2006 - most recent month at top of page
JANUARY TO JUNE IN REVERSE ORDER BELOW
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28th June 2006
Waffler
I caught the end of the Tom Lodge show on Radio Caroline today. He has his son on the show as well - and he certainly does not enhance the programme. Tom was mentioning that he had written a book about life on Caroline North and South. I will look into that and report in due course. I have a feeling that the show must be repeated on Wednesday mornings from a weekend broadcast. The music he played was very good, and many mentions of life on board Caroline
If you are interested in learning all about the Uk commercial radio stations visit the site of the Commercial Radio Companies Association, there is a copy of their forthcoming year book for download as a pdf file there http://www.crca.co.uk/index_ok.aspx?width=99%
News from other sources
From the Sealand site - http://www.sealandgov.org/
Recent newsAfter nearly 40 years of completely independent economic, social, political, and geographic independence in the North Sea the Principality in late June of 2006 suffered a devastating fire which has crippled its infrastructure significantly. In common with other island countries, our resources here are limited; the difficulties this disaster presents are compounded by the effects upon our population and industries.
Knowing the loyalty shown by those across the globe who have supported the Principality, we have added a 'donation' option for persons who might wish to contribute to the reconstruction required. Preliminary estimates put the figure at approximately a million dollars. Any help which can be offered will be most appreciated by those of us who live here and those who hope some day to be able to visit and to share, however briefly, in our way of life.
26th June
Radio Netherlands have posted a report on the demise of the REM broadcasting Island at
From East Anglian Times on Sealand - looks like the end?
A FORMER wartime fortress which
is now a self-proclaimed independent state has been left devastated after a
fierce blaze tore through the structure.
The so-called Principality of Sealand, seven miles off the coast of Felixstowe
and Harwich, was evacuated at lunchtime yesterdayafter a generator caught fire.
Thames Coastguard, Harwich RNLI lifeboat, Felixstowe Coastguard rescue teams,
firefighting tug Brightwell, the RAF rescue helicopter from Wattisham and 15
Suffolk based firefighters from the National Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG)
were all called into action to tackle the blaze.
One man, believed to be a security guard, was airlifted from the scene and taken
to Ipswich Hospital with smoke inhalation but no one else was on the Second
World War gun emplacement.
Emergency services were first alerted to the drama just after midday when
eyewitnesses noticed huge clouds of black smoke billowing out of the concrete
structure, which is owned by self-styled King Roy Bates.
Brian Ironman, who was fishing just off Sealand along with his dog Rosie, said
he noticed something was wrong around 11.30am.
“I'd been fishing nearby since 7am for smoothhound and tope and just before
lunchtime I noticed there was a lot of smoke coming from the back end of the
tower,” he said.
“I immediately thought something was wrong and called the coastguard straight
away. They were here fairly quickly and there were about five or six
extinguishers trying to put the fire out.
“The helicopter also arrived and I think it picked up one person who was on
the platform.”
Andrew Beal, a council worker from Trimley who watched events unfold from his
beach hut at Brackenbury, said: “There was thick black smoke billowing out of
the gun emplacement. Air sea rescue was heading out at high speed and hovered
over the platform and appeared to be taking someone off.
“There were several other vessels heading out, including a lifeboat, and there
was a boat out there hosing it down. The smoke was hundreds of feet high in the
air.”
Rod Markham, who runs angling trips out of Felixstowe Ferry in his boat Tracy
Jane, was able to see the excitement from his house.
“At first I just thought they were stoking up the generators because there is
always a bit of smoke - I never realised it was on fire,” he said.
“But when I looked back after I'd messed about a bit in the garden I saw there
was a big deluge of black and that's when I saw the lifeboat and tug were
there.”
Firefighting tug Brightwell from the port of Felixstowe was despatched to the
scene and doused the flames with vast amounts of water.
A team of 15 off-shore firefighters from the National Maritime Incident Response
Group (MIRG) were also assembled but after a reconnaissance of the area from the
air it was decided it was too dangerous to land.
Keith Churchman, of Harwich Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said: “The
damage is very extensive. The fire started in a generator and spread quickly to
the accommodation.
“There have been a number of explosions on board as the fire has engulfed gas
bottles and batteries. Only one person was on Sealand at the time, whom we
understand to be a watchman whose job was to maintain the generators and
equipment.
“A team of firefighters was flown to the scene but because of the damage to
the structure they decided not to go on board.
“A firefighting tug sprayed the whole structure with water in the hope this
would eventually cool the fire and starve it of oxygen.”
A spokesperson for Suffolk Fire Service confirmed the fire was left to burn
itself out and was under control by 3.10pm.
25th June 2006
Waffler
It is good to be back on line. The editorial pc died and has been repaired so off we go again. The most unreliable component seems to be video cards here. In spite of having an anti spike plug recent short power cuts seem to have affected the machine.
Sad to learn that Sealand had a fire on Friday, I wonder if HM Gov will finally seize the platform and reclaim it?
In spite of me not including Hans Knot's report on site any more, I must say how much I enjoy it. It succeeds because of his specialist knowledge and the input he has by email from so many people in the world of offshore and other radio areas.
News from other sources
107.2 The Wyre, the radio station
serving Kidderminster, Bewdley, Stourport & Stourbridge lost transmission
for around five hours yesterday (Monday 12th June 2006) due to lightning which
made a direct hit on the station's transmitter mast.
Emergency engineers worked hard to install new equipment and a full service
returned to the airwaves at 11:00am. At least they won't have tha problem again,
as lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice. Does it?
107.2 The Wyre launched in
September 2005, and is owned by the Midland News Association.
| National DAB station Planet
Rock has added to its armoury of rock star presenters, by signing up Alice
Cooper. The heavy rock singer is renowned for his curious on-stage antics
and hits such as ‘School’s Out’, ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’ and
‘Poison’. Starting from July, he’ll be presenting Planet Rock’s
weekday breakfast show between 6-9am. The show will be beamed in from his
home town of Phoenix, Arizona, specially for Planet Rock. Commenting on his new appointment, Alice Cooper says “I get to play all the stuff that doesn’t get played elsewhere… Who’d want to have breakfast with Alice Cooper. Can you imagine that?” And to make sure that listeners don’t miss the craziest moments, a special “best of” show will air every Sunday from 10am-1pm. |
|
| Cooper joins other recent rock
star signings on the station such as ‘Yes’ keyboardist Rick Wakeman
and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. And although Planet Rock is
available on many digital platforms, the best place to listen is on a DAB
digital radio. |
|
13th June 2006
Waffler
I have not got round to updating you on my news and views for some time so lets get right down to it. I hope you all enjoyed the sun and lets hope it will return without the horrid humidity it brought.
I heard another Janet and John story read by Terry Wogan on his breakfast show. Some splendid innuendos about a camera man feeling humble and saying the tits should come out soon. Of course Terry is not to blame he only reads out what his listeners send it. If you want to suffer, whoops I mean hear the items, download Terry's podcast from the BBC Radio 2 site. It is updated weekly and contains some of the speech items from his excellent breakfast show.
News from other sources
Pity that MOR radio closed on DAB in London, it was the best radio station I have heard in years. Primetime carried on for a while but it was not to my liking, although it was one of the most successful dab stations.
David Hamilton has jumped "ship" from Primetime and is currently presenting the Million Sellers on Radio London on Sky. He was playing Sunshine Superman as I typed this update at 21:35 today.
The editorial pc conked out recently. Found the problem was a broken floppy disk drive. I have managed to take it out of the equation when booting up but must buy a replacement soon.
I also took my Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life" double cd out of my library a few days ago. This is a superb album and the tracks flow through both cds. It is Stevie Wonder with real depth of sound and good instrumental backing. I must start listening to my own collection of music again, there really is a variety of music available on the radio in high quality audio. I also am not adverse to watching the odd tv programme or dvd!
So many new stations now on Sky. VIP radio is excellent with Andy Wint and some Amerian presenters as well! Good to hear Groove from Virgin on there as well. It is back in evenings on DAB.
