Perspectives on the Olga Patricia stations[1].
by Derek Burroughs, jr.
Not for any publication until November 13th, 2006.
"SRE-Swinging Radio England. Broadcasting 4 1/2
miles off the Frinton Essex coast on 227 metres, 24 hours a day. In excess of
50000 watts of power, SRE-First and Foremost is BOSS!"
In this connection "First and Foremost"
thanks to the Grey and the Pierson family, Roger Day and Rick Randall for everything
and for the invitation to this reunion.
Thanks also to you great "Boss Jocks", be
it of the 1st, 2nd or 3rd waves. Together with Britain Radio presenters and
those of the other stations, you did extremely well.
You are most missed from the airwaves!
"This is the start of something BOSS", the
slogan said. I hope this little speech may be at least a "Boss" Word
with some
"Perspectives on the Olga Patricia."
We all know the official story. Radio England failed
because it was too American, etc.
But this may be a myth. By careful gathering of facts
from documents, press reports, recordings, and interviews, it is possible to
find at least indications of a deeper story, which I will only hint at this
evening.
The main players are not only Don Pierson and Bill
Vick. They have important roles in the drama, of course. In the greater picture
Don was the founder of 5 of the 6 Texan stations that operated in the North Sea
from 1964-1967. Bill Vick on his side was designated by the investors to be the
twin stations' Philip Birch, with Vick's company Peir-Vick doing the same job
as Big L's Radlon Sales.
One player that was to be very decisive for the
project was Continental Electronics Manufacturing Company Inc. of Dallas.
Another very
important player was Radiovision Broadcast International Ltd., (17 Berkeley
Street, London, W1)the radio advertising arm of Pearl and Dean, who handled
cinema advertising. RBI had been formed as late as January, 1966 to assist with
ABC TV and radio station marketing in the UK and the Continent.(ABC-the ITV
operator?)Peir-Vick Ltd. alias Bill Vick had given them an exclusive contract
for advertising sales, and on June 17th they threw a very large party at the
Savoy for would-be clients, with 250 guests.
A third important player is Herbert W.Armstrong of
the "Worldwide Church of God" of Pasadena, CA with the "World
Tomorrow" program broadcast on Britain Radio and later on Radio 355. Its
political-religious message may have worried the British Government.
Then there are the WWI investors. They were seemingly
2 different groups, from Abilene and Wichita Falls, but also from Western
Texas, the Midland-Odessa region. They had different opinions on key persons
and the way to go. Of the investors, the late Pierce Langford III seems most
important. He also had connections very "high up."
Also Radio Veronica and Radio London may be in the
picture in different ways.
When we ask: What happened to the Olga, all
those players tend to link to that question!
With that in mind, let me only give you a quick
rundown of the main facts.
I do not have all the answers, but would like to
invite you to help answering the main questions that arise and tell what you
know of what happened.
On February 10th, 1966, Continental installed radio
equipment aboard the vessel "Olga Patricia", later known as the
"Laissez Faire" costing 315,000.00 Dollars. Continental retained a
claim to this equipment.
In the spring of 1966, Pierce Langford III, of
Wichita Falls, having previously invested in Radio London, now learning that a
new radio ship was being prepared by World Wide Investments Inc. for use off
the coast of Great Britain as an unauthorized broadcasting station, contributed
50,000 Dollars to the promoters of this new venture. Thereafter, from the to
time Langford and four of his associates made additional contributions to World
Wide and others connected with the broadcast operation.
As you know, there were numerous problems with the
equipment. In the beginning the transmitters only ran on 1/4 power, and by
September 1966, the two stations only were able to use 27 kW each, and here the
designation ERP is used, which may mean a much lower actual transmitter power. In addition, there is
the fact that as the Olga was on the high seas, the salt water would create an
immense Òrocket platformÓ for even low-powered radio signals. A good example of
this is Radio 390, Red Sands, which used only 10 kW, but easily had the
strongest signal of all the pirates.
At the end of September, representing World Wide, Mr.
R.F.Burget, wrote to Continental describing the problems that had arisen due to
the falling down of the antenna and later, what could not be called a
commercial signal.
On October 7th, there was a very stormy meeting in
Abilene with the result that Don Pierson was booted as Project Manager. So he
was kicked out for the second time, just as he was from Radio London 2 years
earlier. Present at the meeting was a RBI representative from the UK who gave
verbal assurance of the contacts of P&D and projected an absolute minimum
sales volume of 15% of station capacity!
The events that followed are not clear, but some
facts have been established:
Radiovision Broadcast International Ltd by this time
had prepared a report suggesting Dutch programming on one of the Olga channels.
The name should be Radio 227 as Radio 390 and 270 already had shown numbers
could work as a good brand. This because of ad agencies locking in their 1967
budgets at that time, and there was no other Dutch competitor. Radio Veronica,
that one should go head-to head with, had more advertising then it could
handle, it was said.
