REM Island
{{Short description|Television station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Redirect|Radio North Sea|the former Dutch pirate radio station|Radio North Sea International}}
File:Het REM-eiland, Bestanddeelnr 917-2504.jpg
REM Island is a platform 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 the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was 10 km (6 miles) off Noordwijk.
Construction
Radio and TV Noordzee was founded in 1963 with land-based offices and broadcast from the sea. The artificial island was built in the harbour of Cork, Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://www.offshore-radio.de/HansKnot/features/REM%20ISLAND%20PROJECT.pdf|author=Hans Knot
|date=2011|title=Reflections on the REM Island project|accessdate=9 February 2010}} It was towed to its location and anchored in cement on the seabed. On 12 August 1964, a test broadcast was performed and on 15 August regular broadcasting started. The radio service broadcast on 1400 kHz, while on television it used Channel E11 (System B).
REM stands for Reclame Exploitatie Maatschappij{{citation|author=H.F. van Panhuys|year=1966|title=Legal aspects of pirate broadcasting: a Dutch approach|journal=American Journal of International Law|volume=60|number=2|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/ajil60&div=23&id=&page=}} ("advertising exploitation company"). The company intended to broadcast commercial radio and TV. Dutch law at the time did not authorise such broadcasts but the island was outside territorial waters. Other stations, such as Radio Veronica, used a ship.
Raid
While Dutch authorities were unhappy with the broadcasts, they did not possess the legal right to stop them. However, on 12 December 1964, the government passed the REM law, which split the North Sea into continental sections. The sea bed under REM Island, to which the structure was attached, was therefore declared Dutch territory. Five days later, Korps Mariniers boarded the platform and ended broadcasting.{{cn|date=July 2023}}
Dismantling
A year after the raid, Radio Noordzee resumed transmissions legally under the name TROS. After that REM Island was used by the government to measure sea temperature and salt concentration. After a failed attempt to sell the island in 2004, the government dismantled it with a goodbye radio event by amateur radio enthusiasts, with the callsign PB6REM on the platform on 8 June 2006.
Since March 2011, the platform sits in Amsterdam harbour where it serves as a restaurant.
Gallery
File:Rem_eiland.jpg|REM Island
File:REM-eiland-Haparandadam.jpg|REM Island as an Amsterdam restaurant
File:Ontmanteling van het REM-eiland voor de kust van Noordwijk (Noord Holland).jpg|Dismantling of the REM Island
References
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{{Reflist}}
{{Offshore radio}}
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Category:1963 establishments in the Netherlands
Category:1964 disestablishments in the Netherlands
Category:Artificial islands of the Netherlands
Category:Radio masts and towers in Europe