Come on DRG and Ofcom we need a massive boost in power in London to receive the DRG multiplex - the service has been appalling for months and months. I do not know how bad the signal must be in peoples cars! WHAT IS THE POINT OF BROADCASTING AT SUCH LOW POWER - IT GIVES DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCASTING SUCH A BAD NAME!
Fans of Kenny Everett's Captain Kremmen will be pleased to
hear that 49 episodes of Kenny's space hero are being uploaded weekly as
podcasts.
The uploads come under the Creation banner - part of GCap Media Plc and the
owner of Capital Radio. Creation has already uploaded the first five editions
and will run right through to episode 49. There is no charge for this service
with costs being covered by its sponsor, Orange.
Ofcom's latest Broadcast Bulletin, published today, opens
with numerous complaints about Chris Moyles' breakfast show.
The three instances - including one in which Moyles, at 08:42 on 17th January
2006, called the women who had text in to say that they urinate in the shower
"dirty whores" - attracted a swath of complaints from listeners and
have prompted the BBC to review their disciplinary stratergy to deal with
presenters who step out of line. On another occasion, a listener objected to the
words "piss" and "tw**" being used during an interview on
Valentine's Day.
Monday 12th June 2006 - another milestone for the original
Radio Caroline as the station is now available for the Electronic Programme
Guide on Sky.
The station can be found on channel 0199 after a long campaign by the group to
bring Caroline to the wider audience. Peter Moore, station manager reminds
people visiting their website that they are the original Radio Caroline:
"Yes, we are the same station that famously broadcast from ships at sea
from 1964 to 1990. We might still be at sea had it not been for a dramatic
shipwreck and a sinister change to UK law."
Hot on the heals of announcing that Virgin Radio have
launched various new channels on the Sky platform, the SMG owned station are
about to launch Virgin onto Freeview too.
The station has signed a multi-year agreement with YooMedia, the AIM-traded
interactive content and services provider. Under the agreement Virgin Radio will
be available to over seven million homes with Freeview set top boxes in the UK.
YooMedia and Virgin Radio will also jointly explore value-added interactive
services for delivery alongside Virgin Radio programming
Roger Day Celebrates 40 years Of Broadcasting
This remarkable landmark will be remembered with two events in Lichfield, Staffs and Margate, Kent.
They will be in the format of ?An Evening With Roger Day?
There will be video clips, photographs, audio extracts and tales of offshore and land-based radio from 66 until today. Much audience participation is anticipated with the chance for questions throughout the sessions.
Among the topics covered will be: -
Radio Caroline before and after the Marine Offences Act of August 67. Living in exile in Holland. The closedown in March 68. How he got the nickname ?Twiggy?
Radio Luxembourg
Radio North Sea International. The Government jamming, being pursued by Scotland Yard, the election campaign of 1970.
On tour with the Small Faces in 66, Beach Boys in 68(Roger is actually on the Live in London Album) and introducing Jimi Hendrix on stage and many other top stars.
Thirty two years of Commercial Radio from Piccadilly, Manchester in 74, via BRMB, Radio West, Invicta FM. Pirate FM, County Sound, and now SAGA 105.7 fm in Birmingham and BBC Radio Kent.
Roger is looking forward to meeting listeners and colleagues from those 40 years.
Tickets are £10 from the venues now
Friday 28th July at 7.45 pm: Lichfield Garrick, Staffs 01543412121
Saturday 29th July at 7.30pm: Margate Winter Gardens, Kent 01843296111
| Fans of Kenny
Everett's Captain Kremmen will be pleased to hear that 49 episodes of
Kenny's space hero are being uploaded weekly as podcasts. The uploads come under the Creation banner - part of GCap Media Plc and the owner or Capital Radio. Creation has already uploaded the first five editions and will run right through to episode 49. There is no charge for this service with costs being covered by its sponsor, Orange. |
|
| Commenting on the
launch of Creation Podcasts on the 12th May, John Hirst, Head of Creation
told RadioToday.co.uk: “Creation Podcasts are all about offering fresh
compelling content in topics of interest to people in the UK. We hope
podders and those new to podcasting enjoy this initial batch of new
podcasts. Sponsorship of podcasts is a new revenue stream for GCap,
utilising fresh creative and reaching new audiences via emerging
platforms.” Website Link. |
|
| Primetime Radio
has reached the end of its broadcasting life. Tonight from midnight the
station will be no more. Transmissions on the national DAB platform,
Digital One ceased on May 15th, and was removed from the Northern Ireland
Score multiplex yesterday. Now a message on the Sky EPG and station website states that from midnight, the station will also cease on Satellite (along with NTL Cable and London DAB) as staff contracts expired at the end of May. The website message also thanks loyal listeners who have been with the station over the last six years. |
|
| Since around 13
May, there has been no-one answering the phone at the premises in London.
A recorded message was put on stating it would cease nationally on DAB
Digital Radio but would continue on Sky Digital 0132, NTL cable 872 and
online. However, it soon became apparent that there were still no live
programmes on the station after the "re-launch" two weeks ago. Keep an eye on the downloads section of this site for audio from the closedown. Radio Today site |
|
| LBC 97.3, the
Chrysalis-owned news station for London had a complaint made against them
for the broadcasting of 'blipverts' (short advertisments rather than
sponsor credits) for DHL which was transmitted during the news headlines
and the full news stories. A listener complained that this arrangement
suggested the news was sponsored. The Broadcasting Code prohibits the
sponsorship of news. LBC pointed out that advertisements in news bulletins have been commonplace for some years across UK radio stations under the ‘newslink’ scheme. In a statement in the latest Broadcast Bulletin released today, LBC said it considered its listeners were intelligent enough to distinguish editorial from advertising of this nature. |
|
| LBC acknowledged
that the approach was unusual but considered it was not against the rules.
However, it noted that this particular advertisement had caused some
concern and gave an assurance that it would not be repeated. In addition,
LBC said that in future it would avoid including copy in advertisements
which relates to the timing of news bulletins and would add in a
‘sting’ before and after the advertisement to provide an additional
form of separation from the news bulletin. Ofcom has welcomed the steps taken by LBC which are intended to ensure that future campaigns comply with the Broadcasting Code. Therefore Ofcom consider the complaint resolved. Radio Today site |
|
From BBC Site:
Listeners to Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 show have produced a best-selling CD.
Sales of a Janet and John charity CD have reached 45,000 which could outsell a number one if it were included in an official album chart.
The Janet and John stories are read by Terry Wogan and written by a TOG - one of Terry's listeners, Mick Sturbs. Proceeds from the CD are going to the BBC's Children in Need appeal.
Terry says: "We've hardly started publicising it, but the Janet and John CD has already sold 45,000!
"And every penny goes to Children In Need thanks to the efforts of TOGS (Terry's Old Geezers and Gals, Hon President HM The Queen).
"The CD features the adventures of Janet and John Marsh, as broadcast live on Wake Up To Wogan with special guitar fingering by Dr Wally, and introduction by the other Old Fool."
John Marsh is a Radio 2 announcer and regular contributor to Terry's show and Janet is his wife.
CDs can be purchased from the TOGS website - www.togs.org
Terry's listeners have been packaging and distributing the CDs from their homes.
TOG Hellen Bach says: "We are delighted to have been asked to help sell the Janet and John CD in aid of BBC Children In Need.
"I have to say that we were slightly taken aback by the sheer numbers that came flooding in from the minute The Togmeister mentioned that there would be a Janet and John CD.
"We had over 10,000 orders in the first few weeks and no CDs. We knew as soon as they arrived we would have to leap into action, so we ordered 10,000 envelopes and started labelling them up.
"We invited fellow TOGs round for the weekend and offered food and drink, then opened up the sitting room to reveal 10,000 labelled envelopes and CDs, all sitting there ready to be put together. We ordered 10,000 stamps and worked all weekend and managed to get 9,100 ready for posting out.
"We are seriously thinking of having another 'stuffin' party' here in Newport, to catch up with the backlog as the orders are still coming in at about 1,000 a day. We now have about 200 letters a day from our post office box too."
