Ambitious, but failed: The MV Electra

Radio World – 1996-07-24

Vessel to Broadcast Message of Peace

Former Radio Pirate Says He Will Play by the Rules When Broadcasting from the High Seas

by Alan Haber

KIOWA, Kan. A new offshore shortwave and mediumwave broadcast vessel is set to sail and transmit from international waters by the end of summer.

Dubbed the Electra, in honor of Guglielmo Marconi’s floating laboratory, the Electra, it is the brainchild of broadcaster Scott Becker and broadcaster and former radio pirate Allan Weiner. The Electra, now being outfitted in hightech style with “more digital equipment than old military equipment.” according to Becker, will provide “a free radio voice that can travel to those in need.”

The ship is very seaworthy.” said Weiner. “It’s a good ship. It’s agile, nimble and able to get in and get out, and, you know, it’s just what a floating radio station should be.”

With no permanent home as of this writing Becker said he is looking at France the ship’s plans are not yet firm. Final negotiations with a number of international organizations and concerns who will be partners in the Electra’s mission have not yet been completed.

Weiner, the ship’s chief engineer, is the former pirate radio broadcaster behind Radio New York International (RNI). Outfitted with AM. FM and shortwave transmitters, RNI broadcast about four miles off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., in 1987.

Good morning, Electra

In 1996, however, things could not be more different. The Electra’s mission is to bring listeners old-time radio shows and programs dealing with environmental issues affecting the oceans and peoples of the world.

Becker and Weiner, operating under the company name Lightwave Mission Broadcasting, are determined that the Electra will be a complete success.

Weiner’s last two floating radio ships.the Sarah, from which RN1 emanated, and the M.V. Fury, ended in woe. The Sarah was seized by the Federal Communications Commission and the Coast Guard, and Weiner was arrested for alleged violation of international law. The charge was later dropped.

The M.V. Fury, one of whose four transmitters was slated to be used by Brother R. Stair’s Overcomer Ministry of Walterboro, S.C., was raided by the FCC for alleged illegal transmissions.

The Sarah’s fate effectively signaled the coming of the Electra; the ship was sold in 1992 to MGM studios and blown up in the 1994 movie “Blown Away,” which starred Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones.

Purchased just prior to the big explosion, the Fury, a converted North Seas fishing boat, saw its career end in January 1994, when the FCC raided the ship and confiscated its broadcasting gear.

These are memories made long ago. The memories of the government calling on Weiner’s ventures with the Sarah and M.V. Fury are strong, but Becker is not letting them get in the way of the Electra’s purpose.

“I am not going to let the United States government squish me like an ant when they work for me to begin with,” he said. The Fury, he noted, was boarded illegally. “We were not doing anything wrong.”

As Weiner told RW in October 1994, the FCC stated that there were illegal transmissions coming from the ship.

Weiner, for his part, does not understand why the FCC has had problems with his radio ship ventures.

“You have to realize any offshore radio activity that’s been done, connected with the United States, I’ve usually been involved with,” he said. “The government is the one that chooses to get hysterical over it.”

He said that everything possible is being done to adhere to the FCC’s rules and regulations.

“The only thing I can figure is that whenever they see the words ‘offshore radio, and then they see the (name) ‘Allan H. Weiner, they take it as a direct challenge to their authority to their reasons to exist.”

Free form

Becker, a former radio and television pirate who has been friends with Weiner for years, had parted ways with Weiner after the Fury episode. Becker’s pairing with Weiner seems to have been written on the high seas.

“I think the mutual camaraderie that comes along with being a pirate radio broadcaster is, if you really want to be a pirate broadcaster, you hook yourself up with the biggest one, and that’s how I got involved with Allan,” he said, laughing.

The Electra is well on its way to fulfilling Becker and Weiner’s goals. Although the sources of programming are not yet defined. Becker is negotiating with several organizations and concerns around the world for this purpose. The ship is in “real good shape … almost like a mini-submarine,” said Becker.

“We want the general public to know exactly where we’re going on this one.” said Becker, putting a collective stake in the hearts of any naysayers. The Electra is “not going to be a bunch of radical, crazy kids up there playing rock ‘n’ roll music. We’re a free-form radio broadcaster. 1 don’t want us to sound like a pirate. because we’re not a pirate radio station.”