There were press reports of the format change from
October 13th, and "Radio Holland" promos on air on 1322 kHz from
October 14th. Johnnie Walker "jumps ship" after his nighttime show on
October 15th. Roger Day has earlier described the mood among the remaining
"Boss Jocks" around this time and it is amazing that Roger and the
others managed to put up such excellent programming in the last month of SRE.
Press reports in the UK and Holland for the coming
weeks repeated the story in varying versions, even saying Radio Holland would
be on a different frequency. Radio England would continue during nighttime on
"227". In the "Return of the Seven" promo in these last
weeks of SRE "Radio 227" is billed as "The International
Giant" and "SRE Country".
In London, there is now a Press Conference on October
20th. It is not fronted by Vick, who seems to be in Texas, but by Jack Curtiss,
who must have had a very difficult task doing it alone, because the decision of
a change, as he already has said, was taken by the owners.
And then comes the change, and the appearance
of-Radio Dolfijn on November 14th. What has happened here? Why not Radio 227?
And why MOR? At the Gooiland Press Conference in Amsterdam, broadcast on
"227" on November 14th, several names are mentioned as having been
considered, even put to a poll, like Radio de Lage Landen, Ameland, Albatros
and Piet Hein. And Dolfijn. Who came up with that? But neither 227 or Holland
are mentioned! Two indications of what really happened are found in
#1: a letter from November, where Vick is authorized
by the owners to negotiate with Veronica!
#2: in the fact that "Dutch representative of
Radio Dolfijn", Basil van Rensburg, in January 1966 was an employee of
RBI!
We cannot know for sure if there is any connection,
but also Radio London was going Dutch as this time. Only in the Summer it had
planned to buy out Radio City Shivering Sands to create UKGM(LGM?) to compete
with Britain Radio.
Being pressed from all sides, did Vick receive an
offer, from a Dutch, or maybe an UK corner he was not able to withstand?
However, it soon became clear that Radio Dolfijn was
not a success. And in a letter to Don Pierson of January 1st, 1967, where the
Midland-Odessa investors are saying they represent the majority opinion, Don is
reinstated as Project manager and
asked to undertake the following:
1.Put independent sales reps in the Holland market
immediately on a commission basis and under Don's direction.
2.Format change of Radio Dolfijn to Top 40.(The
foregoing is top priority, but also Don was to)
3.Put independent sales reps in the UK market
immediately on a commission basis and under Don's direction. P&D must re-double
their efforts. End of exclusive sales representation by P&D.
4.Pop format on Britain Radio 3-6pm, and from 10pm
until morning.
The selling of the ship is also a factor which I will
come back to.
Between the lines, Vick is asked to see the situation,
as already at the Abilene meeting on October 7th, the "majority of the
joint venturers agreed to a trial operation under different director".
This does not seem to have been implemented, as Vick continues. But maybe Ted
Allbeury was approached already by this time, but for the time being rejected
the Texan offer? In an interview with Steve England the old colonel seems to
indicate heÕd had several invitations before he joined in early 1967.
The West Texans now in early January point to Pearl
and Dean has had more than enough time to present results. They cannot
understand why Radio London is enjoying profits at near maximum levels and the
Olga results are so meagre. They also show to the fact that the popular
stations at home are Top 40! Very much similar thoughts as Don's initial plans
with Big L and SRE.
You know what happened, Don was only able to put
through some of this. Johnny DarkÕs program comes in on BR on Sundays(as a sort
of new version of SRE's "Rock n' Roll Revival Hour"), as does Jack
McLaughlin's "Nightbeat", both from late January. Ted Allbeury
finally succeeded Vick, who claimed in the Dutch Press he was a
"schlachtoffer", but now only was left with liquidating Peir-Vick,
which happened on March 11th.
It is amazing under these circumstances that Phil
Martin and the other BR djs managed to put up such excellent programming in the
last months of that station.
As you have already heard, Langford and his
associates gradually took more control over the operation. Some of the
investors from his part of Texas may have been sceptical to Don, but clearly
tolerated him now as all the investors now had a common agenda, namely to
recoup some of the losses and sell the ship.
Langford then sent Vincent Murphy to London to
investigate the situation. But on February 28th, 1967, when he played back
Britain Radio's 845 kHz signal over the phone to Langford in Texas, the station
went dead, the radio mast having been damaged for the second time.
The repairs in Zaandam followed for the next
fortnight and now Langford suddenly appears in Holland and is smilingly
pictured in Dutch Press with Ted Allbeury's 2nd in command, John Withers and
who else but-Basil van Rensburg!
The agenda seems to have been do as well as possible radio-wise
for the last months up to the implementation of the MOA, but also to sell the
Olga as quickly as possible. At the end of May an "upbeat" Dolphin
format on 1322 and the 390 format on 845 was axed and the Olga stations finally
found its niche, and I feel it is quite a paradox that this was effected by the
half-brother of John Withers, Tony Windsor, TW, who Radio London sent off on
the middle of February. As you have understood, the selling process was to be
Don's task. It seems he also was to sell the Galaxy.
