PART 8 - HERE WE GO, HERE WE GO - AGAIN
On February 14, 1971, the station ID of RNI resumed. DJ Stevie Merike announced "This is a test transmission from Radio Northsea International broadcasting on 220 metres medium wave band, 1367 kilocycles, and on channel 44 that 100 megacycles in the FM band, and on 6205 kilocycles in the 48 metre band. We're very pleased to have you around. May I cordially suggest that you call up your friends on the telephone and let them know that RNI is back".
Six days later, this is the how Radio Northsea International resumed transmissions and we join the station "live" approaching 1400 hrs on February 20th, 1971 & the record playing is:

And I Love Her - Georgie Fame

"This is the end of test transmissions from Radio Northsea International. Full programmes begin in four minutes time": (4 minutes later)

Man of Action - Les Reed (24 secs)

(Alan West) This is Radio Northsea International (followed by a fanfare)

(Alan West) Broadcasting in the medium wave on 220 metres, 1,367 kilocycles, in FM channel 44, 100 megacycles and in the short wave at 6,205 kilocycles in the 49 metre European band, this is Radio Northsea International. RNI is music on your dial 20 hours per day and now we bid you welcome to Radio Northsea International. First on our opening programme this afternoon is our production director Mr Vic Pelli:

(Vic Pelli) A new and different chapter of Radio Northsea International begins at this time. On behalf of the owners Mr Meister & Mr Bollier, I would like to bid you welcome to the new RNI. In the years to come Radio Nordzee International will bring to you the best possible entertainment

Nothing Rhymed - Gilbert O'Sullivan

(Stevie Merike): Re-opening Radio Northsea International, this week's No.1 sound in our Super Hit 50, that's Gilbert O'Sullivan and 'Nothing Rhymed'. Good afternoon everyone, welcome back to the sound of Radio Northsea International, Europe's number one music station.

The Same Old Song - The Weathermen

(SM): That's The Weathermen there and that's called 'The Same Old Song'. Thank you very much Alan for doing the opening announcements to our transmissions and may I, on behalf of all the announcers on Radio Northsea, whom you will be meeting in the next 60 minutes of our new opening programme, welcome you along to Radio Northsea International. At this particular time, it's very gratifying that we are able to return to 220 metres and I may say, that this time around things will be definitely together. This is Steven Merike and all I want to say at this time is that I'm very pleased to be on board the broadcasting boat, as we will come to
call it in the future and throughout the time that all the announcers aboard are here, we will do our best to bring to you the best things, as our production director Mr Victor Pelli has said. Erm, what can one say at a time like this? All I ... I'm just knocked-out that it's been possible for us all to get together. A little bit about myself. On record it says 23. Infact, I'm 25. I come from London, which is right down in the south of England, if some of you do not know England too well. This is my third offshore station and we've been together for about four weeks now and it's been four very hectic weeks as Alan and I will tell you about a little later on in the programme. About Radio Northsea International, the format and things like that will be geared especially for you and we ask you, especially because this is a station for you, to write and let us know, exactly how you like our station or how you think you would like our station and then we can get a complete picture of how it should be. I must admit at this particular time, it's one of the few times I'm stuck for words. I'm a little bit overcome you see, but never mind. I think the best thing one can
do is to express it best the way this does:


Jingle - What good are friends if you never call on them - your best friend station

(SM) and then to follow that up with Stephen Stills:

"Love The One You're With" - Stephen Stills
(Alan West): Stephen Stills there with "Love The One You're With", a track from our LP of the week this week and I think rather appropriate "Love The One You're With", that's Radio Northsea International. You may recognise the voice. I was here before. The name's Alan West and a very good afternoon to
you all and welcome back to Radio Northsea International. I must admit, once again, I'm stumped for words. When we closed down, I was stumped for words and now that we are re-opening, all I can say is that it's wonderful to be back and it's a great honour to be back to re-open this station Radio Northsea International. I wish you all much pleasure with this station. It's really wonderful that they can bring the station back and all I can say is stay with us and enjoy it and now a quick good afternoon to all our Dutch listeners (good afternoon ladies and gentlemen in the Netherlands. This is Radio Nordzee International.

