SETTING UP SHIP
On the 11^th February 1983, John Kenning (John Ashley) phoned Paul Rusling about setting up a new offshore radio station. Paul and Anne Rusling meet John Kenning on the 16^th and John hired Paul as consultant for the new station at £200 a week. Paul and John flew to New York on the 28^th, to spend a few days trying to find radio airtime salesmen interested in the project. They flew to Fort Lauderdale on 1st March, to negotiate with a company called Transcom for broadcasting equipment. After being wined and dined, Kenning would not sign any contracts to supply equipment. Paul Rusling then realised that Kenning did not have the backing he'd claimed.  The next day, Paul Rusling formed an alliance with Bernard Gelman, President of CSI and his counterpart at Transcom, Martin Cooper, to establish a similar station.  Over the next few months, plans were put together. In August, Roy Lindau, President of airtime sales company Music Media International, flew from New York to London. Meetings were arranged and the idea of two stations broadcasting from the ship was put forward. Radio Star would have a super hit format and Radio Waves would have a solid gold format. By the end of the meeting, Radio Star had changed name to Laser.

John Kenning

Paul and Anne Rusling

Roy Lindau, Music Media International