History
- Laser 558
EUROSIEGE
85
The 9th
August 1985 saw day one of what Laser soon dubbed "Eurosiege 85". Technology
Minister Geoffrey Pattie had described the offshore stations as ‘potential killers'
that must be removed. "Eurosiege" was instigated by British local radio stations
in Essex and Kent concerned of losing listeners to the two offshore stations.
The story
first broke in the Daily Mail of 13th August. They reported that the Department of Trade
and Industry had hired the 99-foot Dioptric Surveyor, at a cost of £50,000 a month from
Trinity House to watch both Laser and Caroline.
The first
"Eurosiege" report was aired on 14th August, the eighteenth anniversary of the
Marine Offences Act. The Daily Mail and the Daily Star both visited the ship on the 14th.
Star reporter Neil Wallis loaded the fishing boat "Freeward" with champagne,
newspapers and Daily Star tee-shirts, and at dawn set sail to the Communicator.
The Daily
Star were informed that they might be prosecuted, and Neil Wallis was told by the DTI
"You may face two years imprisonment or unlimited fines, we are confident we can get
you convicted".
On the
15th August, Charlie Wolf announced that the station had adopted Laser Love by After the
fire (Epic FE38282) as the station theme tune.
TEMPORARY
ANCHORAGE
Late
afternoon on the 21st August, the MV Communicator upped anchor and sailed north for about
10 miles, followed all the way by the Dioptric Surveyor, to a position about half a mile
from the Harwich shipping lanes. With a force eight storm forecast, for the 23rd, the
Communicator returned to her old anchorage, about one and a half miles from Radio
Caroline's Ross Revenge at about 13.00.
From
Monday 26th - Day 18 of Eurosiege, a twice daily update at 13.30 and 17.30 giving details
of the siege situation was aired. Charlie Wolf reported live from a vintage point on the
poopdeck of the MV Communicator.
At around
06.00 on the 30th August, the Dioptric Surveyor departed. At 10.45 the smaller Trinity
House vessel Fame arrived to continue observation until the Dioptric Surveyor returned
later that night. During the move of offices, John Moss had resigned as President of Music
Media International to be replaced by John Catlett.
Laser
558 closed down at 21.55 on 2nd September 1985, in preparation for a forthcoming
storm. A few hours afterwards the Dioptric Surveyor departed due to the advancing force
nine storm. Friday 6th September, saw the Dioptric Surveyor replaced by the tug Grey Echo
out of Harwich, the Dioptric returned the next day and as well as chasing anorak boats,
managed to chase off the HM Customs boat "Safeguard" !!
On Monday
9th - Day 32 of Eurosiege, a new batch of commercials was aired. These included ZX Herbal
diet, Kimstar fashion jewellery, Three Men on bike - charity cycle ride, Gary Numan 1985
tour and a John Wilson record promo'.
"Time
Out" magazine for 12th September carried a three-page article about Laser, with a
colour picture of the ship on the front cover.
STAFF
LEAVE
Craig
Novack opened at 06.00 on Monday 16th, followed at midday by Jonell and at 14.30 by Tommy
Rivers. 16.00 saw Chris Carson and 22.05 Charlie Wolf appeared.
Jonell,
Tommy and Charlie all sounded somewhat stilted, the reason was revealed the next day when
a phone call from Tommy announced that the three had left the station.
Craig and
Chris were left on the ship to play tapes. Conditions and food on the Communicator had
deteriorated, and the deejays had been left unpaid for some time.
DTI
TURNS UP THE HEAT
The same
Monday, the Essex Gazette carried an article about the DTI intensifying it's war on the
offshore stations, notice's had been put up warning boat owners of the consequences of
supplying goods to the offshore stations.
Jay Mack,
a new voice, appeared on the 18th. The following day, Craig Novack opened at 06.00,
followed at 12.00 Chris Carson, 18.00 Jay Mack until midnight close. Erin Kelly and Liz
West, both on shore leave, were still part of the official team.
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