RNI History 4

RNI - History (4)

Having failed either to board the Mebo II or cut her anchor chain the attackers then decided to use a water cannon mounted on the Huski to put the radio ship's aerial mast out of action and silence the station. However, they were warned over the air that the high voltage in the area of the transmitter mast would arc back through the water jet and probably kill those on board the tug. This seemed to deter the attackers who switched off the water cannon and temporarily withdrew once again.

By the time the Huski was ready to approach the Mebo II again the station's other tender, Eurotrip, was heading towards the radio ship with Erwin Meister and Programme Director Larry Tremaine on board. Manders left the scene before the tender arrived, but threatened that he would return. Later in the afternoon the Dutch Navy frigate Van Nes took up position near the Mebo II, staying throughout the night and the next day in case the attackers returned.

Back on land Kees Manders dismissed the whole incident, claiming he only went to have a look at the radio ship. In the weeks that followed a number of claims and counter claims were made by both sides with Mebo Ltd. claiming damages from Manders for the attack on the radio ship and for the time their tender was chained up in Scheveningen Harbour.

On 22nd September 1970 the 31m band shortwave transmitter started carrying a separate 'World Service' programme for eight hours a day, however, a further turn of events immediately curtailed this new programming initiative. Late in the evening of 23rd September 1970 RNI’s crew received a message from the Swiss owners instructing them to close the station at 11.00am the following morning. At regular intervals the station’s DJs read out an announcement to the effect that RNI was voluntarily closing to prevent the Dutch Government taking action against Radio Veronica.

The final hour between 10.00 and 11.00am on 24th September 1970 was presented by Andy Archer and Alan West who jointly closed RNI after thanking listeners and advertisers for their support since the station had opened its transmissions at the beginning of the year.

After RNI had left the air Erwin Meister tried to explain that the ship had been sold to an African country and would shortly be broadcasting from a position in the Mediterranean. The real reason for RNI's sudden and unexpected closure only became apparent some time later when it was revealed that rival station Radio Veronica had paid its Swiss owners to cease broadcasting. Radio Veronica directors, feeling their own future threatened after 10 successful years of broadcasting, paid Mebo Ltd to keep RNI off the air. The 'loan' was to be repaid in full if RNI recommenced broadcasting during that period, but to try and ensure that did not happen Radio Veronica arranged to provide their own captain and crew for the Mebo II, which remained at anchor off Scheveningen.

In December 1970 RNI's directors attempted to repay Radio Veronica so that they could recommence transmissions from the Mebo II, but Radio Veronica's management refused to accept the money. On 6th January 1971 the master of the silent radio ship, Captain Onnes (a Radio Veronica man) was told to go ashore immediately to receive an urgent message. Once the Captain had left his vessel RNI owner Edwin Bollier, together with Swiss engineer, Bruno Brandenberger, arrived and boarded the radio ship. When the Captain returned, having discovered that there was in fact no urgent message for him, he was physically prevented from boarding the ship by the gun-carrying Bollier and Brandenberger.

The following day the Mebo II was towed to a new position off Cadzand on the Dutch/Belgian border. From this anchorage it was intended to recommence broadcasts, ostensibly to Belgium rather than Holland to avoid further conflict with Radio Veronica. The transmissions for part of the day were to be under the RNI call sign while airtime during the rest of the day was to be hired by a Belgian organisation known as Radio Marina. But as is so often the case in the history of offshore radio the plans ultimately came to nothing.

1971

At the end of January 1971 after plans for the launch of the Belgian Radio Marina had apparently failed the Mebo II was towed back to an anchorage off Scheveningen. Meanwhile Meister and Bollier entered into negotiations with Dutch music publishing and record companies - Strengholt Publishing and Basart Records about the re-launch of RNI, this time targeted primarily at an audience in Holland.