A whistle-stop tour through the history of British radio.  I include this feature here as a "bringing-together" information from many other sources.  I had felt rather unsatisfied that a brief story covering the first days of wireless up to today's radio could not easily be found as one brief summary of all the major developments.  Certainly there are very detailed accounts of certain eras or specific events and personalities in radio history to be found, but not a simple short article that sums up the total radio history in the UK from 2MT to DAB.  I hope you will have a look at my short article and find it useful and interesting.

My account an overview but I hope it covers the important events and milestones in the development of radio broadcasting around Britain, by its nature cannot go into all the minute details but I hope it provides a worthwile and enjoyable insight.  I must thank Martin Watkins, Andrew Rogers for help offered with compiling this account.  For more click HERE

ALL THE WAVELENGTHS ARE HERE - ( AM + FM and DAB too ! ): Martin Watkins' amazing lists of transmitters and frequencies: You can download complete AM transmitter and wavelength listings together with comprehensive FM and DAB transmitter and frequency listings from this page all compiled in spreadsheet form by (the now extremely tired) Martin Watkins. MEDIUM WAVE - AM: For anyone interested in knowing what frequencies were used when they were used and where they were transmitted from, Martin Watkins has produced what really must be THE definitive listing of transmitters and frequencies used in the UK since the 1920's.  I sincerely recommend that you download Martin's speadsheet and take a look.  It has taken much research and many hours to compile and I can honestly say that I have not found such a complete listing anywhere else.  I thank Martin for allowing me to publish it here - FIRST!!  Download the zipped spreadsheet by clicking HERE   (Updated Jan 15th 2008) VHF / FM: For an FM listing covering the developments in VHF sound broadcasting from 1959 to 2008 you can download the zipped spreadsheet file from HERE   (Version 17. Updated March 2008) FM and DAB  - Martin has compiled a composite list of all the current FM and DAB transmitters in use, together with associated technical details.  Another amazingly comprehensive listing for 2008!  Download the zipped file of all the FM and DAB transmitters   HERE UHF Television Digital Television Band Plan After "DSO" - Analogue Switch Off : Martin compiled a list of UHF transmitters showing the anticipated transmitter plan after Digital Switch Over. Detailed Excel file HERE DSO: UK Digital Switch Over (DSO) - Freeview - Digital Television: Information and useful links > Martin Watkins also compiled an extremely detailed composite list of all the UHF Digital Television Transmitter allocations (including the Freeview service) as ratified by the ITU that would be in force after digital switch-over in the UK. However, it seems that many of the plans have been subesquenty superceded. We have left the file here merely as something that may be of interest.  -  Download the zipped file of all the ITU ratified UK DTT UHF Channel allocations HERE - by Martin Watkins,  - version 9. Thank you very much to Martin Watkins for all this hard work! QUICKZIP for free HERE      OpenOffice for free HERE

The Technical Corner:  Technical Musings by Captain Radio:


Pirates to the East!

Additionally have a look at the Pirate Radio feature - a short summary of offshore and pirate broadcasting in the UK in the sixties and beyond.  Once again, please navigate to this feature from the buttons to the right.

It was great to hear the BBC celebrate the 40th anniverary of pirate radio in the UK during Easter 2004 with the transmitters of local station BBC Essex being handed over to Pirate BBC Essex for a whole week when listeners were treated to such delights as appearances from 60's pirate radio veterans Keith Skues, Roger (Twiggy) Day, Pete Brady, Paul Burnett, Mike Ahern and Dave Cash.
More HERE

STORM DAMAGE AT TWO LOCHS RADIO IN GAIRLOCH:

Read about Two Lochs Radio and how they kept on-air even after their transmitter cabin was almost blown away - HERE!

Time For A New Wireless?