Radio Jackie North

Radio Jackie North was a pirate radio station operating in Liverpool in the late 70's and early '80s. They broadcast each weekend at 217m on the Medium Wave AM band from around 11 am until 5 pm. The format was mostly rock with some new wave / punk, and a lot of talk. Talk was cheaper than buying records.

Their most prominent DJs were Rick Dane , Steve West, Dick Barton, Andy Davis, Paul Rogers and Dick Tate. Rick Dane (real name 'Eric Haydock') was the main operator of the station and opened up each morning by playing "Jackie Blue" by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Early broadcasts were from a variety of open fields, using a car battery-powered transmitter and random long-wire antennae. Many later broadcasts were from tower blocks on the Cantril Farm estate, in an attempt to make them hard to track by BT's Radio Investigation Branch.

Frequencies of 1395kHz & 1404kHz were used, although the station branding was always "217m".

The station was a contemporary of Bert Williams' Merseyland Alternative Radio, but there was relatively little contact between the two sides of the Mersey.

The station organised a variety of club nights locally, at such venues as Annabelles, The Lincolns Inn or The Cave (previously the well-known )

Eric Haydock died on 16th November 2002, reportedly by suicide.

Links
* Soundwaves, pirate radio fanzine of the early '80s.

RJN website

RJN Tribute website

Merseypirates

Andy Davis' pirate website

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