Stevie Merrike & Alan West

Jingle: RNI - Goes All The Way

(Alan West): One of the most popular groups in Holland, that was Corrie
..... Rosen den Blaumen.

A quick few words now about all the planning that's been going on. It's been absolutely hectic for the last three or four weeks. Stevie's been in ..er.. came to Zurich on the 1st of February. That's right isn't it?

 

(Steve Merike): Yes. Well I remember the flight to Zurich. All the hours we've spent up, just getting to this particular time. I suppose really Alan, we can say that, especially in the last week or 10 days that we've been aboard the Mebo II, out of every 24 hours, we've possibly spent about 20 hours up and about four hours in bed.

(AW): Yes, I know. You may have noticed the jingles ... you'll be hearing a lot more yet and as the days go by we'll be adding to them to try and give the station a good sound and make it exciting for you and all the time we spent in Zurich and here on the Mebo II and in Holland, we've been working towards this day and to the future.


(SM) I think I might just add to what Alan said there and just say the one thing that we do want you to remember .. er, in fact there are two things. First of all, that Radio Northsea International is your station, which means that you can participate as much as you possibly can and secondly that the announcers aboard the Mebo II are talking to YOU, which we believe aboard the Mebo II doesn't usually happen in too many radio stations and I think this .. maybe you might agree with me here Alan ... and I think this is where Radio Northsea can be definitely the one.

(AW): I think Radio Northsea will be Europe's number one music station.

Jingle: Charge! .. Radio Northsea. It's a blast.

 

(AW) And now this is our French contribution to our opening programme. This is 'Butterfly'.

Butterfy - Daniel Gerrard (in French).

 

(SM): That's No.14 in the Radio Northsea International Super Top 50 and that's Daniel Gerrard and that's called 'Butterfly'. In the next 35 minutes or 36 minutes now, it's just before three o'clock, you'll be meeting the rest of the announcers aboard the Mebo II, which are: Tony Allan, Martin Kayne and Dave Rogers and also Crispian St.John. You've already met Alan West and Sevie Merike, so if you've just joined us this is our opening programme and you're more than welcome to stay with us.

Jingle: Steve Merike picks this hit to go go go go!

 

It's Up To You Petula - Edison Lighthouse

 

(AW): 'It's Up To You Petula' and that is Edison Lighthouse and that's Steve's hitpick this week.and I'm sure that Steve and I together with all the other disk jockeys and announcers here on RNI are gonna have a lot of fun together bringing you all the entertainment that you want to hear. You're listening to Radio Northsea International. This is the opening programme and you're very welcome.

Jingle: RNI. Weekend Action. Satisfaction

(AW) This is Alan West here on the opening programme and right now I'd like to play you my hitpick record this week. We've already heard Steve's and here it is. Here's mine:

Fanfare

 

(AW) No not this! (fanfare continues) - (AW) A smash hit throughout Europe very shortly and in the United Kingdom, this is Geordio.

'Underdog' - Geordio

(SM): That's Geordio there and Alan West's hitpick for this particular week and as Alan said it's going to be a great big hit and that's called 'Underdog'. Just before we go into the programme schedules, just a little note of frivolity here. I think we ought to tell you about the tender trip out here. Just to show you what brave little boys we are. In actual fact we came out on a boat from Ymuiden and I think it was a force 8 storm by the time we got here and ... the crew didn't even realise that we'd got here, we went round about six times and then they realised we were here and we didn't think we were going to get aboard until Steve like a brave little man literally jumped onto the ladder.

 

(SM) And left me there horrified

(AW): And, er, .. go on, you tell the rest of the story.