At least from July 1967 it is documented that Don is
offering the ship to virtually every country in the world, Iraq, Israel,
Norway(!) United Nations. It almost ended ip with Armstrong. By letter, ads in
"Broadcasting" and press. The most positive reaction came from the
USIA, VOA. After all they had had several radio ships, the most recent being
the Courier broadcasting ÒThe VoiceÓ beyond the Iron Curtain off Rhodes. Don
also planned a new pirate from the Olga in 1968, namely Radio London off California.
On April 18th, 1967, Langford acknowledged the
existence of Continental's claim to the broadcasting equipment in writing and
assured that the claim would be recognized. Langford and Continental in a
business deal had agreed that if the vessel and radio equipment were sold as a
package a better sale price could be obtained and it was decided to go for at
least 550,000 Dollars.
For the Galaxy, the Radio Gloria International
project, which was surpassed by Radio Nordsee had appeared, which was why that
ship went to Hamburg. The Olga it was decided to return to Miami, but there
might have been hope of a buyer in Europe, as in September 15th it is anchored
off the Azores, to arrive in Miami a week later.
Continental paid a portion of the insurance to cover
the broadcasting equipment on the voyage, and, at Langford's request,
Continental made an inspection and made an inventory list of the vessel upon
its arrival in Florida.
On July 18th, 1968, Langford purchased the vessel for
65,000 Dollars at a Marshal's sale earlier ordered by court. He also paid a
smaller sum to Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock Co. of Miami who had furnished labor,
material and services to the Olga in Spring 1966 to settle their claims.
But now complictions arose. Without our knowing the
reason, a representative of the company insuring the radio equipment for
Continental was denied permission to board the Olga. To secure their interests,
Continental went to court on Miami. A decision in this case was made on
Jan.21st, 1970.
Continental was now given back the transmitters and
resold serial #10 of the 317 model to Swazi Radio 1376(845 kHz on the Olga),
"Your Much More Music Station" which the Kirsch Bros, were starting
in South Africa, and #9(1322 kHz) to TWR Swaziland 1170, starting transmissions
in 1981.
The Olga without the transmitters remained with
Langford.
Was the ship used for clandestine work in the
Caribbean as Don Pierson indicated in a mid-80s interview?
He seems to both have hinted to this for the period
before the court case and after, in the latter case as a relay station. But he
clearly did not want to have any focus on this question.
We will not know until someone steps forward with
parts of or the full story.
So we have to look in the radio logs of the dxers as
well as radio essays from this period.
Both Larry Magne of "Passport to World Band
Radio" and Alice Brannigan of "Popular Communications" have
touched on this theme.
At least two regular clandestines were monitored
around this time, The Howard Hunt operation on MW/SW, Radio Swan/Radio Americas
had been closed at this stage, but Radio Libertad was still active on SW and
maybe on MW from early in the 60s with a Miami address. And Radio Free Cuba was
even said to operate from a ship in the Caribbean on SW.
Regarding operations closer to the US government, the
VOA Sugarloaf Key 1040 station was closed in 1965, but VOA Marathon Key, FL
1180 existed from 1962 through the period of interest until it became Radio
Marti in the 80s. In one source there is indeed an indication that the VOA used
another relay at the time we are interested in. After all, in the 80s they
built relay stations on 1580 kHz in Belize and Antigua. Both were heard with
local Ids at sign off by this writer.
Finally, regarding what happened to the Olga there
are leads in what has been said. But it is a difficult story to map. And the
following, which is also my final, creates even more questions:
From it was built in 1944, the Olga had several
identities according to Lloyds Registry:
1.FP263
2.FS263
3.Deal(Doing service in the Korean War, not in
Vietnam)
4.Don Carlos
5.Olga Princess
6.Laissez Faire
7.Akuarius II
8.Earl J.Conrad Jr.(Fishing vessel of Zapata Haynie
Inc., later Omega Protein Inc.)
Where does the Merrill-Stevens document that Grey
Pierson had uncovered listing the Olga as being in Miami since Spring 1965
bearing the name ALGR PATRICIA fit in?
And where do two ships looking exactly like the Olga
spotted in Miami in Spring of 1966 fit in, one called the Titan and one the
Star 5-0?
There may even have been other ships considered.
And the ship you worked on on 1966 and 1967 was
indeed called the Olga Patricia, not the Olga Princess.
The Galaxy finally sank in Kiel. But Òwhere the heck
is the Olga PatriciaÓ[2]?
Is it still riding the waves somewhere, is it torn up or at the bottom of the
sea?
©Derek Burroughs, jr., Greenwich,
London. May 11th, 2006. Written in connection with the Radio
England/Britain Radio reunion, May 12th-14th, 2006,
London.