An interactive site on the World Wide Web is planned, and Becker has been sending press releases to the FCC, as well as to the media. The commission has not contacted him regarding the new ship’s venture, and he does not plan on hearing from anyone there.

The Electra will be in international waters, he said, and will not be flying an American flag.

Becker said an independent laboratory will be retained to monitor the ship and report any RF emissions coming off of it. This, he said, is “the way we’re going to get around the FCC this time.”

Weiner said that while the Electra is being outfitted, he is “not even going to allow a microwave oven” on the ship.

“The only electromagnetic radiation coming off that boat will be from the incandescent lights.” said Weiner.

The plan is for the Electra to broadcast to international target areas not yet determined, but outside of the United States. Becker did concede that signals can get into the United States from the ship’s omnidirectional antenna as a result of atmospheric conditions.

Meaningless without support

The Electra soon will be sailing on its way to international waters. The ship is being outfitted with equipment. Work on the vessel is 90 percent completed. None of the work will mean anything without support, and Becker looks forward to plenty of it.

Becker created the Offshore Society for supporters. Through the society, people can show their support for the Electra by buying T-shirts, bags and prepaid telephone cards adorned with pictures of the Electra studio and the ship itself.

Members will receive membership cards and be able to keep up with the ship’s activities through the World Wide Web site.

When the Electra is ready, both the media and the public will be able to walk through it. When the ship is in port. Becker said society members will be “welcome with open arms.”

He said the bottom line for the Electra venture is to bring environmental issues and “peace, love and understanding about the oceans and the peoples around the world” to listeners. Both Becker and Weiner are excited about the future of the ship.

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Weiner. “1 think it’s wonderful for the world.”

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, November 1996

Radioship Electra Project Update

Allan Weiner is in charge of outfitting the Radioship Electra for Scott Becker of Lightwave Mission Broadcasting. I recently talked to Allan on the phone and received an update on the project.

The ship, an ocean going tug, recently passed its sea trials with flying colors. The maximum speed of the Electra is 12 knots but its actual cruising speed is 7 knots which it can do with very little effort.

Because the ship will be going to an ocean location (still secret) it was decided to dry dock the boat to repair some soft spots in the hull and to give her a paint job. This will cost about $25,000, according to Weiner.

The transmitters have not yet been installed on the ship, but should be ready in early December. Allan plans to run on shortwave only with two frequencies at once radiating a minimum power of 10 kw. No medium wave operation is planned. Weiner feels that the 10 kw rigs may equal the output of a 100 kw land based transmitter because the ocean will act as a giant reflector!

The current location of the ship and its final ocean destination are still being kept secret for security reasons. Allan predicts the launching of the ship will now occur in early January 1997 depending on weather conditions.

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, June 1997

Radio Ship Project Floundering

As I mentioned last month, I got in touch with Allan Weiner, who is in charge of outfitting the ocean going tug Electra as a floating radio station.

What Allan said was that the religious group funding the project has failed to come through with a promised $20,000-30,000 that would complete the repairs to the ship’s hull and pay for the transmitters.

The project is in limbo until the money is received, if it is received at all. Weiner did disclose the destination of the ship was to be a Caribbean country.

I guess we’ll just have to see if this project sinks or floats!

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, September 1997

Weiner-Becker MV Electra Radioship Project Still Afloat

A couple of months ago we reported in this column that the project looked doomed. Money forthcoming from the religious backer had not arrived nor did it seem like it was ever going to arrive.

In late July I was riding around doing a couple of errands while listening to Howard Stern’s AM talk radio show. One of Howard’s guests was Randi Steele [a former Radio Newyork International crewmember]. Randi, it seems was a guest on the Stern show about 10 years ago during the RNI days. Howard had him back on because he had a sex change operation and was now a female. As Howard said, it was first guest to be on his show as both a male and a female! Anyway, Allan Weiner was with Randi to plug his book Access To The Airwaves and while talking about pirate radio, he mentioned the Radioship Electra project was still alive.

I emailed Anita McCormick, who wrote Access To The Airwaves for Weiner. She told me that Allan and Scott Becker were going to be guests on Boston’s WRKO to plug the book and talk about the radioship project. Being the dedicated reporter/editor that I am, I stayed up until midnight to hear the interview on the Jeff Katz show. The hour-long segment featured disbarred lawyer and project head Scott Becker and of course Allan Weiner.

