TV Syd

TV Syd

During the summer of 1965 Radio Syd made plans to start television transmissions to southern Sweden from the Cheeta 2, which was already partially equipped for such a service from the embryo plans made between the vessel's former owner, Radio Mercur and the now defunct Radio Nord in the spring and summer of 1962.

The existing on-board television continuity studio facilities were completed and a 5Kw transmitter as well as a new 90' aerial mast were installed on Cheeta 2 . This work was completed by early December 1965 and on 13th December the first test transmissions for TV Syd took place on UHF Channel E41. Once the equipment had been fully tested plans were made to launch a television service from the ship broadcasting programmes to the Malmo area for 12 hours a day.

However, on 18th January 1966 severe pack ice started to form in The Oresund and Cheeta 2 was forced to leave her anchorage for fear of being trapped and crushed in the frozen seas. Consequently both Radio Syd and the fledgling TV Syd had to suspend transmissions until the weather improved and the vessel could return to her position off Malmo.

However events took a different turn which effectively meant that TV Syd never launched fully and offshore Radio Syd went off the air. The station's owner, Britt Wadner, was reluctant to allow the ship to enter a Swedish port for fear that the vessel would be impounded by the authorities using their new powers of confiscation so she planned to sail Cheeta 2 to a temporary anchorage in comparatively warmer waters off the Dutch coast, near the Radio Veronica vessel Norderney, until the winter ice in The Oresund had melted.

As Cheeta 2 was sailing to her proposed new anchorage, the Mi Amigo, home of Radio Caroline South, ran aground on the English coast and, hearing of this catastrophe, Mrs. Wadner offered the use of her vessel as a temporary home for Caroline. The offer was accepted by Radio Caroline's Ronan O'Rahilly and the Cheeta 2 was diverted to anchor off the Essex coast, where she arrived on 31st January 1966.

Radio Syd's final ratecard, issued at the end of 1965, (but never actually used by the sales team due to the station's absence from the airwaves), quoted advertising rates of 30 Swedish Kroner (SKr) for 10 seconds airtime on Radio Syd and 300 SKr for 10 seconds on TV Syd.

However, Cheeta 2 never returned to Swedish waters and TV Syd was never fully launched.