RNI Press Release No. 4 March 2000

FORMER PIRATE RADIO DJs COME TO HARWICH

Listeners in Tendring and South Suffolk will be able to roll back the years from April 11th when they tune into 190 metres medium wave, 1575 kHz. Radio Northsea International is once again taking to the air in support of a local charity, broadcasting from the former Trinity House Light Vessel 18, moored alongside the Old Railway Pier in Harwich.

Several former offshore pirate radio DJs have offered their services for the special 28 day broadcast. Names confirmed so far include Andy Archer, Bob Noakes, Dave Rogers, Dave Gregory, Alan West, Phil Mitchell, Kevin Turner, Norman Barrington and Dick Palmer. Former Mellow presenters Paul Maclaren, Colin Lamb, Pete Edwards, Graham Vine and Jim Gregory will also all present shows.

The broadcast is made possible thanks to Tiptree Preserves Wilkin & Sons, who are again the station's main sponsors.

In addition to the medium wave output, the programmes can be heard via the world-wide web. Station manager and former Radio Caroline and Mellow 1557 DJ Paul Graham said: "We have had inquiries from people from all over the world who will be listening via this medium. A lot of radio stations are now channelling their output via the web and it is tremendous that we can follow this trend. It's also an exciting prospect for the DJs doing the late night shifts, traditionally a low listener period, to know that they could be RNI's breakfast DJ in Hong Kong! In addition, by regularly mentioning our base in Harwich, we will really be putting the area on the world map".

Trips to the vessel should be running most days, so for radio and vessel enthusiasts there will be plenty of opportunity to meet the personalities and see around the vessel. A boarding boat will operate from the waterfront near the Pier Hotel in Harwich harbour, with donations going to the 4th Dovercourt Sea Scouts "On the Move" campaign. Sea Scout spokesman Ted Staker said: "We are really grateful to RNI for helping us to raise money towards our target of £160,000 for our new Headquarters in Barrack Lane." The broadcast will look to re-create the English service of RNI and at week-ends will feature specialist programmes carried by the original RNI, such as "The Progressive Rock Show", "The Elvis Presley Hour", "The Rock & Roll Show", "The Hitback Show" and The Country Music Show". Every Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. Paul Graham will present a selection of the RNI top 20/30 charts from 1970-74.

In addition, there will be a nightly Beatles & Rolling Stones show (Sunday - Friday) between 8 & 9 p.m.

Anyone interested in advertising or sponsorship possibilities for the broadcast, should contact Paul Graham on 01255 672531 or contact RNI at 12, St.Marys Road, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 9HS or by e-mail at rni@btinternet.com.

The project will be holding a special '70s "Big Night Out" at Lt. Oakley F.C. Clubhouse, on Easter Saturday, with a disco and live group. Tickets cost £2.50, with all money raised again being donated to the Sea Scouts. RNI souvenirs, along with merchandise from other well-known offshore stations will be available throughout the broadcast, either direct from the vessel, or via the project's website.

For all the latest information on the project or RNI in general, ring the RNI hotline on 09003 404070 (calls are charged at 60p per minute at all times) or access our website at www.rni.btinternet.co.uk

12, St.Marys Road,
Frinton-on-Sea,
Essex CO13 9HS
Tel. 01255 672531
Fax. 01255 850528

ARUTZ-7 LAW

Further deliberations on the petition against the Arutz-7 law will take place this Wednesday in the Supreme Court. State Prosecution representatives will inform the judges that the proposal for three
special-interest radio stations was defeated in yesterday's ministerial meeting - a development which effectively removes the option of overruling the Arutz-7 law through alternate legislation. In addition, given Knesset legal advisor Tzvi Inbar's claim that the Arutz-7 law was passed according
to protocol, it is felt that the Court is unlikely to honor the petition against the law in question.

The ministerial legislative committee today rejected the State Attorney's proposal for currently non-licensed radio stations by a 4-3 vote. Instead of the State Attorney's proposal, which would have negated the currently frozen law enabling the licensing of Arutz-7, the committee accepted the 
proposal of Health Minister Shlomo Benizri (Shas), according to which a third national broadcasting authority would be established to supervise religious and hareidi television and radio stations. Voting in favor of the Benizri bill were Ministers Benizri and Eli Yeshai (Shas), Natan Sharansky (Yisrael B'Aliyah), and Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (NRP). Ministers Shlomo Ben-Ami (Labor) and Mordechai (Centrist) absented themselves from the meeting, leaving only Ministers Beilin, Ben Eliezer (Labor) and Oron (Meretz) to oppose the bill. Committee chairman Yossi Beilin was so perturbed by the defeat that he hinted that he may turn in his resignation as committee head. Minister Chaim Oron later submitted an appeal of the decision, which will be heard by the full government.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the appeal against the Arutz-7 law, submitted by Yossi Sarid and others, this Wednesday. During the hearings on Sarid's petition against the Arutz-7 law last year, the State Attorney promised Chief Justice Aharon Barak that he would prepare a bill - the one defeated today - which could serve as an effective substitute for the Arutz-7 law. Arutz-7 Executive Director Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz was delighted with today's vote, which, he said, would make it very hard for the Supreme Court to continue its freeze on the Arutz-7 
law. "This is a day of great joy for the Jewish people," he said. "When [the month of] Adar enters, happiness increases! The proposal by Beilin and the left has fallen, and in its place a different law - which could take years to implement, but which doesn't cancel the Arutz-7 law - passed... Given the fact that Knesset legal advisor Tzvi Inbar has assured the Court that all the protocols for the passing of the law last year were in order, it is highly unlikely that the Court will accept the petition to nullify the Arutz-7 law."