(SM) Well, apart from the ladder. The ladder was very funny because over the side of the boat, er, the boat is quite high out of the water, it's not low at all and there's a rope ladder hangs over the side and the idea is that the tender comes alongside and you get onto the ladder quite genitally and climb aboard. Unfortunately, with a force 8 gale blowing and the tender rocking about as if, well, we called it, what was it Alan, the flying ship .. the Flying Dutchman, it spent more time out of the water than actually in the water. I jumped a gap of, I should think about three feet and I just got aboard and as I got aboard, the tender rowed up and had it rowed up far enough, I think that would have been the end of S.Merrike of this Parish.

 

(AW)Yes, anyway, lets, having shown you our little feat of pervade, let's get onto the programme schedule shall we .. Steve?


(SM): Yes, I'll start off then Alan. From 0600 to 0900 will be Tony Allan. From 0900 to 12 o'clock midday will be Martin Kayne. From 12 until 1500 will be David Rogers. From 1500 to 1800 will be Crispian St.John. From 1800 until 2100, Alan West. From 2100 until midnight it's .. er, what's his name .. Steeeevie Merike and from 0000 until 0200 it will be Crispian St.John. This
is the programme schedule of radio Northsea International. On the 1st of March there will be a slight change, but we'll tell you a little bit more about that around 10 minutes to three o'clock.

Jingle: At the top of the hour RNI's Smash Play - RNI

Mozart's 40th - Waldo de los Rios

 

(SM) A record there which is particularly beautiful and not quite at the top of the hour, but that's when you'll usually hear our smash play, right at the top of the hour. Now if I remove the record from the record player, I can tell you that was Mozart's Symphony No.40 in G Minor and the first movement Allegre Mo Tell and that was the orchestra of ..... and conducted by Waldo de los Rios. It's 23 minutes now before three o'clock and it's my pleasure to introduce to you now the gentleman, the announcer you will find on your radio between 0600 and 0900 every day on Radio Northsea International, Mr Tony Allan.

 

 
(Tony Allan): Good afternoon Steve. Well ladies and gentlemen, there's not much that I can say that hasn't already been said. All I'd like to say is that it's a great joy and pleasure for me to be out here on the Mebo II, bobbing about on the sea, as it were, especially on a Sunday afternoon, and it's a great joy for me to be in right at the beginning of this, what I consider to be a great new era in sound broadcasting in this particular part of the world. I don't know whether anyone's really thought about it, but the six guys which are out on the ship at the moment, the six announcers which are here, are probably the first really international team of disk jockeys or announcers, in Europe and it's a great pleasure to be part of that team. The other five lads are five of the nicest lads I've met for a long time and it's a great pleasure to work with them. I've worked on boats before and 

there  can be a lot of friction, I know this, but we've been on the boat together for a few days now and everybody seems to be getting on like a house on fire, which is, I don't know, is quite unusual, Steve do you find that?

(SM): Yes, I didn't think things would go as well as they have gone. I will agree with you definitely Tony that there is a great atmosphere on the boat at the moment and it's an atmosphere which I didn't expect to get together so quickly, but now the atmosphere is here, with the guys all looking through from the other studio, all smiling and happily laughing, I think this is the atmosphere which is not only going to be part of the boat, but also going to be part of our station.

(TA): Yeah, I think a lot of it has got to with Vic Pelli. He was standing behind us keeping that eagle eye that he's been keeping on us for a long time now.

(SM): Yes, may I just say a few words. He's a very bashful man is our Mr Pelli and he doesn't like to say too much, but the organisation of Radio Northsea International to a great extent has been the work of Mr Pelli and I think at this time, one of us and in this case it turns out to be me, should thank him particularly for the amount of work which he has put in, sometimes 24 hour stretches at a time with people and seeing people and calling people to all hours of the day and night to make sure that Radio Northsea International gets back on radio to you. So to Mr Victor Pelli, from everybody aboard the broadcasting boat, thank you very much indeed.

