REM Island

REM Island

REM Island was an offshore platform near the Netherlands, built in the Republic of Ireland and towed off the Dutch coast in 1964 as the pirate broadcasting home of Radio and TV Noordzee. Both stations were dismantled by armed forces of the Netherlands. It was six miles off Noordwijk.

History

Radio and TV Noordzee started broadcasting on August 12, 1964. The radio service broadcast on 1400 kHz, and the television station on Channel E11. The Dutch government announced that it was illegal to supply, advertise on, or deal with the station. The government passed a law making it possible to take action against the broadcasts.

Construction

The platform was built in 1963 in Cork, Ireland, and fitted out in the harbour of Lauwersoog. The tower was registered in Panama, and the company that owned it was registered in Switzerland, making it difficult for the Dutch authorities to take action against the stations.

Raid and aftermath

On December 12, 1964, armed forces boarded REM Island and dismantled the broadcasting equipment. The platform was removed from its location in March 1965 and taken to the harbour of Amsterdam. The platform was later used by the government to measure sea pollution.

Legacy

In 2004, a restaurant called REM Eiland opened on the platform in Amsterdam. It was named after the original REM Island and is located at the same spot where the platform was brought ashore in 1965.

See also

• Pirate radio in Europe
• Offshore radio
• Radio Veronica
• Radio Caroline

External links

• REM Island: A History
• Offshore Radio Fleet: REM Island