Colin Nicol

Colin Nicol, who has died at the age of 88, was a broadcasting trail-blazer, both in his home country of Australia and in Europe.

Colin Carlyle Nichol (he dropped the H from his surname for professional purposes) was born in Perth, Western Australia, in the suburb of Buckland Hill, now Mosman Park, the eldest of four children. His father ran an engineering business. Colin was fascinated by radio and in 1957 joined the 6PM radio network. Although he presented the full range of programmes, playing all sorts of music, Colin became particularly popular hosting a request show “Tunes for Teenagers”. It was the early days of rock 'n' roll and he championed this exciting new music.
 
In 1959 he was selected to run the Western Australia chapter of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Hi Fi Club, a radio club based in New York. He presented the Coke-sponsored radio show which contained interviews with the stars of the day, listener competitions and all the hot new rock 'n' roll releases from the UK and USA. On behalf of the Hi Fi Club, Colin booked the Embassy Ballroom in Perth for Saturday afternoon dances, bringing in crowds of up to 1500 people. He also compèred dances across the state, helping the careers of many local bands in the process. His expertise in this emerging scene led to his involvement in programming the music for a new television show, “Teen Beat”. There is a short documentary about the Hi Fi Club and Colin's part in it on YouTube.
 
In 1960 the Coca-Cola organisation transferred the Hi Fi club to Radio 6KY, and Colin moved too, becoming Programme Director there. His career was going well in Australia but in 1963 he decided it was time to see more of the world, packed his bags and set off for Britain.
 
He had become involved in managing bands and was accompanied to the UK by three men who formed a group called The Times. When they decided to return to Australia, Colin stayed on in London where he was the first DJ to be signed up for a new offshore station - Radio Atlanta. Colin wrote: “By September of that year (1963) I was working at a fashionable bar in Mayfair, central London. I was introduced by my girl-friend at the time to Ken Evans, another Australian, from Sydney. We then remembered we had previously met some few years before at a disc-jockey convention. Like me, he was doing other work while hoping for an opportunity in radio. Earlier that year when leaving a West End theatre, Ken had coincidentally met fellow Australian Allan Crawford, music publisher and record company owner. They had known each other in Sydney where Allan was manager of the Australian branch of the major international music publisher, Southern Music. Allan told Ken about his plans for a ship-based radio station and that he would shortly be looking for staff. He was especially concerned to employ Australians as they had commercial radio experience, something unknown in the United Kingdom and because they might get around some possible British legal restrictions on its own citizens. Ken, later to become programme manager for Radio Atlanta and then Radio Caroline, told Allan he had found me, then told me the story. I immediately agreed to join and met all concerned at the offices on the two upper floors of 47 Dean Street Soho, where studios were being constructed on the top level.”

Colin Nicol, centre, facing the camera, surrounded by fans at Battersea Fun Fair, 1965.

Although the planning for Radio Atlanta preceded that of Caroline, it was the latter that made it onto the air first. Atlanta followed them a few weeks later, starting regular programmes on 12th May 1964. Legend has it that Colin hosted the first show although he didn't hear it himself and was unable to confirm this. The shows had been pre-recorded in advance and apparently things were a bit chaotic at the time.
 
Most of Radio Atlanta's programmes were recorded onto tape in their studios in Soho, then sent out to the ship, the mv Mi Amigo, where transmission was taken care of by two Americans, Johnny Jackson and Bob Scott. After a month these two left. Colin and another Australian, Bryan Vaughan, were sent out to take their place. They were responsible for playing the recorded shows and presenting the live ones. In July Atlanta merged with Caroline and the Mi Amigo became home to Radio Caroline South. Both men decided to stay with the new set-up. They were heard on air, but because of their greater experience, also had to operate the studio desk for some of the DJs who were new to the business. Colin also spent time working for the station on land.
 
On the night of 19th - 20th January 1966 the Caroline South ship lost her anchor and was washed up on the beach at Frinton (see here). Fortunately no one was hurt but the ship needed a thorough overhaul. She was taken to Holland for this very necessary work and, while this was taking place, Caroline borrowed another ship, Cheeta II, normally used by the Swedish station Radio Syd. Colin was asked to go out to the Cheeta II to prepare for the Caroline broadcasts. He was on board for over five weeks. His memories of the period are on this page. On 12th February, after a break of less than a month, Caroline South was back on the air. The Cheeta II was used until the Mi Amigo returned from Holland in April. Colin then quit.

Colin Nicol at the BBC, circa 1971.

