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AIRWAVES Radio Features & Articles |
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PLEASE CLICK ON A STATION OR
RADIO
FEATURE BELOW THAT IS OF INTEREST:
60 YEARS OF RADIO
SIXTY YEARS OF RADIO
- 'Sixty Years Of Radio' is a documentary made by Essex Radio for the
ILR
network in 1982. The programme celebrates the first sixty years of radio from the inception of the British Broadcasting Company in 1922, touching on continental radio stations of the IBC such as Radio Luxembourg, the offshore 'pirate' radio ships and forts of 1964 to 1967, the start of BBC local radio in the late 1960s and the birth of the IBA's ILR network, starting with LBC and Capital Radio in 1973. The programme also explains the work done by Marconi from 1896 through to the 1920's to develop the new radio technology into a commercially practical system. The programme is was transmitted by BRMB Radio in Birmingham, back announced by BRMB's Phil Riley. "Sixty Years Of Radio" is presented by Steve Wood and produced by David Gilby and Dennis Rookard. |
25 YEARS OF
COMMERCIAL RADIO
The First Twentyfive Years Of Commercial Radio - A documentary made by Talk Radio in 1998 for the Independent Local Radio network. The programme charts 25 years of commercial radio ("Independent Radio") from the start of ILR in1973 with the opening of LBC and Capital Radio in London and other ILR stations that followed, small and large, around the UK. There are ILR highlights, trials and tribulations and interviews with Roger Day, Michael Bukht, Tony Stoller, Richard Allinson, Peter Deeley, Chris Evans, Anna Raeburn. The programme is presented by Nicky Horne and Bob Holness. |
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Radio Caroline Feature on RadioFax A feature transmitted by RadioFax in 1992, recorded from from the RadioFax short wave service (3910 & 6205 kHz): |
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RADIO
ACOCKS GREEN
- EVERYONE'S MUSIC SCENE - Radio Acocks Green was a very amusing spoof
on local radio at the time. Broadcast in April and on Boxing Day in
1979. Radio Acocks Green performers include
Birmingham's
funnienst funny-man Jasper Carrott with BRMB's Ed Doolan, Adrian Juste
and Brian Savin with production by Phil Dawson. Almost incredibly Radio
Acocks Green lampooned local
radio and even some of BRMB's own programmes and presenters - the
spoofs included Tony Waiter, a take off of BRMB's legendary sports
presenter Tony Butler, spoof commercials, "Open Line" with Brian Nunn
(rather than BRMB's Alan
Nin) and "Tradio" where Radio
Acocks
Green listeners could sell their unwanted goods, as long as they cost
no more than 5 pence! More about Radio
Acocks Green here >
 
PLAY : RADIO
ACOCKS GREEN
- 40 minute version [32k]
New upload - 40m extended version - added March 4th 2010 Keith Burson very kindly sent us this more extended version.
PLAY : RADIO
ACOCKS
GREEN - Listen to the BRMB Radio Spoof with Jasper Carrott
Updated and extended a little - 25 minutes - January 2010 If YOU have any more classic BRMB material recorded - please let us know! ... or if you have any more material BRMB's satire "Radio Acocks Green" - Please let us know here!! Radio Acocks Green : my shorter, incomplete, cassette recordings made in April 1979 [32 kbps] Visit Jasper Carrott's website at http://www.jaspercarrott.com . |
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IT'S GOODNIGHT FROM ME....ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOODNIGHT FROM HIM Long
long ago, well back in the eighties actually, some Independent Local
Radio closed down in the evening or at midnight or 1am. Other
larger or more established stations continued broadcasting through the
night, twenty four hours a day. By clicking the link below
you
can hear some audio from a few radio stations of the era 1980
to
1985; You can hear one or two jingles that may typically be
used
in the evenings, one or two proclaiming 24 hour programmes and
others saying 'goodnight' as the station closed down and signed of
until the following morning. This is not an
exhaustive
collection, of course, but it gives a taster of what you might have
heard in the evenings on your radio back in olden times....
