Radio Atlanta

The Radio Atlanta episode is a key plank in the intricate Radio Caroline story, and thus in the story of UK pop radio generally, albeit its life was short.

Atlanta was on-air from 12th May 1964 to 2nd July 1964, broadcasting from a ship in the North Sea, anchored three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea in Essex. The ship became hugely significant: it had been home to a Swedish offshore station, but after a visit to the States for a re-fit, it adopted the name 'Mi Amigo' and became the Radio Atlanta home.

As Radio Atlanta was being prepared, so was Radio Caroline on another ship. The two stations went on-air, but the heavily US-formatted Atlanta fared poorly with both revenues and audiences. After just two months, it joined up with Caroline and became Radio Caroline South. This was arguably the first UK commercial radio brand rollout - and, in time, acquisition.

The ship, The Mi Amigo, remained home to an intermittent Radio Caroline until March 1980.