Origins of Radio 270, Radio Yorkshire, Oceaan 7

Radio was very slow coming to Yorkshire. The BBC established small relay stations in Hull and Leeds, Sheffield & Manchester in the 1920s but the Moorside Edge transmitter replaced these in 1931 and the local stations and studios were closed.

In the late 1950s, Shipley MP Geoffrey Hirst wanted a radio station in "the rolling acres (how the locals called the county of Yorkshire). He was helped by Charles and John Stanley, the main owners of PYE who were keen to sell their equipment. They were not in favour of spot commercial radio but wanted radio run American style, with sponsorship rather than spot advertising. They also wanted the stations to buy their own transmitters, not be owned and operated by the government.

Their local Yorkshire radio station was to be called RADIO YORKSHIRE; the company set up in 1959 to own it was Radio Yorkshire Developments Ltd. It included many of the radio aristocracy who were later involved with the offshore station CNBC from the Radio Veronica ship. The team also included future Capital Radio and IBA boss John Whitney. The original Radio Yorkshire didn't get very far as the Pilkington Committee, set up to consider commercial radio, made the recommendation that radio be left with the BBC.

Geoffrey Hirst was a director of Close Brothers merchant bank, which 'loaned' two of its staff to Radio Caroline.

Wilf Proudfoot was the MP for neighbouring Brighouse and was familiar with the Radio Yorkshire board, which included Reggie and Ronnie Butterfield as well as Douglas Waddilove. When Wilf joined the board of Don Robinson's 'Radio Yorkshire' company, they changed the name of Don's project to Radio 270. The ship was originally to be called OCEAN 270, but local bureacracy and the Scarborough harbourmaster stopped this.

Oceaan 7 conversion

Once the Oceaan 7 arrived in Scarborough in February 1966, a gang of local carpenters set about building a messroom, two studios and a transmitter room into the former fish-hold with the work being done in 2 to 3 weeks. Dale Electric of Filey installed new generators and cabling for the station

The ship then set sail to Guernsey in the Channel islands for installation of a 10,000 watt transmitter by RCA, and a 162 feet high mast to hold the aerial up. It was built using an aluminium mast from the racing yacht Norsaga..

She left Guernsey with parts still needed for the transmitter as she could only transmit on low power. The first tests were made en route to Yorkshire while off Norfolk, and the first music played was the Beach Boys Party album.

Ariving off Scarborough on Thursday 31st March, a Press Conference was arranged at the Grand Hotel for the following day, and the grand launch of Radio 270. They heard only silence as a whole gale (Force 9) below up in the morning. The advice to NOT over-tighten the mast stays had been ignored and the top 100 feet of structure came crashing down on the ship.

More details of the April 1st disaster can be read HERE, as told by one of Radio 270's engineers, Stephen Muirfeld. He was on board and helped Roger Gale chop down the mast stays.

DJs recruited

In February 1966, Radio 270 was busy recruiting broadcasting staff. Don Robinson took on the mantle of Director of Programmes at this time, and brought in experienced former Radio Scotland DJ Roger Gale. Roger left 270 soon after the station's luanch in June and joined the BBC before becoming an MP

Len Marten the head of Light Entertainment at Tyne Tees TV was hired to take charge of presentation; he had previously worked as a stand-up comedian and singer. Paul Burnett who had worked in radio in the RAF and at the Top Rank ballroom in Darlington was hired; he was later to become a huge star on Radio Luxembourg and BBC Radio One, even making a top ten record with colleague Dave Lee Travis.

A 17 year old former Mecca DJ, Alan Ives, was recruited to host the breakfast show. Other DJs on the Radio 270 tem for the proposed launch in April were Bob Dewing plus a character known as Mick the Mod. BBC presenter Stacey Brewer joined the station too but he didn't stay very long.

In 1965, Scarborough entrepreneur Don Robinson was promoting pop concerts at several venues such as the Spa Theatre in Bridlington, booking such legends as the Rolling Stones and Ike & Tina Turner. His customers and artists were raving over Radio Caroline and he decided that it was time Yorkshire got such a station.

He met with the operators of Radio Caroline and some other stations and became enthused with the idea of offshore radio. Plans for a north eastern outlet for Radio Caroline moved only slowly, so Don decided to set up his own station.

In late Summer 1965, Don recruited local fisherman Commodore Bill Pashby. They opened an office in Newcastle, where Don was recording local music to licence to record companies. An engineer at the sessions was moonlighting from his day job at Tyne Tees TV engineer. His name was Peter Duncan and Don hired him to be the station's technical director.

Bill had done business in the Dutch port of Scheveningen and found the vessel, there. Laid up for ten years, she was obtained quite cheaply (£2,500) but needed expensive repairs to the engine to pass marine certification.

Don called a meeting at the Pavilion Hotel in Scarborough, where several local investors put up over £50,000, despite Wilf Proudfoot's warning that it was a speculative venture.

The former Scheveningen trawler, the Oceaan 7 was bought and sailed across to Scarborough for fitting out as a radio station. Over £11,000 was spent on engine upgrades and new equipment, such as a water disalination plant.

Early days of Radio 270

Origins of Radio 270

DJs recruited

Don Robinson

as Radio Yorkshire

Radio Yorkshire

Len Marten

Oceaan 7