John Marsh says: "Janet and I were both completely stunned by the response. What the stories demonstrate I think, is that people love to laugh with someone else.
"It is Terry's humour that makes the stories work so well - hearing him convulsed with genuine laughter and speechless with giggling, is so infectious that as a listener you can't help but be drawn in.
"Janet and I are just so pleased to have provided a trigger for it all. But the present Mrs Marsh would like to point out that she is in no way anything like the character portrayed in the stories!"
Phil Hughes, Editor, Radio 2 Programmes, has helped with the project.
He says: "So far over 45,000 have been posted out and everyone seems delighted as we are hoping to give around £7 from each £10 that the CD costs straight to Children in Need.
"After pressing costs, posting and packing and the dreaded VAT (nobody escapes that) we think a 70% profit for the charity is pretty good going.
"But then of course all the labour has been free and the TOGS postal team has saved thousands of pounds. It has turned into a real cottage industry. And who knows there might be a volume two."
The Janet and John educational children's books were a popular way to help children learn to read in the Fifties, Sixties and early Seventies.
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31st May 2006
Waffler
Tony Blackburn was on Classic Gold on Bank Holiday monday morning until midday with a soul show. Much to my delight he was on his own without Erica North. Tony played some great old and new music. He played SOS by Edwin Star and said it reminded him of his days on Pirate Radio. He said when the record arrived by tender to Radio London he put it on the turntable and was totally "knocked out". He went to T "hello" Windsor the head disc jockey and told him it was going to be a hit. Tony was allowed to have it as his record of the week on the
playlist. Tony also gave some interesting facts about songs he played. It is a pity that he, or Classic Gold, put him on air with another presenter most of the time.
Good to hear Jon Gaunt on Talksport with his excellent pnone in programme. He was on 12-2pm on the bank holiday and is on 10am weekdays. He did excellent shows on BBC 3 Counities, moved to BBC London on to another BBC local. It is a pity Robbie Vincent is not doing phone ins but Jon is in a similar mould but obviously has his own individual style and ideas.
I managed to upset my back on Sunday night but thankfully have managed to keep going. Today sitting down is painful, although I did manage to get outside and do some repairs to the pointing on Waffle towers - lovely old house built in 1889 before radio took off big style.
I keep meaning to put some audio on this new site. I did not have much reaction to me stopping my Wireless Waves show of clips but would be interested to know if anyone would like that to return. I intend to put some clips of stations on relevant pages, rather than a big page full of sounds. There do not seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything.
Several weeks ago my digital camera made by Fuji finally died. The plastic door holding the batteries and card had broken off eight months ago for the second time. I have bought a Nikon compact camera this time, it is very small and quite versatile. I noticed by visiting numerous web sites that the provision of rather flimsy card and battery doors on cameras is the norm. This time I have bought a much cheaper camera in the hope it lasts longer. I managed to prolong the use of my Fuji camera by using Duck tape to hold the door and batteries together - in the end the plastic finally gave up due to fatigue pulling the tape on and off.
I have just learnt that Roger Day did a special 40 years celebration on Saga Radio in Birmingham this bank holiday. I managed to get the programme on the internet and am listening to it at the moment. Hurry to the following site where it is available for download as 4 mp3's. http://www.vintage-radio.info/audio/index.htm
News from other sources
From the Radio Slovakia International website, posted 1530 May 25th, thanks to Jean-Michel Aubier, DX Listening Digest group for the alert: Radio Slovakia International to leave Shortwave The Radio Council approved the new organisational structure of the public broadcaster. The transformation of Radio Slovakia International was a part of the Wednesday discussion on the proposal of new General Director Miloslava Zemkova. According to the approved document, Radio Slovakia International should cease its shortwave broadcast as of June 30. The transformation of the shortwave broadcast to a part of the Internet service of the public radio will follow shortly after. Apart from the Internet, the program of Radio Slovakia International will continue to be broadcast via satellite. The transformation process counts on redundancies. Instead of a staff of 4, the program of each language section will be secured by 2 editors. The discussion on the future of Radio Slovakia International included contributions by several members of parliament as well as the RSI editor in chief Ladislav Kubis. According to Kubis, the suggested proposal will not secure quality standard broadcast of the foreign service of public radio as defined by law. Several members of Radio Council supported the arguments against the transformation. Nevertheless, this proposal was passed by a majority in the final vote. The existence of Radio Slovakia International is directed by the state. However, due to insufficient financial support, the Radio management transformed its existence. Article at http://snipurl.com/qxvu Return to Top
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May 25th 2006
Waffler
Heard this morning that there is a cd of Terry Wogan's "Janet and John" stories being sold for charity I assume. It is incredible the amount of material that listeners send into Terry. Visit the BBC website and you can download a podcast of this chat - I dare you to!
I have been using a new program recently to listen to radio on the internet and can thoroughly recommend it. The product is called screamer radio, and is freeware and as far as I can ascertain does not contain spyware. It enables you to tune to a variety of radio stations from around the world. Also very useful is the facility to record the programmes to your hard drive in MP3 format. It can divide the programme up into chunks, eg each tune, or to record it as a continuous stream. I have noticed that you can get Radio London and Caroline on it. There is a station from Canada which plays continuous Elvis Presley. It has a variety of stations in the UK, Greece, you name it they are all there. You can search by music genre and also by country. I even saw Offshore Music Radio on it. It really is much better than searching out individual sites. There is a facility in the program to set a level volume for all of the stations, which means you get a good constant level no matter how soft or loud each station transmits at. If you want try this out or find out more visit Screamer Radio. I will pop this into our links page as well soon
This weekend I have been listening to the new Time Fm from maidenhead/berkshire. This has been on for a few weeks on 106.6 FM in place of Star 106.6. I do not really understand why they have changed their name, the old station was quite good on its own.
I also caught Beat FM on 101.1 on Sunday with a programme mentioning a Pan African conference to celebrate 200 years since the abolition of African slavery.
News from other sources
A report by a media think-tank says the BBC
should be forced to privatise Radio One and Radio Two.
The European Media Forum, part of the independent research institute the
European Policy Forum, says the move would ease pressure on licence payers and
boost the commercial radio sector. The BBC replied by reinforcing the message
that the two stations offered innovative and distinctive programmes that the
market alone would not provide.
If you're wondering whether podcasts can ever
help the black hole in your station's monthly revenue targets, the answer to
proving to be yes for 97.3 LBC.
While traditional radio advertising continues to struggle, LBC have established
podcasting as a viable source of income. This week's trading report from
Chrysalis revealed that the LBC "premium podcast" service, is being
received by over 3,500 paying subscribers. Managing Director David Lloyd has
since confirmed to Raidojam that paid subscriptions
May 8th 2006
Waffler
I was painting today and caught the Archers on Radio 4 again. I am not totally in tune with the story line but there was an argument between two men. They fought and a cd shelf fell down on top of the baby. Wow the story line in the Archers now extends even further than cows and other essential rural matters. It is along way from the sex scandals but a warning to all to make sure that you secure shelves properly. Apparently the cd shelf was not properly fixed to the wall, hence the accident.
May 7th 2006
Waffler
Hastings Rock is on 107 fm for the next 28 days and is also putting out good audio on the net at http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/ - you need an up to date winamp and then it is plain sailing from then on.
A nice change from Caroline, Planet Rock, Virgin Classic Rock etc and also a charity station.
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On Sunday 30th April I heard the Archers on BBC Radio 4, it is a real gem in broadcasting just a pity I do not have time to listen to it every day. Finding time to listen to everything is now a great problem, ironically the same problem that BBC stations must have when they have to cater for everyone's tastes. It is even more of a problem for commercial stations trying to exist with mere handfuls of listeners. It would be pleasant to say that I only listen to one Radio Station but that would be symptomatic of me losing interest in the field of Radio.
It has been good hearing Johnnie Walker on breakfast on either side of the May Bank holiday. There was a time when Terry Wogan would do all bank holidays, maybe he will give up the day job eventually and Johnnie will step in.