The
first jingle is Signal Radio in Stoke on Trent (c. 1984), followed
by Essex Radio (c. 1984), LBC in London (c. 1984), BRMB in
Birmingham (c. 1984), Saxon Radio in Bury St Edmunds (c. 1984), GWR
Radio in Wiltshire (c. 1984), Radio Trent in Nottingham (c. 1981 and
1984), Centre Radio in Leicester (c. 1981), Viking Radio in Humberside
(c. 1984), Wiltshire Radio (WR) Dave Barrett closes the
station
(c. 1983), Mercia Sound in Coventry where Jim Lee closes down the
station at 1am until programmes start again at 5am (1981).
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PLAY :
All At
Sea - part 1
The story of offshore pirate radio in the 1960's - the award winning documentary. Presented bt Ray Clark and broadcast on Pirate BBC Essex during Easter 2004
PLAY
:
All
At
Sea
-
part
2
-
What
Happened
Next {enhanced} The continuing story of offshore pirate radio and the closure of most of the popular radio stations by the government on 14th August 1967. Presented bt Ray Clark and broadcast on Pirate BBC Essex in August 2007 BBC Essex - local radio for Essex www.bbc.co.uk WHEN PIRATES RULED THE WAVES A story of Offshore Radio Written and Presented by Paul Rowley for BBC Local Radio As broadcast on BBC Radio Shropshire
PLAY : When
Pirates Ruled The Waves - by Paul Rowley BBC Radio Shropshire www.bbc.co.uk WHEN PIRATES RULED THE AIRWAVES A story of Offshore Radio presented by Nill Nighy on Real Radio PLAY :
When Pirates Ruled The Airwaves - with Bill Nighy visit - Real Radio - visit Smooth Radio THE RADIO REVOLUTIONARIES The story of the 1960's offshore radio pop pirates
PLAY : The
Radio Revolutionaries - BBC Radio Two www.bbc.co.uk |
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The Launch of RADIO WYVERN in October 1982 |
The War Of The Worlds
The War
Of The Worlds is the famous radio
drama broadcast on the CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) radio network
in America on Halloween, October 1938. The play was performed by The
Mercury Theatre On The
Air, directed by Orson
Welles who played the part of Professor Richard Pierson. Listened to by
6 million people, the radio
production and performance was so realistic that many radio listeners
thought that the events were either really happening or were very
scared.
The event subsequently caused considerable controversy. It is still disturbingly realistic - Listen if you dare!
PLAY : THE
WAR OF THE WORLDS
 New York Times headlines - Radio Listeners Panic - Taking War Drama As Fact CBS Radio - New York - http://www.cbsradio.com WCBS 880 - http://www.wcbs880.com |
The Story of the mysterious Short
Wave NUMBERS STATIONS
The Story of the mysterious and spooky sounding "Numbers Stations" such as 'The Lincolnshire Poacher' that are heard on the H.F. Short Wave bands.
PLAY :
The 'Numbers Stations' heard on Short Wave - from BBC Radio Four [2005]
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SOME INTERESTING RADIO DOCUMENTARIES & FEATURES {{ List updated 20-01-2011 }} * Internal Files - can play on this website ** In my collection but not uploaded - available upon request * External Links (these may link to the containing page but not always the individual file): SIXTY YEARS OF RADIO - with Steve Wood - Essex radio (from BRMB) (1982) * TWENTY FIVE YEARS of ILR (Independent Radio) - with Nicky Horne - Talk Radio (1998) * ALL AT SEA Part 1 - with Ray Clark - BBC Essex * ALL AT SEA Part 2 : What Happenned Next - with Ray Clark [[Enhanced]] - BBC Essex * 25 Years Of LBC - LBC - 1998 * (to be found at Vintage Broadcasting) THE WORST OF LBC - LBC - 1991 - from Vintage Broadcasting * The mystery of the 'NUMBERS STATIONS' heard on Short Wave - BBC Radio Four * RADIO CAROLINE Feature - as broadcast on RadioFax * WHEN PIRATES RULED THE AIRWAVES with Bill Nighy - from Real Radio * WHEN PIRATES RULED THE WAVES - with Paul Rowley - from BBC Local Radio * THE RADIO REVOLUTIONARIES - BBC Rado Two * A Tribute to Offshore Radio (Radio 390) - with Les Ross - SAGA 105.7 FM ** Ed Doolan's Live Show celebrating the 40th Anniversary of BBC