Disk-Jockey with Norddeich Radio

 

At Norddeich Radio, intense telegraph activity was the rule, as everyone at this coastal station knew, and people living on the coast naturally knew this a little better.  But in-landers, at minimum, knew something about short-wave radio from the famous Christmas Program, "Greetings on Board."  Naturally this program was not produced by Norddeich Radio, rather by Norddeutsch Rundfunk in their studio.  Norddeich Radio was no broadcasting station, but not everyone knew that we only carried messages from at sea to loved ones at home.  This explains the witty episode that happened to a colleague in the middle '70's.

 

A colleague was returning from a holiday in his home state, somewhere in West-Germany, to his next service with Norddeich Radio.  Near an autobahn entrance he picked up a young man who also wanted to go to Norddeich.  The trip promised to pass quickly as the young man was very talkative.  My colleague asked what brought him to the north coast, and he answered; "Yes, I am very pleased that you are taking me with you, as my auto won't go, and I must certainly go to work.  I am a Disk-Jockey with Norddeich Radio!"  My colleague could hardly contain himself from laughing, and maintained a serious mien.  At Norden they separated, and as my colleague left the young man, he said, "We will see you in the morning working at Norddeich Radio.  I am a radio operator there.  Regrettably I have seldom needed a Disk-Jockey."

 

I wish I had seen the young man's bewildered face.