Bull Verweij
Encyclopedia
Hendrik "Bull" Verweij (12 September 1909 – 19 February 2010) was one of the founders of the Dutch
offshore radio
station Radio Veronica
and was president of the station from its start in 1959 until 1975. He was born in Hilversum
.
of competitive radio station Radio North Sea International
was bombed. After the bombing Verweij appeared on Dutch television revealing that he paid a man 12,000 Guilders to get the Mebo II into territorial waters in a way which did not harm anybody on board. He was later sentenced to three months in jail.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
offshore radio
Offshore radio
Offshore radio is radio broadcasting from ships or fixed maritime structures, usually in international waters. The claimed first wireless broadcast of music and speech for the purpose of entertainment was transmitted from a Royal Naval craft, the HMS Andromeda, in 1907...
station Radio Veronica
Radio Veronica
Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and broadcast from offshore for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands to stimulate the sales of radio receivers by providing an alternative to...
and was president of the station from its start in 1959 until 1975. He was born in Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
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Controversy
On 15 May 1971 the ship Mebo IIMebo II
The Mebo II was originally the Dutch freighter, "Silvretta," built in 1948 by De Groot en van Vliet, Slikkerveer. It had a weight of 630 tons and a length of 186 feet. In 1969, it was bought by Edwin Bollier and Erwin Meister, renamed and converted into an offshore radio station at the same...
of competitive radio station Radio North Sea International
Radio North Sea International
Radio North Sea International also known as Radio Nordsee International in German and Radio Noordzee Internationaal in Dutch, was a European offshore radio station, run by the Swiss firm Mebo Telecommunications, jointly owned by Swiss engineer, Edwin Bollier, and his business partner, Erwin Meister...
was bombed. After the bombing Verweij appeared on Dutch television revealing that he paid a man 12,000 Guilders to get the Mebo II into territorial waters in a way which did not harm anybody on board. He was later sentenced to three months in jail.
After Radio Veronica
Verweij turned 100 years old in 2009 receiving an Lifetime Achievement Award from News anchor Arend Langenberg for his influence on Dutch commercial radio. He died in his sleep in a retirement home in LoosdrechtLoosdrecht
Loosdrecht is a village in the municipality of Wijdemeren, North Holland, Netherlands.Loosdrecht consists of two small villages, Nieuw- and Oud- Loosdrecht...
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