Chapter 8 - What Price Silence ?

With the Manders affair seemingly over, life aboard the Mebo 2 began to return to normal. Plans for an expansion of broadcast srvices became a reality, when on September 22nd and 23rd, 1970, the 31meter band and FM transmitters split from the 49meter band and medium wave transmitters to carry a new service - RNI - World Service. Separate broadcasts were made from studio 2 between 10:00am & Noon, 2:00pm & 4:00pm, and 6:00pm & 10:00pm.

This ambitious idea, which involved live broadcasts from both studios was to be short-lived however, for at 9:00pm on the night of 23rd September, the tender " De Redder " drew alongside the Mebo 2 with a message that RNI was to close down the following morning at 11:00am. No explanations were offered, but chief DJ on board, Alan West was told to make some sort of announcement, and to mention Radio Veronica. . .

The station stayed on the air all through the night, with all the DJs on board doing a " final " programme. The announcement that Alan West had recorded earlier was repeated at regular intervals, and at 10:00am the following morning, Andy Archer and Alan West co-hosted the " RNI Final Hour. "

The sudden news of the closure came as a terrible shock to both listeners, and disc jockeys who could only guess at the reasons for the closure. In a recorded interview, Alan West said that at the time, he was not given the reason, but told go on air straight away, and:
" Dribble something about Veronica . . . "
" At the time, we just thought that probably the station had run out of money... "

So by his own admission, the close-down announcement, ( which is quoted above), was something that he just dreamed up on the spur of the moment because " ...we had to say something... " - he confessed.

With the station off the air, the Mebo 2 remained at her anchor, which added to the mystery. Rumours began to circulate that the ship would be sold, and that an African country had shown interest. An asking price in excess of £800,00 was mentioned, but nothing more came of this. And so the Mebo stayed at her Scheveningen Anchorage. Speculation began to rise in the press that RNI was to return to the air. Then the truth became known. Mebo Ltd, facing mounting debts, had struck a deal with the Veronica organisation.

In return for a payment of 1 million Dutch Guilders RNI would cease all broadcasting for two months. A crew supplied by the Veronica organization too over the running of the Mebo 2, and the ship remained at sea. In " Offshore Radio ", (a book written by Gerry Bishop, from which much of these pages are derived), it is reported that on the 5th January, 1971, the Captain on board the Mebo was tricked into going ashore to receive an urgent message, and while he was away, Bollier took over the running of the ship. As the owner, he was, apparently, entitled to do this.

Meanwhile ashore, a great deal of legal argument followed, in the midst of which, RNI directors went to the Veronica offices. They tried to return the 1 million Dutch Guilders, in cash, in order re-commence broadcasting. Veronica refused to accept the money. The RNI directors took the view that having offered the money, they were entitled to return to the air anyway.

Back at sea, the Mebo 2 sailed several miles down the coast and anchored off Cadzand, on the border with Belgium. The heavy seas proved to be too rough, and so at the end of January, 1971 the Mebo moved back to her old position off Scheveningen. In the two weeks that followed, a number of test transmissions were made, but no station identification was given out. Then, at 10:00pm on the night of February 14th, the RNI callsign was re-introduced. On land, an agreement had been made with Radio Reklame Maatschapij, a Dutch media production company, to provide daytime programming in the Dutch Language.

ALAN WEST & STEVIE MERRIKE

At 3:00pm on 20th February, Alan West, and newcomer Stevie Merrike co-hosted an " Official Opening Hour ", in an attempt to follow on from the final hour broadcast the station had broadcast some months earlier. English programming continued untill 7th March, when a day-time Dutch language was introduced running between 9:00am and 4:00pm. Flemmish radio guru AJ Bierens began his now legendary " North Sea Goes DX " broadcasts on the short-wave service at 10:00am on the morning of 21st March 1971.

A.J.BEIRENS

In the courts of Rotterdam meanwhile, a legal battle between the Veronica Organisation, and RNI's directors raged. Veronica had issued a writ which claimed that the Mebo 2 was still on hire to them, and that RNI had broken the agreement not to broadcast from the Dutch coast, or make broadcasts in the Dutch language. In its' defence RNI countered that wishing to resume broadcasting, they had taken the money in two suitcases to the Veronica offices. Having offered the money, the lawyer maintained that RNI had the right to return to the air. A judgement in RNI's favour was made in April 1971.