Sad news of the death today of a true radio legend, Robbie Robinson.
First known for his days on Radio Caroline (as Robbie Dale) in the 1960’s. He was the senior presenter on Caroline South when it went into a new era in 15th August 1967. Along with Johnnie Walker he co-presented the first hours of Caroline continuing into a new era after the British Government’s Marine Offences Act came into force.
Following this he presented a unique English/Dutch show on Radio Veronica at the end of the 1960’s. This led to a number of years of presenting a nation-wide show on TROS Radio in The Netherlands and becoming a well-known radio personality in Holland in the early 1970’s.
After several years away from radio in the mid-70’s he re-appeared in 1979 as a key figure in Irish Radio with his Sunshine Radio AM station in Dublin paving the way for a massive explosion of free radio stations operating on the edges of Irish law. Within years, many of these stations had blossomed into thriving large commercial radio set-ups.
In later years he retired to the sunshine of Lanzarote to set up a succesful Holiday Complex along with his wife Stella who had shared much of radio life and adventures over the decades with him.
I was lucky enough to meet up with Robbie in 1978 just before he headed away from London and off to Dublin for his new adventure. Robbie was a good friend on the Managing Director of the company I was working for in London and his offices were just a few doors down from ours! So he visited regularly.
In more recent years I was very happy to be in communcation with Robbie as a Facebook friend.
Robbie was a true Radio Pioneer with his part in taking Caroline on past the implimentation of the Marine Offences Act in 1967 and his maverick thinking in taking the chance in 1979 to push the Irish Broadcasting laws to the limit.
He was a great broadcaster and most of all one of radio’s true “Gentlemen”.
The picture shows Robbie and Stella in later years during their time in Lanzarote.
Info via Facebook Mark Stafford