Radio Birmingham broadcast from Symphony Hall, 15th December 2010 on BBC Radio WM * WIRELESS KENNY EVERETT - with Paul Gambaccini - 24th December 2010 - BBC Radio 2 ** KENNEY EVERETT'S CHRISTMAS SELECTION BOX - with Paul Gambaccini - 25th December 2010 - BBC Radio 2 ** ADRIAN JUSTE'S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL- Music and Comedy - broadcast 25th December 2010 on BBC Radio Devon / Cornwall / Bristol / Somerset / Gloucestershire / Wiltshire / Guernsey / Jersey ** THE MAN WHO INVENTED STEREO - from BBC Radio 4 ** ARCHIVE HOUR - GEOFFRY PERKINS - KING OF COMEDY - from BBC Radio 4 ** THE ART OF REMASTERING - from BBC Radio 4 ** THE DISAPPEARING ART OF THE MIX TAPE - from BBC Radio 4 ** MAKING THE BEATLES LOVE - from BBC Radio 6 Music ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 1 - Across the Ether with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (03/10/1982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 2 - We'll Meet Again - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (10/101982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 3 - Roll Over Beethoven - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (17/10/1982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 4 - A Life on the Medium Wave - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (24/10/1982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 5 - One-Derful Radio 1 - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (31/10/1982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 6 - Radio Radio - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO ONE (07/11/1982) * ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 1 - 'Across The Ether' - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO TWO (18/10/1997) * (azanorak) ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 2 - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO TWO (25/10/1997) * (azanorak) ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 3 - 'Life On The Medium Wave' - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO TWO (01/11/1997) * (azanorak) ** The Story Of Pop Radio Part 4 - 'Radio GaGa' - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO TWO (08/11/1997) * (azanorak) ** Happy Birthday Maurice Cole - Kenny Everett - with Paul Rowley - BBC ESSEX * (azanorak) ** Kenny Everett The BBC Local Radio Years - with Paul Rowley - BBC ESSEX * (azanorak) ** ILR Promotion Tape 1974 - Capital Radio * (Vintage Broadcasting) ** 25 Years Of LBC - LBC - 1998 * (Vintage Broadcasting) ** THE WORST OF LBC - LBC - 1991 - from Vintage Broadcasting * The Story of Radio Luxembourg - with Noel Edmunds - BBC RADIO TWO * (azanorak) ** Last Hour of Big L Radio London 266 14th August 1967 - RADIO LONDON * (azanorak) ** History Of BIG L - Broadcast by RADIO LONDON * (azanorak) ** History & Clips of Radio 390 - Radio 390 * (azanorak) ** David Allen talks about Radio 390 - Radio 390 * (azanorak) ** On The Run - the story of the land based London pirates * (azanorak) ** More: http://www.transdiffusion.org/rmc/features/on_the_run_the.php * As indicated above, the external links to archived radio features and programmes are to these websites: http://www.azanorak.com/ http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/index.htm See Also: http://www.transdiffusion.org |
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FREQUENCY SHIFT! Here's an odd road sign which will certainly cause great amusement among radio enthusiasts..... |
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 I'm
sure it's very nice of the Edge Lane Project to erect this helpful sign at the
side of the road , but I'll have to consult Einstein on the matter of
frequency shift.
I didn't think that travelling at 30mph could cause such an effect -
and I'm not sure that many motorists will have radios capable of tuning
down to the VLF fixed marine navigation frequency band! (Thanks to Mark Timlin for
sending this in)
|
261 LBC News
A Novel MW and VHF Radio (AM & FM) in the shape of an old fashioned microphone!
