In the history of offshore broadcasting there are many well-known stories—but also a number of lesser-known adventures that deserve to be remembered. One such episode is Radio Europa 80, a remarkable attempt by a group of Dutch radio enthusiasts to combine a legal Italian station with plans for a new offshore broadcaster for the Netherlands and Belgium.
The story unfolded in 1980, not at sea but in a small mountain village on the Italian Riviera.
A Dutch Radio Idea in Italy
In the early spring of 1980 a group of Dutch DJs came up with an ambitious plan. Their idea was to establish a legal radio station in Italy that would serve as a cover for a future offshore station broadcasting to the Netherlands.
At that time Italy already had a largely free broadcasting environment, with numerous private stations operating on the FM band. It therefore seemed possible to launch a station there without too many obstacles. At the same time, programmes produced in Italy could potentially be relayed from a radio ship positioned off the Dutch coast.
The project soon became known as Radio Europa 80.
Arrival in Perinaldo
The location chosen for the station was the small village of Perinaldo, situated in the hills above the Riviera dei Fiori on the Italian coast.
With only a few hundred inhabitants, Perinaldo was a quiet place consisting of little more than a bakery, a small grocery shop, a butcher, a post office, a church and a bar. When the Dutch radio team arrived with their equipment and plans for a broadcasting station, the villagers were astonished by the sudden appearance of these energetic newcomers.
The initiative came from Tom van Eijk and Ferry Bosman, who also used the name Ferry Eden on air.
Tom van Eijk had previously been involved with pirate radio stations in Utrecht, including Domstad and Centraal. Ferry Bosman already had experience in offshore broadcasting, having worked with Radio Mi Amigo, as well as various Dutch and Flemish land-based stations.
An Italian Management Structure
Italian broadcasting regulations required that a station operating in the country should have Italian management. A local director was therefore appointed so that a formal application for a broadcasting licence could be submitted.
The plan was to operate two FM transmitters:
- Radio Europa Uno – broadcasting in Dutch
- Radio Europa Due – broadcasting in Italian
The Dutch-language service was considered particularly promising because large numbers of Dutch and Flemish visitors spent the winter months in this region, while the summer tourist season attracted even more holidaymakers from Northern Europe.
The Offshore Ambition
Alongside the legal station, there was another ambition: a new offshore broadcaster for the Netherlands.
Within the project the name Radio Europa 80 soon became popular. The Italian phrase “Qui Radio Europa Ottanta” sounded impressive on air—even though it was almost the only Italian sentence most of the DJs could pronounce.
The team expanded. Among those who joined the project was Ronald Wagemaker, also known as Tom Verbrugge, who owned a professional radio studio. The equipment was dismantled in the Netherlands and transported to Italy.
Financing for the project was to be provided by Ferry Bosman, Tom van Eijk and Gerrit Lettinck, who used the on-air name Paul Leeuwenstein.
A Secret Transmitter Journey
Although Italy already had many transmitter suppliers, the group decided to bring a transmitter from the Netherlands.
At that time strict border controls still existed throughout Europe. The transmitter was therefore hidden in a car and transported secretly across several national borders before finally reaching Italy.
Once in Perinaldo the transmitter and antennas were installed, and test broadcasts began.
However, it quickly became clear that the project would require far more funding than originally expected.
Paid Programming Problems
To raise money the station began renting airtime on the Dutch-language service.
One of the first clients was the Flemish radio personality Danny Vuylsteke, who had previously been associated with Radio Mi Amigo and Radio Caroline. He rented several hours per day for his own programming.
But when the time came to pay, the cheque he had issued turned out to be uncovered. His programmes disappeared from the schedule, and the station’s financial problems deepened.
Limited Coverage
Another difficulty soon became apparent. The antennas had been installed in a lower part of the village, which meant that the signal reached only a very small area.
An unexpected solution came from the village priest. After enjoying a bottle of wine, he agreed to allow the antennas to be installed on the church tower.
This dramatically improved reception, extending the signal down to the coastal region around Bordighera.
A Busy Summer on the Air
As the summer tourist season approached, Radio Europa 80 began sounding like a genuine radio station.
Most programmes were broadcast live, and the team of DJs expanded to include:
- Johan Vermeer (Louis Stuster)
- Maarten de Jong (Paul Lek)
- Ton van den Berg (Ton van ’t Hart)
- Hans van Kooten (Hans van der Ven / Hans ter Louw)
The station played popular music with jingles and also broadcast a few English-language programmes in the evenings.
The planned Italian-language service, however, never materialised.
The Missing Radio Ship
Despite the lively programming, attracting local advertisers proved difficult. Ferry Bosman travelled repeatedly between Italy and the Netherlands in an attempt to secure advertising contracts, but without success.
Meanwhile he also tried to find a ship that could serve as the offshore transmitter.
The idea was that programmes produced in Italy would be recorded and rebroadcast from a ship anchored in international waters off the Dutch and Belgian coasts.
But after the anti-offshore broadcasting legislation introduced in 1974, no serious investors were willing to support such a plan. The dream of a new sea-based station never progressed beyond the planning stage.
Collapse in Perinaldo
By the end of the summer of 1980 the financial situation had become critical. Operating costs could barely be covered and the DJs had gone months without pay.
Local villagers sometimes provided food because the station staff had no money to buy groceries.
When Ferry Bosman, Tom van Eijk and Tom Verbrugge briefly returned to the Netherlands, several frustrated DJs decided to leave. Before departing they destroyed the transmitter and parts of the studio equipment.
Only Maarten de Jong and Paul Leeuwenstein remained in Italy.
A Forced Move
With no income, the station had to leave Perinaldo.
The remaining team salvaged the usable equipment and moved to a house belonging to a friend in Mortola Superiore, close to the French border. Nearby was the French station Radio Azur 102.
The new location stood on the last Italian mountain before France, overlooking the resort town of Menton.
Test transmissions resumed. As mobile phones did not yet exist, reception reports from Menton were confirmed through a curious method: observers used mirrors and binoculars to signal whether the broadcasts could be heard clearly.
Illegal After All
In the autumn of 1980 another problem emerged. The Italian director who was supposed to obtain a broadcasting licence had never submitted the application.
Radio Europa 80 had therefore been operating illegally.
Through local contacts the mistake was eventually corrected and a broadcasting licence was finally obtained.
The Final Months
Programming continued, with Dutch presenters travelling back and forth between Italy and the Netherlands. Recorded programmes were also sent from the Netherlands.
An English broadcaster, Stephen Bumfrey, joined the team and became part of the adventure.
Although the signal could be heard along a long stretch of the coastline, the station’s financial situation remained disastrous.
By Christmas 1980 most of the Dutch staff returned home, leaving Stephen Bumfrey alone to keep the station running. Operating a radio station single-handedly proved impossible, and broadcasts soon became irregular.
In January 1981, colleagues from the Netherlands travelled to Italy to bring him home. The remaining equipment was loaded into a car and taken back to the Netherlands.
Thus ended the extraordinary adventure of Radio Europa 80—a project that attempted to recreate the spirit of offshore radio, but on land.