I recently heard Richard Allinson on Radio 2 speaking to Lyn (spelling Lin?) Bowles who reads traffic on Radio 2 reminsicing about the Capital Flying Eye. Apparently they could not get permission to fly over many of the traffic areas so they merely pretended that Lyn was up in the air reading reports most of the time when the station started. Hope I explained that properly and remembered what I heard whilst dozing whilst the alarm played on!
News from other sources
24 May 2006 Radio Station HCJB, "the Voice of the Andes," said it will air its final English-language broadcasts on international shortwave radio from Ecuador on Saturday. The Christian station's English Language Service, the organization said, is shifting its emphasis toward teaching English as a second language. "English was one of the first two languages, along with Spanish, to air when the station began broadcasting in Quito on Christmas Day, 1931," it said in a statement. It quoted station Director Doug Weber calling the move a refocusing or "taking some of the resources that we've been using on the broadcasts and focusing that into English-as-a-second-language (ESL) things-programming that will go out on our other (mostly Spanish) outlets." The statement continued: "'We've had a very loyal audience and we're grateful to them,' Weber said of the nearly 75 years of relationship via the radio. 'And we're grateful to the Lord as well for the opportunity to be able to minister to so many people through our English-language broadcasts for so many years.'" http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=8953
The BBC has posted detailed statements of programme policy for 2006/2007, including key priorities and measurable commitments, for each of its national radio stations. The link below is to the Radio 1 page and there are links to the pages for all the other radio networks there. http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/statements2006/radio/radio1.shtml If you want to download the whole pdf document, incluing policies for the TV networks and new media, it is available on this page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/statements2006/
The BBC Radio Player had a record month in March 2006 with more than 20 million hours of online listening and 12 million on demand requests, illustrating the enduring popularity of radio streaming in the podcasting world
28th April 2006
Waffler
As we embark into a holiday weekend I am pleased to report that I managed to listen into Caroline on Sky today. I heard the end of the excellent Rob Leighton breakfast show. This chap has a very soothing but informative style, with a real enthusiasm for the music he plays. Roger Matthews did a show after this and played many good Caroline rock Classics. Roger mentioned he was on Caroline at sea and I remember hearing him in the 80s. His voice sounded different, in near FM quality, as opposed to on the am or medium wave in the 80s. Caroline is good listening, but I like to listen to as many stations as I can during the week.
Clive Bull was interviewing somebody last night on LBC who worked for UBN biscuit network. This was a factory radio station before commercial radio took off big time. Apparently the company launched it to ensure staff stayed with them, apparently there were several factories in the area and a high staff turnover.
My pc scanner has gone wrong and causing me some annoyance. I can still scan but only very small files and it takes twice as long! Sympathies to any site visitors having pc problems this May holiday. By the way I have tried to use PC pitstop recently and the site will no longer download their file - it always used to work on this pc.
Have a great break from work, do not do too much gardening. Save it for Monday and it will be pouring down with rain and you can get some listening done!
BBC staff are threatening a strike over the changes proposed to their Pension Scheme - please remember not all BBC staff get paid huge sums of money like Chris Evans and Terry Wogan. Having to work until 65 is in line with the current governments plans for almost everybody. No wonder they want 65 as a retirement age, they will not have to pay out the pension for very long - mind you some people I know are in their eighties now and good luck to them!
News from other sources
WRN, the London-based international broadcaster, today announces the launch of its podcasting service. From 1st May a fantastic schedule of content will be available for download direct from the WRN website at www.wrn.org/podcasting and from iTunes and other podcast directories. International programme producers providing weekly downloadable shows for the WRN podcasting service include Radio Prague, Radio Poland, Radio Slovakia International, RTE Ireland and Radio Guangdong from China. This list is set to grow over the coming weeks. The WRN Podcasting Team will also be producing exclusive podcast-only content for the service. Abbie Cunliffe, WRN's Product Development and Distribution Coordinator, comments, "WRN is delighted to launch this new service which will make a wealth of international content available as downloadable podcasts. This service follows the WRN strategy of making the content of our international radio clients available across a wide range of media platforms including satellite radio, mobile phones and the Internet." Website: http://www.wrn.org
The Government has just introduced the Wireless Telegraphy Bill into the House of Lords. The bill aims to consolidate enactments about wireless telegraphy in legislation such as the Wireless Telegraphy Acts of 1949, 1967, and 1998; the Marine & Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967; Telecommunications Act 1984; Broadcasting Act 1990; Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; Communications Act 2003 (and a handful of Statutory Instruments)into a single Act. It also incorporates the recent DTI consultation on fixed penalty notices The intent is to bring all previous acts into one new one, rather than to introduce any actual changes After much debate its was decided to keep with the old classic name! The bill can be seen online at:- http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/095/2006095.htm (Thanks to Murray Niman G6JYB for this item) http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2006/new_wt_act.htm (so the end of the Marine & Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967
| More salary information has been leaked in the
last 24 hours, this time it's the turn of BBC
Radio 2. Apparently breakfast host Sir Terry Wogan is on a top wage of £800,000
- followed by Chris Evans who is being paid £540,000 to take over Johnny
Walker's Drivetime from this afternoon. It has also been reported that Jonathan Ross receives £530,000 for his three-hour Saturday show which includes his Friday night TV show. Fellow R2 presenter Steve Wright earns £440,000 and Michael Parkinson £115,000. The Sun earlier revealed Radio 1 wages, with Chris Moyles top earner on £630,000 a year. |
|
| Steve Wright earns £440,000 for five three-hour
shows a week whilst Ken Bruce earns £194,000 and Mark Radcliffe earns £197,000
for his nightly show. Overnight host Janice Long makes nearly £137,000 for presenting the graveyard shift from 12am till 3am five nights a week. A Beeb insider told mirror.co.uk: "The range in the amounts paid to the DJs is astonishing. Obviously, Wogan should get the most. He's on five days a week and gets the biggest audience so it stands to reason. "When you consider he gets 10p per listener it seems very good value for money. But Jonathan Ross does very well indeed considering he's only on for three hours a week compared to Wogan's 10. The pay scales don't seem particularly fair." Last week The Sun reported that Radio 1 host Chris Moyles is on a massive £630,000 a year. |
|
19th April 2006
Waffler
I was intrigued to find out what is behind the closure of Saga Radio and opening of MOR radio in London plus Primetime's future. I emailed Primetime for some information and David Atkey sent me this information. I have asked him if it is ok to display this in the diary and he said he has none so here is his email information
We are no longer part of the Saga Group and so have set up a new Website where you can 'click to hear' PrimeTime Radio audio. www.primetimeradio.org
Currently pre-recorded programmes are being broadcast as Roger De Haan the owner is withdrawing from Digital Radio and did not renew the Presenters contracts when they ended on 31 December 05, which is also the reason for NO - DLS Scrolling Text.
Saga Radio (digital) has ceased broadcasting. In it's place on the London DAB multiplex is MOR music, which is the same back to back music whilst I try and find a rescue package.
You should try our sister radio station PrimeTime Radio, which has most of the same Presenters and is a more music radio station playing exactly the same music.
Roger De Haan made strenuous efforts, but
was unable to agree terms with the DAB multiplex operator.
However I have been given the format/brand of PrimeTime Radio to see if I can
find Sponsors and Investors to secure its future.
PrimeTime Radio is one of the success stories of digital radio and every effort will be made to continue broadcasting. This may or may not include DAB, but again every effort is being made to keep PrimeTime Radio on DAB, Sky digital and NTL cable, plus the Internet.
We know how much people enjoy PrimeTime Radio from their responses. They are loyal and dedicated listeners and rest assured we will not go down with out a fight.
We are continuing with recorded programmes whilst I try and find a rescue package. If I am unsuccessful PTR will close on 14 May.
Thank you for your support. David Atkey - Programme & Operations Director.
