magazine, retrieved from: http://www.offshoreechos.com/Ronan.htm (06/12/2015)

Succès de la radio pirate “radio Caroline” à Londres in : http://www.ina.fr/video/AFE86000225/succes-de-la-radio-pirate-radio-caroline-a-londres-video.html (06/12/2015)

DOSSIER : RADIO CAROLINE in : http://www.ina.fr/video/CAC89042942/dossier-radio-caroline-video.html (06/12/2015)

Arraisonnement radio Caroline in : http://www.ina.fr/video/CAC91012090/arraisonnement-radio-caroline-video.html (06/12/2015)

Interview of the 07/12/2015 with Mr Eugène Muller Technical Director of RTL station of Junglinster.