"Our emphasis is on humans presenting programmes, and talking to them, not down to them", Caroline South founder and presenter Mark Dezzani told The Riviera Gazette. "Our music is seventy percent classic rock, good R&B, soul and reggae, with thirty percent being new music; rock and rock oriented dance, latest releases from popular and alternative artists.

"We are not heavy with news, but will be providing news about music and music events, both in the UK and locally on the Riviera such as MIDEM in Cannes this week.

"Following our popular roadshows last year we are planning more music events for the Riviera in 2003, with well known UK and local artists." Caroline South is still broadcast on local jazz station The Breeze 88.4 FM at weekends, but transmitter limits mean that the station is not easily tuned into in Nice and inland. This will soon change, according to Dezzani, "For those who are tuning in to us on The Breeze 88.4, the signal is currently best received from the Marina Baie des Anges through to Theoule, and in Monaco. Nice listeners may have to wait until later in the year to pick us up, when a more powerful transmitter will be installed in Italy."

Dezzani came to the Riviera twenty years ago to work on Radio Nova, and went on to launch Sunshine Radio in Antibes. A stint on Riviera Radio followed before he persuaded friend and veteran Radio Caroline presenter Tom Anderson to join him to establish Caroline’s Riviera outpost in February 2001. Anderson is the DJ who famously continued to broadcast from the Mi Amigo as she foundered in March 1980. Famous ex-Caroline presenters include Tony Blackburn, Tommy Vance, Dave Lee Travis, Johnny Walker — and Riviera Radio’s Rob Harrison.

Radio Caroline was launched in 1964 by Irish music fanatic Ronan O’Rahilly. Frustrated by tight broadcasting restrictions in the UK, O’Rahilly took advantage of the immunity of international waters by putting his whole operation on a boat anchored three miles off the British coast, outside UK legal jurisdiction. A long battle between government and the station followed, ending with raids on the ship and a law being passed that meant the armed forces could forcibly stop broadcasts from the ship and anyone injured would not be entitled to compensation. Later, as restrictions were loosened, Caroline moved to studios in Maidstone, Kent.

Radio Caroline’s official Sky Digital debut is set for one o’clock local time this Saturday afternoon.