14 AUGUST, 1967 MIDNIGHT GMT (54 YEARS AGO)

14 AUGUST, 1967 MIDNIGHT GMT (54 YEARS AGO): From the aftermath of the "Crime on the fort" shooting, Parliment rallies and passes the Marine Offences Act of 1967.

The Act meant that the operation of offshore, pirate radio stations became illegal if they were operated or assisted by persons subject to UK law. It prohibited "carrying by water or air goods or persons to or from it" which made tendering illegal. Station operators thought they could continue if they were staffed, supplied and funded by non-British citizens, but this largely proved impractical.

Several days before, Texas entreprenuer Don Pierson has a meeting with investors and concluded that continuing to keep Radio London on the air under the act is a no win situation.

The station was set to close down at 15:00 GMT 14 August and sail into history.

The crew had enough notice to get interviews with artists, present and past DJ's and create a tape called "Their Final hour". A swansong of music, memories and goodbyes.

After a last time breakfast party and packing up, the crew played the tape at 14:00.

Standing on the deck looking out back to shore they just listened to the show and took in all in. England tuned in from their transistors and car radio and listened as well. All of England silent and transfixed!

The show ended with the PAMS Sonowaltz music that the station was famous for. The DJ's boxed up the tape and later left the boat with it.

And then Big L was silent.

Other stations had either switched off before midnight while some went out after Radio London.

There was only one station left and nobody had heard of her decision: Radio Caroline.

Later that night, Radio Caroline was renamed Radio Caroline International and DJ Johnnie Walker took to the mic with "The Pirate's Lament": A sort of Declartion of Independence for free commercial radio. The ship and the crew that continued to stay on kept broadcasting as the radio world changed around them.

On 3 March 1968, the radio ships Mi Amigo and Caroline, were boarded and seized before the day's broadcasting began. They were towed to Amsterdam by a salvage company to secure unpaid bills for servicing by the Dutch tender company Wijsmuller Transport.

The owner decided that Radio Caroline was over. The remaining crew were praised and thanked, given their final paycheck and a one way ticket back home or anywhere they wished.

Six weeks after Big L went off the air, the BBC found out it should have been careful for what they wished for. Payback can sometimes be a bitch!

I share this because of the GREAT Ray Clark, previously known as Radio Caroline DJ Mick Williams. [Where I grabbed my stage name from.] I am trying very hard every year to get him into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. The real story is here: https://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djs8w2z.htm https://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/carbook.htm https://www.rayradio.co.uk/#home.html

But that's a story for another time...

TuneIn

  Dear Cyber-Line listeners:

I got an email from TuneIn @tunein telling me that due to "contractual obligations" they will be disabling the record function on the Tunein Pro app. This will become effective 14 September, 2020.

For at least 20 years. I've recommended Tunein to listen to radio stations around the world. Even though my show, Charley Jones, The John David Wells report and countless other shows have used Tunein to get their message out we still had the options of time shifting.

I have never been compensated for my suggestion to your purchase. I've received no percentage of sales. My only goal was to empower you with a great product that allowed you the freedom to consume information as you see fit!

When asked about Tunein I've always suggested to my listeners to pay the one time fee of $5.99 for the pro version. Charley Jones and many late night shows could now be recorded for daytime listening. Morning and afternoon shows like Jon-David Wells people are working and can't listen. If they can then the RF and buildings get in the way of AM reception.

As to my own show, I'm on the weekends. The time my listeners are spending is weekend time with family. I've never complained about recording the show. Much of my email is from listeners telling me how much they enjoyed the convenience.

On behalf of myself and the Cyber-Line @cyberlineusa crew I wish to apologize. Even though the fee wasn't $5.99 a month its still had value to you.

Tunein has posted a standard answer to the record button complaints. It's B.S. They are protecting their new pay to play service. If you're going to disable a product Tunein you should tell the truth!

Meanwhile, we will continue to report to you our dear listerners. We will still be on Tunein and will inform you of ways to exercise your freedom of information consumption via other products as they become known.

Thanks for listening!

Mick Williams

Host/Executive Producer

Mick Williams Cyber-Line

********what i posted in app store********

I'm a nationally syndicated tech talk show host. I've recommended tune in pro for years so that listeners can record (MY OWN CONTENT THAT *I* OWN!) and play it later. I also use my iPad to record *MY* show and archive it.

I also record shows that are on at 2am my time I feel cheated and an idiot. Cheated because I paid for it. I feel like an idiot because I got my listeners to pay for it! You should refund the money we paid!

You're response blows. Your protecting you paid service. #refund #tuneinapp @tunein

As you can tell I have too much time on my hands and I don't use spell check.