PrimeTime Radio
Sony Radio Academy Award winner 2004
Digital Station of the Year
PrimeTime Radio/MORmusic PO Box 50 50, London SW1E 6ZR
Tel: 08709 50 60 61 Fax:
08702 24 48 44
www.primetimeradio.org
News from other sources
More salary information has been leaked in the last 24 hours, this time it's the turn of BBC Radio 2. Apparently breakfast host Sir Terry Wogan on a top wage of £800,000 - followed by Chris Evans who is being paid £540,000 to take over Johnny Walker's Drivetime from this afternoon (Waffler says it seems that the people who are in the public eye get paid ridiculous high salaries - and this is a terrific waste of the licence fee - BBC staff do not get paid the same as people who sit in a studio for a few hours a day and most celebrities do not even support the staff strikes. Terry Wogan is an excellent presenter but surely he should he retired now and taking life easy?)
Magic 105.4's breakfast show host Neil Fox has resurrected his request show. Foxy's Magic Jukebox will play listener's requests every Saturday from 10am to 1pm.
Johnnie Walker visited our ship Ross Revenge recently to record a TV interview on his memories of Radio Caroline and the summer of 1967. This will form part of a forthcoming BBC2 documentary to be transmitted this summer. He kindly signed our visitors book, below the signature of an earlier guest, his one time colleague Keith Skues. We will of course let you know the date and time of transmission of the finished programme in due course. Another programme is in production featuring the establishment of the radio DJ in Britain from the fifties to the present day. It may be that Johnnie and Radio Caroline may also feature in this 90 minute documentary. Again we will let you have details when they are made available to us. http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/
15th April 2006
Waffler
Some terrific output from the Radio Caroline this bank holiday. It seems that whenever I do decorating I get the opportunity to listen to the lady at length. Up until last year it was either by listening to her from the sea on my radio, or lately on worldspace. Now by satellite. The output is not as high quality, or in stereo, compared to other Sky stations but it is better than worldspace. I was listening today first to a recording of Roger Days show recorded on Good Friday. I think he used the word "cr*p" too many times but it was otherwise good. One part of his high jinx was to use a Caroline Newsbeat jingle and to say that the government was "cr*p". My wife pointed out to me that there was a considerable number of requests for people to pay money into the Caroline Support Group - now I come to think of it is was rather over the top. Pat Edison did say on the 16th that he had mentioned sending money to the Caroline Support Group rather too many times, but he made no apologies for this. I enjoy Caroline but believe in the concept of free radio so I hope that they do manage to survive. Some mention was made by Roger Day that Peter Moore could not hear his show because his radio had broken and his internet connection does not work. Caroline is not big business but it seems it needs somebody at the helm with a little more business acumen, so avoid the need for its listeners to top up the kitty from time to time. Loving Awareness is obviously not enough to run a radio station?
Easter is normally to Radio Caroline and the anniversary of her launch. I go slightly off subject to say that the new series of Dr Who launched today and it was absolutely superb. It is pure escapism and worth every penny of the licence free on its own. The BBC web site has some superb downloads, both sounds and pictures to go with the past and present series. I expect that they use less money than is paid to Radio 1 djs by the BBC - well according to the Sun Newspaper.
Penny Gore on BBC Radio 3, who I worked with some years back, is meeting the Queen, excellent stuff. I was horrified to find that Chris Moyles receives around £630,000 for doing his radio show at the BBC. It was in a newspaper my wife was reading, if this is true it no wonder the public think everyone at the BBC gets big salaries. They do not!
News from other sources
On today's DXPartyline, Allen Graham informed his listeners that on May 6, 2006, all English programming from HCJB in Quito will come to an end. He later mentioned that there are only three opportunities left to hear the DXPartyline program from the Pifo, Ecuador transmitters. Very sad news! The DXPL had been heard from HCJB/Quito since 1961. Many of us hope to hear the DXPL for a long time to come via HCJB/Australia, WWCR, or through internet streaming. They mentioned plans to have special programming on May 6th commemorating the event...just shy of HCJB's 75th anniversary, coming up this Christmas. (via DXLD yahoo group)
EASTER BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 17 April 1 pm to 2 pm WHEN PIRATES WAIVED THE RULES To celebrate the 42nd anniversary this Easter of offshore pirate radio PrimeTime Radio presents a one hour special programme that was first broadcast two years ago, to mark the 40th anniversary. Reminiscing about the time "When Pirates Waived the Rules".... pioneering DJ's who launched their careers broadcasting across the airwaves from the high seas in the 1960s look back and talk about the sound that changed British Radio forever.... Relive the memories once again this Easter Bank Holiday Monday at 1pm with John Ross Barnard, Dave Gillbee, Tom Edwards, David Allan, Roger Day, Stevie Merike, Tony Brandon and your host Dave Cash. Primetime Radio on DAB digital radio, Sky digital TV channel 0132 NTL:home cable channel 872, or on-line http://www.primetimeradio.org/
|
Sue Lawley, broadcaster and journalist, is to give up presenting Radio
4's Desert Island Discs. Sue has been with the programme since 1987 and
is only the third person to occupy the presenter's chair in its 64-year
history.
|
From Radio Today
| Chris Moyles is just one of the BBC
breakfast presenters who will meet The Queen when she visits Broadcasting
House on Thursday 20 April 2006 to mark the 80th anniversary of the
granting of the Corporation's Royal Charter. The news comes on the same
day that The Sun newspaper reports Moyles is earning £630,000 per year -
three times more than his colleagues. The Queen will officially re-open the original Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London, which has recently been refurbished as a part of a redevelopment of the site. |
|
| Upon arrival at Broadcasting House, The Queen
will meet the Director-General of the BBC,
Mark Thompson, and the following BBC
Radio breakfast presenters: Radio 1 - Chris Moyles Radio 2 – Sir Terry Wogan KBE Radio 3 – Penny Gore Radio 4 – John Humphrys and James Naughtie Five Live – Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty 1Xtra – Jason and Iyare Asian Network – Sonia Deol The Queen will be shown a model outlining building project plans for Broadcasting House by Sir Richard MacCormac, Architect, and the BBC's Chief Operating Officer, John Smith, and will view a display of digital radio technology and Broadcasting House artefacts. The Queen will then watch a production for BBC 7's The Big Toe Radio Show. The Queen will meet presenters Kirsten O'Brien and Kevin Duala and young competition winners in the Drama studio. The Queen will view a recording for Radio 4's Woman's Hour and meet presenter Jenni Murray, programme engineers and interviewees Dr Sarah Childs from Bristol University and Dr Rosie Campbell from Birkbeck College, London. Dr Childs and Dr Campbell will be discussing the results of a Woman's Hour/ICM survey looking at the changing role of men and women in society. The Queen will then join a reception hosted by the Chairman, BBC Governors, Executive Board members, senior BBC executives and artists associated with BBC Radio, including: Chris Evans, Sir Clement Freud, Richard Briers CBE, David Jacobs CBE, Paul Merton, Nicholas Parsons OBE, Prunella Scales CBE and Timothy West CBE. The Queen will receive a gift and unveil a plaque before departing. As she leaves from BBC Broadcasting House, The Queen will meet local schoolchildren who will have gathered to wish her a happy birthday. On being told they would be introduced to The Queen, some BBC radio presenters made the following comments: Radio 2's Terry Wogan said: "The last time we met I had to tape back my somewhat large ears lest she'd have one of them off with the sword. Luckily she wields the blade like an expert and I got away with just a flesh wound." Penny Gore, from Radio 3, said: "Well, since I'll have got up at 4.45am that morning to get ready for presenting Morning on Three, I think it would be safer if I stuck to a small bow rather than bending the knee... I don't want to risk any dizzy spells due to low blood-sugar if I attempt the full curtsey!" Shelagh Fogarty, from Five Live, said: "I'll happily curtsey for any 80-year-old lady who wants me to, especially on her birthday!" Sonia Deol, from the Asian Network, said: "Yes I will curtsey because it's the done thing with Royalty isn't it? But I haven't got a clue how to do it elegantly. In Birmingham we don't have much call for this sort of thing." 1Xtra's Jason & Iyare said: "Our mums would be proud, all we've got to do is remember not to curtsey because that's for girls." |
|
| PURE Digital have launched a new digital
radio - this time aimed at the budget end of the market. PURE ONE is
"..an affordable DAB
and FM portable radio that looks good, sounds great and is unbelievably
easy to use." ONE will be marketed as an ideal radio for DAB aficionados looking for an extra radio for the house, garden or office, and for newcomers to DAB too. ONE is available in black, white or pink to suit all tastes. |
|
| Despite costing just £49.99 ONE is fully
featured. It offers station selection by name, scrolling text display,
one-touch tuning, and crisp, clear, digital sound. ONE also includes features not previously seen on a sub £50 DAB radio – FM with RDS, kitchen and sleep timers, USB upgradeability, a custom display with status icons, mute control, 20 combined DAB and FM presets, and support for the rechargeable ChargePAK battery pack. More than that, it premieres completely new and innovative features from PURE – Intellitext™ and textSCAN™. textSCAN lets listeners pause and control scrolling text, giving them time to note down web addresses, competition phone numbers or song titles. Intellitext gives listeners on-demand access to DAB extended text broadcasts, for the latest sports news, headlines and much more. The broadcaster sends specially formatted scrolling text, and ONE categorises and stores it for retrieval at the user’s convenience – it even keeps tracking text messages when in standby. Colin Crawford, director of product marketing, PURE Digital, says: “We’ve used our expertise as world leaders in DAB to produce a radio that not only sounds great but is intuitive and easy to use too. UK-engineered by the best DAB radio designers in the business, ONE is a breakthrough in affordable radio enjoyment.” ONE comes with a full 2 year warranty and UK-based customer and technical support, and will be available from PURE retailers from May 2006. |
|
9th April 2006
Waffler
For the first time for ages this week my solar powered radio in the kitchen burst into action due to sun shining through the window. It is still very cold by night and most of the day but lets hope it will not be long before we can enjoy warm sunshine. Not fair having a hosepipe ban before the hot sun arrives. As I post this update on the internet - low and behold even in the south snow overnight is forecast.