(TA): He's also one of the most elusive men since the scarlet pimpernel. One minute, he's in Zurich. The next minute he's in London. The next minute he's in Paris. He dodges all over the Continent. You can never find him, terrible, he really is (laughs). Shall we play some music Steve?

(SM): I think Tony, the thing to do at this particular time would be to play your hitpick for this week. Would you like to introduce it and turn on the turntable?

(TA): All that really has to be said is that this is going to be a whopping great hit. It's Bill and Buster and it's called 'Hold Onto What You've Got'.

'Hold Onto What You've Got' - Bill & Buster

(SM) Thank you very much there Tony. That's Tony Allan's hitpick for this particular week on RNI. That's Bill & Buster and called 'Hold Onto What You've Got'. Alan.

(Alan West) Er, yes. Steve has spoken a little while ago about the Zurich office and now it's my turn to say a little about the Dutch office. We'd like at this point to say thank you very much to Mr De Mol and all his staff at the office in Hilversum in Holland, where they have worked so hard in the last few weeks to make all this possible and o build up a tremendous organisation in Holland and they've all worked so hard. I believe we have men on the road working hard for us to get us advertising and to get the station on the road financially and we'd like to say thank you very much to all of you and a few more words about the Dutch programming later on in the
programme towards the end. Right now I'' like to say (in Dutch) "Good afternoon ladies & gentlemen. This is the first programme from Radio Nordzee International".

'War Horse' - St. Louis

(Steve Mericke): Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen this is the opening programme of Radio Northsea International. we've played the number one sound, that's now the number 50 sound that's St.Louis and 'War Horse'. The time. It's now 13 minutes out of three o'clock. There was something I was going to say, but as I've totally forgotten exactly what I was going to say, may I say now it is my pleasure to introduce the announcer you will hear between 0900 and 12
o'clock each and every day on RNI: Mr Martin Kayne.
(Martin Kayne): Well, thank you very much Stevie. Well, as I've been sitting in the control room opposite the studio there, other DJs have been telling you all the things that will be happening her on Radio Northsea and slowly my list managed to get less and less and less. Anyway, I'll give you a quick few words about myself. I've worked for three other stations in the past,
you may recognise the programme title of Kayne's Kingdom and being here on RNI is certainly a very nostalgic moment for me. As previously said they're six announcers on radio Northsea, we all get along very well together and we're doing
all we can to please you at home and we hope very soon, infact almost immediately to have Radio Northsea Europe's number one voted station. So with your assistance, our hard work, I'm sure we'll achieve this aim. I came out here just three days ago and Steve and Alan had been working very hard when we arrived and we too have joined them to build the whole station up for this opening and to continue in the way we hope to begin, or we're going to begin, to put RNI in a very high scale in your mind. You may have realised or recognised in my voice that I've been doing test transmissions over the last two days between nine and mid-day and for the next few weeks I shall also be doing a show during those times, that's from nine until mid-day and as I almost hinted this morning this is my hit pick this week.
It's the new one by C.C.S., their follow-up to 'A Whole Lotta Love':

'Walking' - C.C.S.

(SM): Thank you very much Martin for those few opening words. This is Radio Northsea International. The opening programme. You've heard from Tony Allan, you've heard from Martin Kayne, you've heard from Alan West and from Stevie Merike and now it's my pleasure to introduce to you Mr Dave Rogers who will be on the radio between 1200 and 1500, everyday.
(Dave Rogers): Thank you very much Steve. Well, actually, I was with RNI before, but I was in the rather curious position of only having worked for the station for five days (laughs) before it closed down, so I never really got me thing going! However, this time, I'm absolutely certain that the station is going to remain on the air for an indefinite period. I'm sure everybody on the station will agree with it. It's very nice to be back with Alan, who I've worked with before and also with Stevie, Tony, Martin, Chris and ... is there some-one else ... have I left anybody out?

