Caroline Overdrive
Encyclopedia
Caroline Overdrive was a programming strand which ran on Radio Caroline
in 1986–1987.
, the station played an eclectic mixture of chart hits, album tracks and golden oldies, but by 1985 the station faced competition from the aggressively commercial Laser 558
. Caroline began transmitting a second service on 576 kHz, close to Laser's frequency, broadcasting a more conventional singles-oriented format, while its main frequency of 963 kHz carried the Dutch
station Radio Monique
by day and sponsored religious programming in the evening under the name "Viewpoint 963". After Laser closed in November 1985 Caroline took over the 558kHz slot.
During 1985 the 963kHz transmitter had been used for some nighttime music shows after the end of Viewpoint, most notably Jamming 963, a short run of reggae
programmes.
s. One critic described the service as being similar to a John Peel
show except that it ran all night.
Increases in the number of religious programmes meant that as the year progressed the start of Overdrive was pushed back from 8 p.m. to 9 and later 9:30.
Towards the end of 1986 a combination of transmitter maintenance and lack of direct involvement by Anderson meant that Overdrive was frequently off the air. The last Overdrive programme was broadcast in February 1987 under the title "Testing 963", parody
ing the newly-relaunched Laser's test broadcasts. After this no further alternative programming was heard on 963.
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
in 1986–1987.
Background
After Caroline's return to the air in 1983 from the MV Ross RevengeRoss Revenge
The MV Ross Revenge is a radio ship, formerly the home of Radio Caroline, as well as having supported Radio Monique and various religious broadcasters. She was constructed in Bremerhaven in 1960, and initially served as a commercial trawler, notably taking part in the cod wars of the 1970s...
, the station played an eclectic mixture of chart hits, album tracks and golden oldies, but by 1985 the station faced competition from the aggressively commercial Laser 558
Laser 558
Laser 558 was an offshore pirate radio station launched in May 1984 by a consortium of British and American business and broadcasting executives, some of whom have never been named. Laser 558 used disc jockeys recruited from the USA. The station was aboard the ship the MV Communicator in...
. Caroline began transmitting a second service on 576 kHz, close to Laser's frequency, broadcasting a more conventional singles-oriented format, while its main frequency of 963 kHz carried the Dutch
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...
station Radio Monique
Radio Monique
Radio Monique was an offshore radio station broadcasting to the Netherlands and Belgium from the Radio Caroline ship, Ross Revenge.Originally intended to broadcast in 1981 from a new radio ship called MV Magda Maria alongside a station to be called Radio Paradise , this arrangement fell through and...
by day and sponsored religious programming in the evening under the name "Viewpoint 963". After Laser closed in November 1985 Caroline took over the 558kHz slot.
During 1985 the 963kHz transmitter had been used for some nighttime music shows after the end of Viewpoint, most notably Jamming 963, a short run of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
programmes.
Overdrive
On January 1, 1986 DJ Tom Anderson, who had been heavily involved with the station's 1983 relaunch, began Caroline Overdrive on the 963kHz transmitter after the end of Viewpoint. Overdrive carried a wide selection of "alternative" music, the only apparent rule being that it should provide an alternative to the mainstream programming on 558. Presentation was uncluttered, with a minimum of DJ chatter and few jingleJingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s. One critic described the service as being similar to a John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show except that it ran all night.
Increases in the number of religious programmes meant that as the year progressed the start of Overdrive was pushed back from 8 p.m. to 9 and later 9:30.
Towards the end of 1986 a combination of transmitter maintenance and lack of direct involvement by Anderson meant that Overdrive was frequently off the air. The last Overdrive programme was broadcast in February 1987 under the title "Testing 963", parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ing the newly-relaunched Laser's test broadcasts. After this no further alternative programming was heard on 963.