I have just begun to start listening to my cds again, since moving I have not had a real chance to do this. I was listening today to the rather excellent Smiley Smile and Wild Honey albums the Beach Boys wrote. These have extra versions of Good Vibrations and other hits on them. Pure genius and so much different from the numerous surfing hits they produced.
I notice that the blog with the same name as this site has a feature on possible new Longwave radio stations due to beam into England from overseas. Some are news to myself but I suppose a possibility. Distant longwave radio is a bit like dab, instead of glitching or burbling you get a frying noise of electrical interference. The longwave transmissions from RTE leave a lot to be desired in my part of the suburbs.
We move nearer to Easter and Radio Caroline will be celebrating - from their website
"Join us over the Easter weekend for
Caroline Festival 42 - celebrating 42 years since the station broke the BBC
monopoly in 1964. To mark our birthday we're going to be playing some of the
best music from those past 42 years all across the Easter weekend.
It will be your chance to hear again many of the great songs you chose to
feature in the recent Radio Caroline Listeners Top 500, along with choices from
our presenters.
Easter weekend will also feature our second annual Radio Caroline Support Group
Membership Drive, and there will be brand new exclusive gifts for all existing
members, and new members signing up over the weekend"
I will be decorating over that period, not sure if I should risk getting paint on the satellite receiver though whilst doing it - you cannot beat a good transistor portable when you paint. It does not matter if you splash paint on it.
I haven't had many emails recently from site visitors, and there is no guest book on site at present. It would be good to hear from you. I may begin to think that nobody is reading my comments and give up and close down!
The contact email does not appear on the re-designed site but is as ever wirewaffle@hotmail.com
News from other sources
Ofcom has put digital at the core of its plans for the coming year and has prioritised moves to support elderly and disabled people in the switchover
One is not enough!!! From Monday April 17th, Tony will be joined by Erica North (ex-Heart 106.2) every Monday, Tuesday and Friday on Classic Gold Digital breakfast show. Sandy Warr, (ex-LBC 97.3) will be with him on Wednesdays and Thursdays. ( 6 replies )
GTFM, one of the first radio stations in the UK to be given an 'access radio' licence and more recently a community radio licence is under threat after an assembly government grant of £80,000 was refused
3rd April 2006
Waffler
I have been listening to Chill on and off today on dab in London - the signal seems better today for the first time in weeks.
Hans Knot has issued his April newsletter, I am no longer carrying this as a separate page but you can subscribe to this excellent email or view it on the offshore radio website run by Martin Van Der Ven. I enjoy reading the newsletter but prefer to concentrate on writing new material for this site rather than cutting and pasting the newsletter into my web pages. Best wishes to Hans as ever, a master authority on offshore radio then and now!
News from other sources
The transatlantic DRM project from Sackville,
Canada with Radio Sweden programmes on 17880 kHz is off the air for technical
reasons. A new DRM exciter has been installed in Sackville and it needs some
testing and adjustments. It has not yet been decided when the transmissions will
be resumed.
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BBC Three Counties Radio is launching a weekly
programme produced by, and for, British Gypsies. Rokker Radio (which means Talk
Radio in Romany language) will be presented by Jake Bowers every Sunday evening
from 9 April. Bowers is one of Britain's only Romany journalists and is a
regular contributor to The Guardian and BBC Radio 4.
The weekly show will focus on issues affecting the travelling community. The
station hopes that by reporting their stories, some of the myths about Gypsies
and Travellers will be dispelled.
Today is a milestone for Radio 10 Gold's Peter Holland, who celebrates 35 years on radio. Like many of the DJ's here, he started his career on Radio Veronica when it was still an offshore broadcaster, but very soon he transferred to the Dutch service of Radio Noordzee Internationaal, where he really established himself. Following the closure of the offshore stations in 1974, Peter Holland went to work for the public broadcasters VARA and NOS, where he presented a number of successful programmes. For the past 15 years, he has been one of the team of presenters at Radio 10 Gold, on the air Mon-Fri at 0800-1100 UTC. Our congratulations to Peter on reaching this milestone in his career.
From today,, the Dutch travel organisation
ANWB has stopped delivering live voiced traffic reports to most radio stations
in the Netherlands, though a basic service remains on the national public
channels. The radio stations have responded in differing ways. On Radio 10 Gold,
the presenters are reading reports sent by text from ANWB. These are said by the
ANWB to be up-to-date.
In a leaked memo to RadioToday.co.uk, we can reveal that Emap have agreed to change the name of their Preston-based 'Big City' radio station from Rock FM back to the old on-air name of Red Rose Radio.
Sri Lankans can now enjoy ten daily hours of
BBC World Service programming, thanks to a new agreement with the Sri Lanka
Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). BBC output in English has increased by five
hours on all SLBC national FM networks across the country in addition to
programmes in Sinhala and Tamil.
Michel Lobelle, BBC Business Development Manager, Asia and Pacific Region,
said: "I am delighted that listeners in Sri Lanka are now able to enjoy
the full range of BBC programming in perfect sound quality on FM across the
country. Sri Lanka is a key market for the BBC World Service and this new
agreement consolidates our excellent relationship with SLBC."
Return to Top
28th March 2006
Welcome to the new Wireless Waffle Site, a small change in design and a few new articles for you to read - no sound files at the moment but they will be added to some pages in due course. If you wish to contact us, or make comments please email wirewaffle@hotmail.com thank you.
26th March 2006
Waffler
I was chuffed to find a link to this site on the new Radio 390 site , which has a Spanish web address. They plan to start on line transmissions from the end of March 2006 http://radio390spain.es.tt/ I have also added this in two places on our links page - along with Mark Savages new blog Radio Far Far. The other wireless waffle blog site is more technical than this and contains rather a lot of ladies in his illustrations. As Kenny would say "in the best possible taste" And as Tony Windsor on Big L said in the sixties "..how dare you!" This is the web home of the original wireless waffler, often imitated but never duplicated (stole that from Big L as well!
I have read recently that Angel Radio in the Isle of Wight on cable features music for the over 60s. I also note that it has a licence to transmit around 101 FM in Havant. I am wondering if anyone can supply me with some recordings of this station to listen to. It sounds like a very innovative station.