(SM) No I don't think so .. aah, you've left Alan out.

(DR) No, I mentioned Alan, we've got everybody.

(SM) Yes, you've got everybody.

(DR) No, there's nothing much else to say actually. I think we're all working together very well together on the station. Everybody, you know, is pleased with each other. Nobody's got any hang-ups about anything, so what can go wrong?

(SM) I would go along with that. I think the atmosphere, as I've said before, on this ship is incredible, I really do I'm so knocked-out with the atmosphere. Just very quickly Dave, before we do play your hitpick and we are pushed for time if we're going to finish this opening programme by three o'clock, I think we've thanked everybody virtually, except two people. Two people we haven't thanked and I think at this particular time, from everybody aboard the Mebo II, we ought to say a big thank you to Mr Meister and Mr Bollier.

(DR) Definitely, definitely, without whom, none of this would be, of course, possible.

(SM) Your hitpick. What is it?

(DR) My hitpick. It is indeed. Yes, it's going to be a big one. It's ..er .. I've forgotten it!

(SM) It's the emotion Dave, it's the emotion.

(DR) Yes, it's The Partridge Family. The Partridge Family and 'I Think I Love You'.

"I Think I Love You" - Partridge Family

(SM) Dave Roger's hitpick there and a very good song indeed, definitely going to get into our Super Top 50 very shortly indeed and it's called "I Think I Love You" and talking about the Top 50 show, don't forget Tony Allan will be hear at exactly 1500, Central European Time, and at three o'clock to you and me, with the Top 50 programme. We've met most of the announcers now aboard the Mebo II, radio Northsea International. There's just one left and that is Crispian St.John. Chris.
(Crispian St.John): Thanks Stevie. It's a brand new era and a brand new new station sound. This is Radio Northsea International and from me Crispian St.John, may I bid you a very good afternoon to you, from everybody on board the station. I think you're going to have a very happy time listening to the station and I've been on board the broadcasting boat since Thursday and the planning and preparation before this programme began has been incredible. Steve and Alan on board the ship, on land our wonderful office staff, they've really put their hearts into everything for RNI's future. Now we invite you to listen to and enjoy the results of all this work and about myself very briefly, I come from Surrey in England and until Wednesday night have been working in some wonderful discotheques and Clubs In England, but to be here on RNI is just too much If you listen, I'm sure you'll enjoy everything that we have for you and let's hope we do and let's now listen to my hitpick for this week which is from Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
"Forget Me Not" - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

(SM): Crispian St.John's hitpick for this particular week on RNI and that's Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and that's called "Forget Me Not". Well I think we've just about thanked just about everybody. The only people definitely left to thank are they are, let's face it, some of the most important people we know are the engineers, especially our generator engineers and our transmitter engineers and I would like to say thank you now, he won't say a few words on the wireless, but I'll say thank you anyway to Claude George who's been working like no-one's business to get these transmitters going properly. Also, at this time, may I just say a quick word of thanks to the captain and the crew who have been very understanding, when Alan and I have been jumping around this boat in shocking tempers, after 20 hours trying to get things together. Right Alan?

(AW): Yeah. I'll say this in English, because I don't think my Dutch is quite up to this yet, but we will be starting Dutch programmes for all you Dutch listeners. We will be starting Dutch programmes in the very near future, about the 1st of March, or maybe a few days after that there will be programmes by disk jockeys Josten Dryer and Jaan van Feen. I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear that: Josten Dryer and Jaan van Feen will be hear on Radio Northsea International very soon and Josten and Jan "Goodday" (in Dutch).

(SM): The time now is exactly 30 seconds out of three o'clock, so Alan, if
you'd like to move to the back of the studio.

(AW): Yep

(SM): I think there's one thing left to do and that is for all of us, the six English announcers of Radio Northsea International to have this station well and truly opened. So are you ready? Are you ready Alan?

(AW): Yeah

(SW):  I now pronounce this station well and truly opened!