HISTORY   Laser 730 - Laser 558 - Laser Hot Hits

Here you will find in short the history of these stations. Of course its supplements or observations are welcome. On Internet you can still find further information type Laser558 when you Google. Also this part of our Internet site has been exclusively published for educational aiming.

* MV. COMMUNICATOR was the home / radio ship of followed radio stations:
Laser 730.
Laser 558.
Laser Hot Hits.

**At the end 1983 the ship (MV. COMMUNICATOR) goes for anchor in the Thames mouth.

**At the beginning of 1984 the tests start with an antenna wire to a balloon.

**The balloon is filled on 18 January 1984, exactly for midnight. The first is launched with helium. The day hereafter is begun with a strong transmitter at 09.35 25 the kW.

The transmitter provides a 354 the feet long antenna to the full capacity and the frequency are 729 kHz AM.

These are the first "tests" retransmissions of laser 730. At 09.40 the sender is eliminated because the antenna cable is broken and the balloon has chosen the free sky.

**On 21 January 1984, at 4 o'clock in the morning the second balloon is launched with a new and stronger antenna cable. It is briefly tested on 729 kHz with music of Led zeppelin and The Beatles but the transmitter is turned off again.

At 11 o'clock one changes gear the transmitter and the official start of LASER 730 is announced. The first song that is played is "Baby you're a rich man", of course by The Beatles.

**The next day the antenna cable breaks and once again a $ 6000 expensive balloon is lost.

The shareholders decide to put once more an amount of $ 200,000 in the project. It is decided to leave the balloon antenna system for what it is and masts of MV are attached to an antenna between the two 40 feet.

COMMUNICATOR. The transmission possibility is geared to 15 kW and tests are done from 13 February 1984 up to 18 February 1984.

The indicators are however very weak and one is hardly listened to in London.

 **Only on the 4^th of March 1984 the transmitter is once again fixed to check its condition.

It is decided to wait for higher masts. That was the last retransmission of LASER 730.

LASER 558 – ALL EUROPE RADIO

 **In May 1984 at last two higher masts arrive which are installed on 5 May 1984

  **Immediately the day after it started with test retransmissions by means of 558 kHz.

  **On May 24^th of 1984, at 5 o'clock in the morning LASER 558 officially starts with a sender capacity of 5 kW with 5 hours lasting radio shows which are presented Rick Harris, David Lee Stone, Jessie Brandon and Steve masters.

Regularly you can hear the banging of champagne bottles with slogans like: "All hits, All the time", "All Europe radio", "The music are never more than one minute away", and laser effects.

The laser effects consist in a long-short-long tone what means in maritime terms: "I want to communicate" (= I want communicate). There is also the yellow-blue flag that has been attached to of the masts of the radio station. It is meant to also carry out the message visually (= I want communicate on 558)

There even comes a LASER LOVER ROADSHOW where illegally brought in dj's of the radio ship of Laser558 are playing their music to these shows. That happens to great dissatisfaction of the British government in particular.

The popularity of LASER 558 increases however more and more and is belongs with almost 9 million listeners to the bests listened to station of Europe.

**From 27 May on the programmes last 4 hours each. That is because there is a new deejay on board. It is Paul Dean who in former days also made radio programmes on sea for radio North Sea international (RNI). That was under the name of Paul May.

**On June 12^th of 1984 there even come 2 British TV crews on board to interview the
deejays on board. Also LASER 558 has a contact address for fan mail and one of the first cards received is one written by Paul McCartney.

**On 16^th of 1984 LASER must 558 however leave the air because of transmission problems which are just solved on the 22th of June. The British government still believes that LASER 558 is an illegal station.

Because of the enormous publicity and popularity of LASER 558 the British government starts with actions against the station. Firstly that happens through advertisements in which can be read that it is prohibited for British nationals grant collaboration to sea transmitters.

Secondly  the monitors on the coast line are watched over in order to hamper the fuelling.

Soon the rumor is heard that LASER 558 suffers financial difficulties and the life on board is told to be boring.

After 2 months there a change of deejays. One is Tommy Rivers, who soon becomes a popular guy.  Rivers fill his free time on board with writing his final thesis for the University of Wisconsin USA. The theme is "listeners research and radio stations".

**On November 23^rd of 1984 the station must be disconnected at 18.30 because of antenna problems. LASER 558 obviously has both technical and financial problems. has to apparently contend with both technical and financial problems. It appears to be that that the antennas are of a quality which is not fit to be used on open sea.

LASER IS ONE

**The first anniversary of the RADIO station on the 24th of May 1985 is celebrated with a lot of contests during some really festive programs.

**THE DTI

 The British government uses their espionage chip of the DTI against the off shore transmitters of Radio Caroline, Radio Monique and LASER 558.  The thirty meters large British ship arrives on 9 august 1985 in the international waters.

 The intention is to register all fuelling ships so that these can be sentenced.

Regularly the access of fans to the ship is prohibited and in October 1985 the captain of MV. COMMUNICATOR tells to visitors that the fuelling doesn’t work like it should. "If the next month this is still the same is I sail off to the Netherlands "; thus Captain Patrick paternoster.

**At the beginning November there are regularly heavy storms above the North Sea. The new and inexpert deejays on board are not fit for their work these days. LASER 558 is regularly out of the air.

 **On 5 November 1985 the last record is "Ready for the World".

 **The day after the captain of MV. COMMUNICATOR decides head to the British port of Harwich.

Accompanied by the British DTI-ship it arrives to the port on the 8^th of November 1985. The British authorities do not confiscate the boat however. Reason for this is that the ship is registered under Panama’s flag and is property of an American firm.

LASER HOT HITS – THE HOTTEST HITS

  **By the end of November 1986 is laser Hot hits is born.

**At the 16^th of November 1986 at 3 o'clock in the night the anchor is weighed in silence. On its own strength the MV. COMMUNICATOR heads to Knock John Deep, 15 sea miles from the coast of Great Britain.

The new owners immediately explain that they want to bring back radio-transmissions as from 1 December 1986 by means of 576 kHz. The former frequency of 558 kHz in use has been taken by Radio Caroline.

**One keeps word because some minutes before 18 hours on the 1st of December of 1986 there are radio signal perceptible on 576 the kHz AM. Some hours a first spoken test transmission is heard with John Anthony. The next days tests continue and the capacity is forced up of 12 to 22 kW.

**The first official retransmission of LASER HITS HOT is on the 7^th of December 1986.

Success comes and goes with the station. The new owners seem to have underestimated transmission from sea. Regularly LASER HOT is HITS is away from the air because of change of anchorage, storm, technical problems, etc. etc.. and to excess of calamity there is exactly a heavy storm after New Year.

**The first antenna of "MV COMMUNICTOR" demolishes on the 5^th of  January 1987 and it will last up to 24 January 1997 before LASER HITS HOT is again in the air is with a capacity of scarcely 2 kW.

**The last signal is heard on the 20^th of April of 1987. After that the station remains silent.

**Around April 25^th of 1987 the MV. COMMUNICATOR is once more transported to England and is chained.

Next de ship MV. COMMUNICATOR still heads to Portugal and hereafter to the Netherlands to do service there for the stations of: Holland FM, HitRadioVeroncia 1224, Q the Beat.

After that MV. COMMUNICATOR is sold to an English organization which has MV. COMMUNICATOR brought to Orkney in England to serve for a local station The Supperstation. It transmits with a temporary license.

** In 2006 the MV Communicator is demolished.