I have also had a chance in a local WH Smiths to see the latest Radio User and Radio Communication magazines. Radio User has some good features in it, but nothing much to excite the Waffler. Radio Communication has a spine like Shortwave Magazine had on it in the late sixties. Other than that Radio Communication under Kevin Nice seems to have too much scanning, aircraft and other information it it to appeal to me. I am saving a fortune now Shortwave Magazine and Radio Active have folded. I expect they may well improve with time. Meanwhile the best read I get monthly is the British DX Club's monthly A5 publication "Communication"
I have also read that the powers that be are trying to prevent Radio Tatras from streaming audio beyond the uk on the internet.
Chill and Drgs entire muliplex in my area is suffering recently - it goes on and off air, all due to appalling power used. Ofcom say no to any more signal power to match other multiplexes because it was agreed when they took out the licence. BT are doing some sort of tests on an close frequency which blank it out. I am writing to Ofcom to demand a better service.
'Thanks for the information below, to Mike Terry, all of Bob Preedy's books to date have been very good. Unusual I have not heard from Bob direct on this one. I have just ordered a cd from Caroline Sales featuring Radio Atlanta, so will not be buying the book yet.
Johnnie Walker - Cruisin' the Formats' is the latest book from Bob Preedy, already well-known as the author of 'Radio Caroline North - Rockin' and Rollin'' and 'Radio 270 - Life on the Oceaan Waves'. Rather than being a biography of JW, Bob's book charts Johnnie's broadcasting career in the context of radio development since the Sixties. It recalls the numerous stations that have benefited from Johnnie's on-air talents, from adopting his on-air name from a jingles package aboard Swingin' Radio England, through KSAN San Francisco, to his continuing career on Radio Two. The book is illustrated with numerous photos and memorabilia. 'Johnnie Walker - Cruisin' the Formats' is available from the Radio London store, price: £6.99 including p & p. http://www.radiolondon.co.uk/kneesflashes/happenings/janfebmarch06/hapjanfebmarch1.html#updates
Thanks to Tim Ritchie's good wife for spotting this gem in a paper - from a paper in Sussex - shows that Radio Caroline inspired great things in the early days of 1964. I expect the model may now have received a high car tax band due to all the extra materials added to it!
please
click on the picture to read the article
10th March 2006
Waffler
Still lots of interesting activities in the world of radio to report on. It is also sad that at the start of this week the Drg dab muliplex in London was running intermittently on low or no power at all. It is a great pity that they cannot put information on a website, on teletext or the scrolling text when a transmitter is faulty or being serviced.
There seems to be opposition to Chris Evans taking over the Johnnie Walker slot on BBC Radio 2 in the press. I am so please personally that Stuart Maconie is not going to continue doing the show. Radio 2 is one of the last stations which seem to give us really big names on the radio. I of course would like new presenters to flourish. Radio Jackie do seem to have a really good team of presenters on their station.
I have been enjoying listening to BBC Radio Berkshire, and just discovered this morning that Henry Kelly was doing as show 10am to 1pm. I wondered where he had gone after Simon Bates took over breakfast on Classic FM. I am looking at a way of overhauling the programme diary section - I may incorporate all of the station and programme recommendations on one page. Back to Henry Kelly - he does a good show, plays a bit of classical music and pop - but I do like his little asides and comments. A competent broadcaster indeed!
I also enjoy listening to
Roberto Perroni on the breakfast show on BBC 3 Counties. He
had an interesting feature talking to people about Rhubarb
one day this week. I love Rhubarb, but it got bad
press in the war years because sugar was on strict ration.
Imagine eating it without sugar!
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to Top
I do not wish to burden site visitors with too many web details but just to say that this domain should continue to exist after the end of September after all.
I have added a small section on the site and will be offering cds and items from my radio archive from time to time. This will help finance the web space and other expenses. There is a new email for this service only. I have been trading on ebay for 3 years but it is not economically viable to advertise small items like this via that service. I will however be taking paypal or postal orders for payment. Sales will only be to UK addresses.
News from other sources
| RTI
has launched its first satellite service for Europe
giving the station access to 8.1 million homes in the
UK with an EPG
(Electronic Programme Guide) number following shortly. Eric Wiltsher, Director of RTI UK told us; “Being on the same satellite as BSkyB gives RTI a fantastic opportunity to access the ever growing digital platform in the UK. However, the way RTI is configured within the satellite means that anyone, with or without a viewing card, can enjoy the programming from RTI". |
|
| Eric Continues: “For
Slovakia; RTI
on satellite will be a unique 24/7 digital platform
that will share information about the great tourist
areas of Slovakia, the beauty of the High Tatras and
more – whilst retaining it’s on-going commitment
to it’s local FM listeners in the High Tatras. This
is why we retain the balanced mix of English and
Slovak. In 2006 RTI
is exploring additional digital services as radio
matures into the digital platform it will be worldwide
in the future”. RTI is broadcasting Free to Air on the Eurobird satellite at 28.5 East. Sky Digital owners will find the station on 12.523H 27500 2/3. RTI broadcasts on 1350AM to central/northern Europe and on 94.2 FM in Poprad and 94.8 FM in Kosice, Slovakia. Return to Top |
|
RTI Satellite RTI Broadcasts on the Eurobird satellite. Free To Air owners should use the following: 12.523H 27500 2/3 Sky Digital owners should first go to ADD CHANNELS* then: 12.523H 27500 2/3 (N.B. An EPG number will follow soon) RTI broadcasts on 1350AM to central/northern Europe RTI broadcasts on 94.2 (Poprad) and 94.8 (Kosice) in Slovakia RTI broacasts on-line via www.rti.fm using a standard media player For assistance please e-mail: signal@rti.fm RTI is Informative and entertainment music radio. Musical orientation: the best of the old and new from around Europe Licences: -94,2 granted 19.11.2003 by the Council for broadcasting and retransmission of Slovakia -January 2005 the U.K. regulator Ofcom granted RTI a satellite transmission licence -April 2005 RTI started broadcasting -July 2005 the Latvian regulator granted permission for RTI to broadcast on 1350 AM -September 2005 RTI began broadcasting on 94,8 FM in Košice - Slovakia Place of broadcasting Studios in Poprad, London and Riga. Coverage 1/4 Slovakia • 4 National Parks TANAP, NAPANT, PIENAP, National Park of Slovakian Paradise • 4 regions – Prešov, Košice, B.Bystrica, Žilina – Slovakia • 3 regional cities – Prešov, Košice, B.Bystrica • 750 000 inhabitants of Slovakia and all the important touristic centres • 33 cities in Slovakia • V4 countries, Scandinavia, Germany, Baltic States and more • Whole world www.rti.fm • Now Europe, North Africa and beyond via Eurobird *RTI radio has now been configured onto the Sky platform. Listeners can follow the below information to manually tune into the RTI service. Go to Services Menu -> System Setup (4) -> Add Channels (4) -enter the appropriate Frequency, Polarisation, Symbol Rate and FEC. Find Channels and Press SELECT - highlight "RTI" service and press Yellow button. Return to Services Menu -> Other Channels (6) on STB / (8) on Sky+ - "RTI" should be listed and available Return to Top
Netherlands Competition Authority OK's sale of Nozema Services The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has given is approval to the sale of transmitter operator Nozema Services to the Telecom company KPN. The approval was granted after KPN agreed to sell some of the main transmission masts to an independent third party within two years, to ensure that KPN does not have a monopoly of the market. In the intervening period, KPN will hand the responsibility for the tranmission masts to Novec, the state-owned company formed last year.
