Radio Sylvia's eventful history starts in the 70s. The beginnings of our broadcasting activities were inspired by the radio scene of that time. The ships of the now legendary pirate stations were anchoring off the Dutch and Belgian coasts: Radio Northsea International, Radio Veronica, Radio Mi Amigo, Radio Atlantis etc. - and of course Radio Caroline. Furthermore, there was a lively land pirate scene in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, the Scandinavian countries and Germany.
This radio scene encouraged us - intensified by the dullness of the official public radio stations - to start our own station and come on the air with alternative programmes. As we were broadcasting illegally, we often had severe problems with the police and the German post office...
THE PREDECESSORS
RADIO CONCORDIA NORD AND RADIO TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL
Radio Concordia Nord (RCN) was founded in May 1972 and initially transmitted with low power on long wave 212 kHz. Due to small coverage and missing listener feedback, RCN began with regular broadcasts on 100.5 MHz FM in August 1974; a short time later the frequency was changed to 101 MHz. The transmissions took place Monday to Thursday from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. and on Friday from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
In 1975 a more powerful FM transmitter was installed. Broadcasts went out regularly every Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on 101 MHz FM; however, due to technical problems we had to shorten some transmissions.
In May 1975 Radio Concordia Nord celebrated its 3rd anniversary. To commemorate this event, we planned to be on the air with a 30-hour special live broadcast. The transmission was scheduled to begin on 24th May at 2 p.m. and to end on the following day at 8 p.m. As a new bisquare antenna on a newly erected 8 meter aerial mast was used, wide coverage was achieved; accordingly listener feedback was good. But then, after having broadcast for nearly 20 hours, the inevitable happened: German post office and police officials appeared in direct vicinity of the broadcasting site; our guards, who were present at the location, could only just switch off the transmitter and get away. Later on we saw a large number of detector vans and police cars - that was when we recognized that it really had been a close shave.
During the next months RCN remained silent. Recommencing transmissions seemed to be impossible with the constellation used so far. FM transmissions were temporarily discontinued but the station was not dead: Under the new name Radio Triumph International (RTI) we began with monthly broadcasts on shortwave 6225 kHz in December 1975. However, due to technical problems the transmissions were stopped in September 1976. But in the background new plans were already on the way...