The tuning information on the LBC plaque shows 261m / 1151kHz (medium wave) and 97.3 VHF (FM)
The reference to 1151 kHz indicates that the plaque, at least, was produced before the frequency changes of 1978, after
which the frequency changed very slightly to 1152 kHz (Thanks to Peter Vrakking)
 .... Oh here's something interesting: Did you know that in 1982 at their studios in Barbourne Terrace in Worcester, Radio Wyvern installed a large cabinet as the news reading booth and during a visit to Radio Wyvern one of the staff told me that it was an old refrigerated meat locker! In fact music and radio guru Muff Murfin kindly contacted me to say: "With regards to the news booth at Wyvern it was a proper voice over booth made by some acoustics company in the midlands somewhere and installed in studio two in my studios in Wardour street, London which I bought from BMS/ Standard Broadcast. I am told it cost a fortune because it had to keep out the rumble and traffic noise in a busy street outside. I had it dismantled and gave it to Wyvern when we were building the station (should have swapped it for shares in hindsight) It worked great and was used right up until Wyvern moved recently. It was never a meat fridge unless you count meat as some of the lovely and now famous radio stars that worked in it!!!!!!! Just thought you would like to know. Best wishes, Muff Murfin." |
| ....Oh,
here is something to think about! In late 2005 we spent a couple of months or so listening to MAGIC 105.4 in the late evenings as something tuneful to go to sleep to. Magic 105.4 is the London 'easy listening' station. At first it seemed quite pleasant, but after several weeks /months of listening it became quite apparent that their record library was extremely limited indeed. We began to notice that every single night the very SAME records kept appearing again and again and again. Magic's record library / playlist seemed more limited than even our own private record / CD collection! Having studied the article 'HITTING THE TARGET' [here], we now know the reason - it seems that a typical commercial radio station is just too scared to offer variety and may only playlist from as few as several hundred to around 1000 narrowly researched and targeted records. 1000 or so records seems incredibly limiting considering that a station will be on the air 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The same records being played over and over and over again will certainly become most boring! Indeed after a number of weeks of listening, MAGIG 105.4 became extremely tiresome indeed and we were forced to find musical entertainment elsewhere. It is interesting to note that research shows that audiences certainly are bored with the amount of repetition on many commercial radio stations and some prospective companies biding for new radio licences have recognised this fact. It is amazing to think that a major commercial station has a playlist of such meager proportions, where our own recorded music library must be well in excess of 10,000 tracks. We have therefore now converted around 12,000 tracks to mp3 files to enable them to be played out via our own 'radio station' from a computerized Media Player and into the Hi-Fi system. This is a much more satisfying musical experience than many commercial radio stations that we have recently heard. Although it may not have been to everyones taste SAGA RADIO played an enormous range and variety of music from the 1940's right up to today. SAGA was a very professional and intelligent sounding commercial radio station on 105.7 FM in the Midlands, 106.6 FM in the East Midlands and 105.2 FM in Central Scotland. Unfortunately SAGA has now gone, having been bought out by GMG radio, it has been replaced with Smooth Radio - still quite good though. BBC Radio Two is probably plays the widest variety popular music - not perfect by any means since one may have to encounter Chris Evans between the tracks! To read more about how commercial stations program their playlist read the article 'HITTING THE TARGET' [here] |
EXTERNAL LINKS |
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| MERCIA
SOUND
by
Kevin
Sykes + http://www.intervalsignals.org ++ http://www.ominous-valve.com http://www.portabletubes.co.uk |
MIKE
BROWN's MB21 http://www.transdiffusion.org http://www.azanorak.com/ http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/index.htm UK Radio Episodes Guide - http://epguides.com/menu/radio.shtml Television Episodes Guide - http://epguides.com The MDS975 RADIO LINKS Page > . |
NICK
ABBOT -
nickabbot.com JASPER CARROTT Love Radio? Then BAN P.L.T. Ban Poweline Networking: http://www.ban-plt.co.uk |
Back To - RADIO, STATIONS & MEMORABILIA
Credits:
$ These audio clips very kindly submitted by Julian Watson - thank you! Individual clips edited into an audio compilation by Mike Smith.
$ These audio clips very kindly submitted by Julian Watson - thank you! Individual clips edited into an audio compilation by Mike Smith.
$ These audio
clips
very kindly submitted by Keith Burson.
$ This audio clip very kindly sent in by Gavin Doidge.
+ Clip from http://www.intervalsignals.org
++ Clip from http://www.ominous-valve.com
$ This audio clip very kindly sent in by Gavin Doidge.
+ Clip from http://www.intervalsignals.org
++ Clip from http://www.ominous-valve.com
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