The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Ruling the airwaves

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“The pirate radio station in the North Sea, mentioned in the weekend quiz, brought some queries about the disc jockeys who ruled the airwaves in the North Sea off the coast of Fife,” writes Fraser Elder.

“The vessel was the LV Comet and was acquired by one time DC Thomson journalist Tom Shields who was later to be a major force in the fledgling Scottish Television in the 1960s.

“The ship was without engine power and had to be towed from either Methil or Buckhaven to its docking point at Fife Ness.

“The station, known cheekily as Radio Scotland, was to create future TV and legitimate radio stars such as Jack McLaughlin (The Laird o’ Cowcaddens), Stuart Henry (Top of the Pops) and Richard Park, who hailed from nearby Kirkcaldy, and later went to to claim fame – both with Radio Clyde and as the abrasive headmaster in the BBC TV singing talent show The Fame Academy.

“A severe Government crackdown on pirate radio vessels, most notably perhaps Radio Caroline in 1967, brought an end to illegal broadcasti­ng on the high seas.”

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