All Europe Radio - LASER 558

The story of Europe's most successful radio ship of the 1980s, Laser 558, as told, by renowned Dutch broadcast historian, Hans Knot, who was given a knighthood by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for his work.Laser was ostensibly run from New York, although it was funded by an Irish entrepreneur who preferred to keep a low profile. The ineptness of Laser's management stopped it being a success and reckless cost-cutting eventually led to the collapse of the station when a mutinous captain and his crew took the ship into port. This book tells readers what Laser 558 sounded like to listeners, charting major programming events, Disc Jockey changes, equipment breakdowns, commercials and plug records, throughout the turbulent eighteen months life of the station. Many newspaper reports are quoted, as are TV news features about Laser. The author also has many unique quotes from the stars of the show, the score of DJs who manned the floating studio and entertained millions in countries around the North Sea in the mid-eighties. Read more