Katz noted that the absence of Ministers Ben-Ami and Mordechai was crucial in the toppling of the Beilin-State Attorney bill. "This is similar to the original vote in the Knesset last year, when many left-wing MKs didn't show up for the vote. hey, too, realize that it's foolish to stifle freedom of 
speech, and so they voted with their feet."

Government ministers Rabbi Yitzchak Levy and Natan Sharansky are making efforts to prevent the Ministerial Legislation committee from convening this coming Sunday. This, in order to head off yet another attempt to approve proposed legislation by Justice Minister Yossi Beilin that would replace the existing Arutz-7 law and prevent Arutz-7 and existing hareidi stations from broadcasting. The Supreme Court, which has scheduled a special session on the law for this coming Wednesday, is likely to take the committee's decision into account; if new legislation is approved, the Court may feel that there is no reason for it to un-freeze the present law.

National Union MK Tzvi Hendel, the sponsor of the original Arutz-7 law, provided some background for Arutz-7 listeners today: 
"The State Attorney and the Justice Minister know that they have to give an answer to the Supreme Court. This is why they are trying so hard to pass a bill in the ministerial committee that will effectively cancel the law that my colleagues and I worked on nearly two years ago to license Arutz-7. Until now, those who want to cancel the Arutz-7 law have had a problem with Shas. Now, though, Shas Minister Shlomo Benizri is prepared to accept a [new law, as long] as Radio Ten, a Shas-associated station, receives a license. But he cannot openly show that he is opposed to the
Arutz-7 law. So he is about to orchestrate a little gimmick, in which he will propose a bill to the committee, supposedly sponsored by Shas, as a 'challenge' to the State Attorney's bill. Whichever bill receives the majority, will pass. His so-called bill has no chance of winning, of course, and everyone already understands that the majority will vote for the State Attorney's bill. Benizri thinks that Shas will come out clean, for having presented his own bill that doesn't specifically negate the
Arutz-7 law. But this whole charade won't pass in the Knesset, and we plan to fight against it to the end, as its entire purpose is to block Arutz-7 from receiving a license. Anyone who wants to build on the ruins of otherswill himself in the end stumble." 

MKS RECOMMEND ABIE NATHAN TO NOBEL PEACE PRIZE COMMITTEE

Fifty Members of Knesset representing most of the factions in the parliament, presented Israeli Peace activist Abie Nathan with a copy of a letter sent to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, recommending that he be nominated to receive the prize, MA'ARIV reported.

An outspoken activist for peace, Nathan is best known for "Voice of Peace", a ship from which he broadcast various programs, most in support of humanitarian causes. Nathan, currently confined to a wheelchair due to a recent stroke, shed tears of excitement as Member of Knesset Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) read him the letter of recommendation in a ceremony held on Tuesday in the offices of Knesset chairperson Avraham Burg.

About 50 Knesset Members have signed a petition in praise Abie Natan and his activities on behalf of peace - even when they violated Israeli law.

The petition, addressed to the Nobel Prize Committee, asks that Abie Natan be nominated to be awarded the Peace Prize. The signatories note that Natan met with Arafat as early as the 1980's - when such meetings were against the law - and was willing to pay for his desire for peace with a prison term. Among the signatories are all of Meretz, Likud MKs Rivlin, Livnat, Katzav, and Shteinitz, and Avraham Ravitz of United Torah Judaism.

Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that MKs Rivlin and Shteinitz told him that they do not agree with Natan's positions and do not condone his violations of the law, but that his efforts on behalf of peace cannot be ignored. "In any event, there is no chance that Natan will receive the prize," Shteinitz added.

Journalist David Bedein tells the following related story: "On Yom Kippur 5734 (1973), when I heard planes overhead and rumors of an impending war on two fronts, I listened to the only station that was broadcasting on Yom Kippur - Abie Natan's 'Voice of Peace.' Natan's message on that bitter Yom Kippur day: 'Soldiers must refuse [their commanders'] orders, and must not fight. Instead, they should extend a peaceful hand to the attacking Egyptian and Syrian armies.'" The story receives confirmation from The Voice of Peace History, as found in Jim Parkes' "History of Offshore Radio" (http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/5383/vophisto.html), which writes: "During the October war the [Voice of Peace] ship moved to the Suez Canal. While the soldiers listened to the station, they only laughed at requests to lay down their arms."