Former Radio Atlanta, Caroline South and Radio England  DJ, Colin Nicol, has died

DATELINE   Perth, Western Australia  29th October 2025

Former Radio Atlanta, Radio Caroline South and Radio England DJ, Colin Nicol, has died age 89.

Colin was born in Perth, Western Australia on 29th December 1936 and his first job in radio was in 1957 with the 6PM network. He moved to the 6KY network in 1960 where he was also programme director.

Colin  arrived in the UK in early 1963 and a chance meeting with Ken Evans, a fellow Australian who was involved in the launch of Radio Atlanta, led to Colin's recruitment as a disc jockey in September 1963 - although the station itself did not go onto the air until May 1964.

He presented the first full show on Radio Atlanta's opening day  12th May 1964. Most of Atlanta's programmes were pre-recorded on land  and the tapes sent out to the station's ship, Mi Amigo, to be broadcast, but in June 1964 Colin and Bryan Vaughan were sent out to the ship to play the recorded shows and  present some live ones.

In July 1964 Radio Atlanta merged with Radio Caroline and the Mi Amigo became home to Radio Caroline South. Colin stayed with Radio Caroline South until 1966 when he transferred to the newly launched Radio England and Britain Radio team.

After a few months he moved to Radio Luxembourg, later becoming a BBC staff announcer, working also on BBC World Service and BBC Radio London. That was followed by five years with the British Forces Broadcasting Service in Malta and Gibraltar. After returning to Western Australia, he ran shopping malls, but also found time to do some part-time broadcasting and lecturing to university media students on the subject of offshore radio.

He retired to a southern suburb of Perth where he was busy with his interest in radio and was in regular contact with radio, entertainment and musician friends worldwide. At the same time, he researched local history and wrote on that and other matters for local newspapers.

Colin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away on 28th October 2025 at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, Western Australia.

(Additional information courtesy Pirate Radio Hall of Fame)

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