According to information given during the radio program, the MV Electra is basically ready to sail. All that had to be done was modify one of the generators, connect a few wires and they were ready to set sail by the end of the summer. During the show they gave the location of the boat as the Bang Corporation shipyard in East Boston. When crossing over the Meridian Street Bridge from Chelsea into East Boston, it’s on your right.

Since Stoneham is only about 10 miles from there, I decided to take a look. The Electra is there with a shiny new radio mast in the center. The tug boat is a bit rusty with a black hull and a yellow cabin. It is not nearly as large as The Fury 5, Allan’s last radio project. The boat is moored next to a large ship at the end of a long pier so I wasn’t able to get too close. I hope to be able to arrange a visit and board the ship soon so hopefully I’ll have an in depth report for a future column.

Scott Becker is heading the project and Allan Weiner is in charge of outfitting the vessel and operating the transmitters. The destination is a Caribbean country whose name is being kept secret.

Programming will be that of the religious group funding the project and also Bill Bragg’s “Yesterday USA Superstation” which features old time radio programming. Alternative programming will also be featured including old RNI programming from the 80’s.

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, December 1997

MV Electra Radioship Update

The MV Electra is all finished and ready to go. The latest delay was caused by the need to hire a new pilot and one has just been signed up. An organization called Frontline International [this is a religious group] is now identified as funder of the project. Weiner no longer expects the the ship will carry the Yesterday USA Network. As we mentioned before, there is one 10 kw shortwave transmitter and a 1kw backup installed on the ship. The antenna is an inverted V without much gain, but the sea water will help. Weiner says that his part of the project, installing the radio equipment is done, and he will not be sailing with the ship to the Caribbean.

Dr. Scott Becker [the disbarred lawyer] says that the project is fully funded and has plenty of money. [Hauser, RIB via WOR; NU #1450] On a snowy Sunday morning, November 23rd, I drove the 15 miles down to see if the MV Electra was still in port. It was still there, now painted in purple and white. All its lights were lit and the diesel engine was chugging away. Calls to the ship have gone unreturned, so I haven’t been able to get any first hand information.

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, June 1988

MV Electra Going To St. Kitts?

As many of our regular readers know, we at THE PIRATE RADIO REPORT had been keeping an eye on the latest radio ship, the MV Electra which was being outfitted in East Boston, MA.

Well, the ship left Boston sometime in March. Allan Weiner has finished his part of the project and the rest of the project is being overseen by disbarred lawyer, Dr. Scott Becker.

Thanks to our friend, Anita McCormick, we have learned that the Electra is currently in Savanna, GA undergoing some last minute repairs. It was reported in one of Glenn Hauser’s radio programs that the destination is to be St. Kitts. Ms. McCormick knows the destination, but has been instructed to keep it under wraps for the time being. As soon as we know anything more, it will be published here.

NASWA Pirate Radio Report – Pirate Radio Report, August 1998

The Radio Ship Electra-The Final Chapter?

It was just about two years ago that I saw a press release on the internet from Scott Becker’s “LIGHTWAVE MISSION BROADCASTING” touting their newest radio ship project. I called Scott Becker and he was all excited about this new adventure in offshore radio. The ship would pay promotional visits to various eastern coastal cities. The public would be welcomed on board to share a veggie burger with the crew, etc. Also, various promotional items would be offered for sale, such as T-shirts, key rings, bags, etc. to help raise money.

Not much happened the rest of 1996. I understood from Scott Becker’s technical assistant, the infamous Allan Weiner that the tug boat was in an East Coast port being readied for it’s journey to the Caribbean. Weiner would not disclose it’s location.

Then, in August of 1997, both Allan Weiner and Scott Becker were guests on Boston radio station WRKO. Weiner was promoting his new book. At that time, they disclosed the Electra was moored at a shipyard in East Boston were Allan was installing the radio equipment and the diesel engines were being repaired. Weiner also appeared on Howard Stern’s radio and TV shows along with Randi Steele, the ex-Radio Newyork International DJ who recently underwent a sex change operation.