Commercial Neutral Broadcasting Company
Encyclopedia
The Commercial Neutral Broadcasting Company (CNBC) was an English language
pirate radio
station which hired airtime for a few hours each day from the Dutch
pirate Radio Veronica
in 1960–1961. Programmes were pre-recorded at Veronica's Amsterdam
studio together with the Dutch programmes, and broadcast from the Veronica ship Borkum Riff. The address for prospective advertisers was given as Ross Radio Productions Ltd, 23 Upper Wimpole Street, W1.
CNBC has the distinction of being the first pirate station to broadcast to the United Kingdom
, almost four years before Radio Caroline
, although few British listeners ever heard it as its signal originated from the Dutch side of the North Sea
and did not penetrate very far inland. After only a few months Veronica terminated its contract because the advertising
revenue from Dutch
programming was more lucrative.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station which hired airtime for a few hours each day from the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
pirate Radio Veronica
Radio Veronica
Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and broadcast from offshore for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands to stimulate the sales of radio receivers by providing an alternative to...
in 1960–1961. Programmes were pre-recorded at Veronica's Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
studio together with the Dutch programmes, and broadcast from the Veronica ship Borkum Riff. The address for prospective advertisers was given as Ross Radio Productions Ltd, 23 Upper Wimpole Street, W1.
CNBC has the distinction of being the first pirate station to broadcast to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, almost four years before Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
, although few British listeners ever heard it as its signal originated from the Dutch side of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and did not penetrate very far inland. After only a few months Veronica terminated its contract because the advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
revenue from Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
programming was more lucrative.