REM Island

REM Island

Company type	Offshore platform
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	1963
Headquarters	Republic of Ireland (construction), Netherlands (location)
Products	Radio and television broadcasts (Radio and TV Noordzee)

REM Island was an offshore platform constructed in the Republic of Ireland and subsequently towed to a position off the Dutch coastline in 1964, serving as the pirate broadcasting hub for Radio and TV Noordzee. Both broadcasters were eventually shut down by the Netherlands Armed Forces. The installation was situated approximately 10 km (6 miles) from Noordwijk.

Construction

Established in 1963, Radio and TV Noordzee operated from land-based offices but transmitted their signals from the sea. The man-made island was built within Cork Harbour, Ireland, before being transported to its designated site and secured to the seabed using cement anchors. Initial test transmissions took place on 12 August 1964, with official broadcasts commencing three days later on 15 August. The radio station transmitted at 1400 kHz, while television broadcasts utilized Channel E11 (System B).

The acronym REM represents Reclame Exploitatie Maatschappij (translated as "Advertising Exploitation Company" in Dutch). This enterprise aimed to deliver commercial radio and television content. At that time, Dutch legislation prohibited such commercial broadcasts; however, since the platform was positioned beyond territorial waters, it operated outside national jurisdiction. Other broadcasters, including Radio Veronica, employed ships for similar offshore transmissions.

Raid

Despite opposition from Dutch authorities toward these transmissions, there was initially no legal framework to intervene. On 12 December 1964, legislation known as the REM law was enacted, partitioning the North Sea into continental zones. This law declared the seabed under REM Island as Dutch territory. Subsequently, five days after this legal change, the Korps Mariniers executed a boarding operation on the platform, terminating all broadcasts.

Dismantling

Following the raid, Radio Noordzee resumed authorized broadcasting under the name TROS one year later. The REM Island platform was repurposed by governmental agencies to monitor sea temperature and salinity levels. An attempt to sell the structure in 2004 failed; ultimately, it was dismantled during a farewell event held by amateur radio operators using the callsign PB6REM on 8 June 2006.

Since March 2011, the former platform has been stationed in Amsterdam harbour at , where it functions as a restaurant.