He wrote: “I left Caroline - much to (station boss) Ronan's surprise. I know he looked stunned. I feel sure I was the first DJ to resign from the Caroline organisation. Everyone else (a large number) had been given the flick (the sack) and a few had left for health reasons or sea sickness, of course.” Colin had had enough of being at sea and had hopes of joining Radio Luxembourg. However that position didn't happen straight away and, during the delay, he found himself signing up for another offshore operation, one that had two stations on one ship: the easy-listening Britain Radio and the Top 40 “Swinging” Radio England. He was only there a short time because the job with Radio Luxembourg came through. Colin flew off to the Grand Duchy as holiday relief DJ in July 1966. At the end of the summer, Luxembourg asked him to stay on full-time.
 
In 1968 he became a staff announcer at the BBC, being heard on Radios 1 and 2, working also on BBC World Service and BBC Radio London, then spent five years with BFBS, the British Forces Broadcasting Service, based in Malta and Gilbraltar.
 
When Colin returned to Australia he was heard for a time back on 6KY in Perth but decided he's had enough of the radio business and for the remainder of his working life managed or marketed shopping malls, in Adelaide, Sydney and Perth.
 
In 1984 Colin came back to Britain for a holiday and took the opportunity to meet up with a number of his old offshore colleagues. Fortunately for us, he recorded interviews with them. In fact, although no longer broadcasting, Colin continued to be fascinated by the subject of offshore radio and - knowing more about it than most - was often called upon to provide expert opinion. He lectured on the subject, provided assistance to authors and was a huge help to this website, offering photographs, memorabilia, information and, of course, those interviews.

Colin's award.

In 1998 he was presented with an award to honour the part he played in promoting rock 'n' roll in Australia. Interested in local history, he also wrote a number of articles for Perth newspapers. He was in good health until well into his eighties, then came the bombshell diagnosis. His doctor told him he had pancreatic cancer. He wrote to your web master to break the bad news. In the email, he also mentioned that he has been thinking back on his career. He wrote “I was reviewing a few key points of my life of course, and thought of one at least I had taken for granted. I believe I was the first ex-pirate to be taken on BBC staff and the first to read the news (radio) and the first Australian to do so. One or the other or both. I wonder if I'm right, I think so. Same regarding BBC World Service and possibly BBC Radio London as well. I must have been first to be offered a job on pirate radio (September 1963) or close to. I should have been first on air, but - well, you know all that! I have been around a bit in the course of all that and with my career here in both radio and - of all things - managing and marketing retail centres: markets and shopping centre (malls). It's had its interesting moments.” It is reassuring to think that, at the end of his long career, Colin appreciated just how much he had achieved.
 
Colin passed away peacefully on 28th October 2025 in Perth, Western Australia, at Fiona Stanley Hospital after a short illness battling pancreatic cancer. We will be forever grateful to him for his help with this website and will miss him immensely.

Colin's friend, and former ship-mate, Bryan Vaughan writes:

There is a colour photo on the wall of my home studio/office. It pictures Don Allen, myself, Jon Sydney, Colin Nicol and Keith Skues. We are on the deck of the Mi Amigo and it is probably around mid-65 as three of us are dressed in Good Guy uniforms (dark blue blazer, light grey pants and narrow black tie) and are about to go ashore. Sadly three are no longer with us and those pirate days seem so long ago!
 
I first met Colin Nicol at the Dean Street, Soho office of Radio Atlanta in the early months of '64. I had been employed previously to help build the studios where we were to record many programmes that were eventually featured on the radio station when Atlanta finally went on air in May of that year. Colin and I had radio backgrounds in Australia although he was a lot more experienced. At that stage we travelled by barge to the anchored Mi Amigo and, replacing Americans Bob Scott and Johnny Jackson, proceeded to introduce these programmes and fill in the gaps with live broadcasts. Early Radio Atlanta disc jockeys included Tony Withers (later Tony Windsor), Richard Harris, Neil Spence (later Dave Dennis), Mike Raven, Bryan Vaughan, Colin Nicol amongst others. Within a few weeks, Radio Atlanta was re-named Radio Caroline South and from that time, interest in pirate radio simply exploded!
 
Colin Nicol was a fine disc jockey, radio presenter and loyal friend. He had expert knowledge of the early years of Atlanta, Caroline and offshore radio in general and was keen to spread the word of those fabulous days of yore. Although he lived in Perth, WA, and I was thousands of kilometres away in Sydney, we had kept in close touch and visited each other over the years. Now he is at peace and my wife Jean and I will miss him greatly.
 
Bryan Vaughan

Colin.	Colin, as mentioned in a display at the State Library of Western Australia in the section to do with the state's history.