Reginald Calvert - Radio City and Death

Radio City and Death

After Calvert founded the pirate station Radio City, which broadcast from a Second World War marine fort off the Kent coast, seven miles from Margate, Radio Caroline embarked in June 1966 on a joint venture with Radio City. One of the directors of Caroline, Major Oliver Smedley, agreed to pay for a new transmitter to relay Caroline's programmes from the fort, while Calvert, the owner of Radio City, would continue to run the operation but this time on behalf of Radio Caroline.

Radio Caroline then withdrew from the deal when it heard that the British government intended to prosecute those occupying the forts, which were still Crown property. The transmitter turned out not to work properly and Calvert refused to pay Smedley for it.

Smedley's response was to hire a group of riggers who boarded Radio City on 20 June and put the station's transmitter out of action. On 21 June, Calvert visited Smedley's home to demand the removal of the raiders and the return of vital transmitter crystals. A violent struggle developed during which Smedley shot Calvert dead with a shotgun. During the subsequent trial, Smedley claimed that he feared Calvert was there to kill him and was acquitted on grounds of self-defence.

After the sensational death of Reg Calvert and lurid tales of real swashbuckling piracy, the British government brought in the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act (Marine & Etc. Broadcasting Offences Act) of 15 August 1967 to make offshore broadcasting a part of British criminal law in the United Kingdom. Radio City stopped broadcasting after Mrs Calvert appeared in court charged under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1947, as the station was said to be broadcasting within the 3 mile (5 km) limit. Radio City closed down shortly after Mrs Calvert lost the case.

Calvert was buried on 1 July 1966 at St. Peter's, Dunchurch. Among mourners at the funeral were Screaming Lord Sutch and Pinkerton's Assorted Colours group members. He had married Dorothy Rowe in Huddersfield in 1946. Dorothy died on 21 February 2010; her funeral and interment were at St. Peter's, Dunchurch on 5 March 2010.