Veronica 2

RADIO VERONICA 1960-1974 part two.

So, Veronica had served a very loyal audience since 1960, but all good things must come to an end.

On the first of September 1974 the Dutch government introduced a law against offshore radiostations, radio

Veronica closed down on Saturday August 31, 1974 at 18.00 hours.

The Norderney was at sea for another year but in the end on August 11 1975 towed into Amsterdam

harbour where the transmitters were taken of. Between 1975 and 1980 the vessels was seen in several

harbours around Holland, intact apart from the tranmittters. Many of her former listeners had a look at the

ship and took photos inside.

August 1975, Norderney in Amsterdam. An attempt was made to turn the vessel into a offshore radio

museum, however finance was a problem, so the idea was dropped.

The below deck corridor shows the perfect state of maintenance onboard in 1975. The crew of the

vessel spend a lot of work on the Norderney between 64 and 74. This corridor leads to

the transmitterroom and studios.

The studio onboard the Norderney, two turntables, 5 reeltoreel recorders, the mixer and cartmachines.

The Akai reeltoreel recorders were used for playback of the Veronica programmes recorded in landbased

studios Hilversum Holland. In the background the newsroom.

What's left of the newsroom, the radio was used to listen to Radio Hilversum News and recorded

on a cassette machine. The newsreader did the usual rewriting and the news was broadcast

on the hour every hour.

The white button on the panel was used for the blips between newsitems.

1976 in Zaandam.

close up of the aerial feedthrough and anchorwinch.

The opendoor leads into the former transmitterrroom.

About 5 hours of programmes a week were broadcast live from the ship, the remainder was taped.

Veronica, although well programmed with a happy cheerful sound lacked the specific marine

broadcasting sound because of the taped programmas, it missed the spark of ,, live from the ship"

The messroom onboard in the deckhouse of the Norderney.

1977 in Dordrecht, high in the water, the ballast had been removed.

In 1981 she was saved from the scrapyard and towed to Zoutkamp near Groningen and converted into

a discotheque. Right now in 2002, 21 years later she still is a floating cafe, nothing inside and outside

reminds you of her heroic role as a radioship. She would have been better of at the scrapyard if you ask me.

The ship right next to the Norderney was a former Groninger coaster to be converted into a sailing

ship in1981. Believe it or not, in 2002 this ship is still in Zoutkamp in the same condition. Unfinnished

floating wreck.

November1995 Cafe Norderney in Leeuwarden Friesland. The 538 aerial still between the masts.

Shortly after I took this photo the aerial disappeard, wonder where it is?

Photos:

Hans Knot archives: 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-16-17-18.

Rob Olthof: 13-14

Ton van Draanen: 19-20-21-22-23-24..

Theo Dencker: 27-28-29.

Marcel Poelman: 31-32

Paul de Haan: 1-15-25-26-30-33