The death of comedian John Junkin has been announced. From offshoreradio.co.uk *John Junkin* Born 29th January 1930 in Ealing, west London, John was one of the very earliest disc-jockeys on Radio Caroline although he never actually visited the ship. He presented some pre-recorded shows, taped in studios in London. His time as a DJ was short-lived but he went on to a long and successful career as an actor, comedian and script-writer
3/3/06
The House of Lords Select Committee has today published its Second Report on the BBC Charter Review. The entire report is available online, and of particular interest to readers of this Weblog will be the Committee's recommendations on the BBC World Service: * We recommend that under no circumstances should the BBC World Service be allowed to be treated or seen as a "tool" of public diplomacy or of governmental goals. Everything should be done to protect the editorial independence on which its reputation depends. * We do not believe it is appropriate for a representative of the BBC World Service to serve either as a member or as an observer on a board chaired by an FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office]. Minister under the proposed definition of public diplomacy. We are also against the proposal that BBC staff should be employed by a Government management unit. The independence of the BBC World Service could be compromised by the closeness of the relationship proposed by Lord Carter's review. * A 12 hour limit on the Arabic language news channel's broadcasting time will mean the BBC competing for audiences with one hand tied behind its back. We recommend that the Government should immediately provide the BBC World Service with the required £6 million to establish a 24 hour Arabic channel. * We therefore recommend that the BBC should comprehensively review its international activities and that a strategy outlining the future of its public and commercial television, radio and online services used overseas be published. * We recommend that as part of the comprehensive review of the BBC's international services the BBC World Service should continue to consider the need to provide television services beyond the Arabic language service. Further expansion may prove to be important but should not be dependent on cuts to existing radio services. ( (Media Network) Page with links to pdf and online copies of 2nd report, Further Issues for BBC Charter Review and links to oral evidence: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldbbc.htm
Tuesday 2nd March 2006
Waffler
I wondered what had happened to Jon Gaunt on BBC London and have done a net search and found the following information
"Jon Gaunt has been asked to be the new breakfast show presenter for BBC Coventry and Warwickshire when the station re-launches in September. Coventry is Jon's home town and he has accepted the offer.
Jon leaves for 3 weeks holiday starting July 18th and, when he returns, he needs to join his colleagues in Coventry to prepare his new programme, so his last programme for BBC london 94.9 will be on Friday July 15th." I am not sure how that one escaped the waffler. Mind you he moved house in June also and was busy with family and other business!
Vanessa Feltz tries hard but is not a patch on Jon!
Below are a few stories hanging over from our last update on 23rd February plus some newer ones
I also have a rather interesting feature on Sealand from issue 19 of a Spotlight on Felixstowe publication sent to me my my friend Tim. Thanks for this, pity they cannot spell Roy Bates name in the article though! I remember blowing up a picture for the website - when we visited Felixstowe last year (by blowing up i mean photographically!)
please
click on the article to enlarge and view
News from other sources
| Linda
Smith, the comedian, writer and broadcaster, has
died aged 48. Linda was one of the small band of women who made it to the top of the male-dominated world of comedy. |
|
| Her
many appearances on BBC
Radio 4's the News Quiz won her the admiration and
affection of the listeners and she was one of the
most popular figures on the network. This was made clear in 2002 when she topped a listeners' poll to find the "wittiest person on radio". |
|
After seven years presenting the BBC Radio 2 drivetime show, Johnnie Walker is to step down from the daily programme at the end of March 2006.
Since taking over from John Dunn in 1999, Johnnie has added more than two million extra listeners, making it the most listened to drivetime show in the UK.
Johnnie Walker received an MBE for services to broadcasting at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
From April he will be concentrating on high profile rock interviews, a new Sunday programme and will continue on the Breakfast Show when Terry Wogan is on leave.
Johnnie said today: "I've had a wonderful time presenting Drivetime and enjoyed it enormously. After seven years on one show I feel it's time for a change.
"The new Sunday show will be give me the opportunity to present a programme with a spiritual angle, something I've been talking to Radio 2 about for over a year.
"And after getting such positive feedback for my Eric Clapton special last summer, I'm keen to do more interviews with the major names in rock, the first of which will be a special on The Eagles."
Commenting on his decision, Lesley Douglas, Controller of Radio 2, said: "I'm delighted that Johnnie will continue to be a key presenter on Radio 2.
He is one of the great radio talents and is loved by Radio 2 listeners.
I understand his decision to have a less demanding schedule while taking on new challenges."
GCap DAB radio station, Core, has launched a world record attempt - to make its Saturday night show, "Carwash", the worlds most snooped radio show. A snoop is the radio industry term for an appraisal/review session between broadcaster and programme controller based on recent on-air audio.
Banbury's newest radio station 107.6 Touch FM launched today at 10AM from the Castle Quays Shopping Centre. (27/1/06)
Veteran radio DJ Johnnie Walker has collected his MBE from Buckingham Palace saying: "I still love this job." Honoured for services to broadcasting in a career spanning 40 years, the BBC Radio 2 DJ collected his MBE from Prince Charles. "The Prince was asking me about the pirate radio ship Radio Caroline," the 60-year-old said. "I was a bit naughty, I disobeyed the law," he added. "It would seem I've been forgiven." Walker was born in Birmingham and left school at the age of 15 to train as a mechanic. He later took a job as a car salesman. In 1965, he quit his job to join pirate station Radio England and six months later joined the ship Caroline, continuing to broadcast in defiance of government legislation. Walker began at the BBC on Radio 1 in 1969, moving to Radio 2 in 1998 where he now presents Drivetime. In October 2003 he underwent chemotherapy and an emergency operation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, revealing his diagnosis on air. "I've been in remission for two years," he said on Friday. "The longer it goes on the more hopeful you become. I was very lucky." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4748708.stm
23rd February 2006
Waffler
Work has begun on the website for my ntlworld web space. The Sound and Vision site has closed and the two services will become one website. It will replace this one in September. You can visit it from a link on the front page. I always believe in changing the contents of the site around a little every now and then. I am also working on a feature on radio listened to in Spain - never seems enough time to complete that. Mind you I got the one on Cyprus done so it cannot be that difficult.
I enjoyed listening to Radio Tatras International both on 1350 Khz and Sky yesterday. Eric Wiltsher was in in fine form and started off with AC/DC and finished off with Deep Purple. Johnny Reece was on later with his album zone. During the daytime this station broadcasts in Sklovakian language. Hope I got that right. I did notice some glitching yesterday, but checking with Eric it was problems with uploading to the satellite. The net feed was not affected. I am adding a link to our links page for future reference. I will be dipping into this station's day and night output over the forthcoming months. There are so many stations to listen to, this one is different enough to deserve more listening in my books.
This afternoon I caught Alan Watts on Radio Caroline and he was doing an excellent show, sounding a little like Rob Leighton I felt. The station studios in Maidstone had a fire alarm this afternoon and the station was on auto pilot for about 20 minutes. You can always rely on Caroline for a good mix of classic rock and pop and up to date music.
Rob Leighton was on Caroline this evening doing his Imagination Show. He is one of my favourite Caroline presenters. Rob worked at the Voice of Peace so also has an offshore background. He has a good choice of music and tonight featured a new album by Strange Fish at 10pm (22:00 hours if you prefer!) He was interviewing the group about the album as well.
Johnny Walker mentioned on Radio 2 yesterday that he would be soon collecting his MBE at the palace. Congratulations Sir! Now that reminds me he used to be called Sir Johnny Walker - or have I just imagined that?
News from other sources
Kevin - currently Editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme - will play a key role in the direction of the college. He will also establish and edit the college's website and commission material to fulfil its aspiration to be a world-class online presence on journalism issues.
| PURE Digital is
now shipping the PURE EVOKE-3, the most advanced radio
yet. EVOKE-3 enables a wealth of enhanced usability features, both from the radio itself and from its fully featured remote control. It brings together the best features of PURE’s DAB digital radio range, including ReVu™, SD-card support, MP3 playback, tri-band reception, multiple alarms and timers, USB upgradeability, ChargePAK support, SnoozeHandle™ and Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). EVOKE-3’s advanced features are accompanied by elegant, iconic styling and industry-leading sound quality. |
|
| EVOKE-3 is
compatible with Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)
broadcasts which enable users to browse seven days of
programmes on a single station or all programmes on a
particular day, see a detailed description of each
programme, and select them for scheduled listening or
recording to SD memory card. EPG is supported by major UK broadcasters including the BBC, Classic FM, Virgin, Capital Radio and many others. The GCap Media and Chrysalis Radio Groups provide listings for more than 30 commercial radio stations on DAB multiplexes around the UK, and the BBC also operates an EPG service for its national digital multiplex. EPG is the next stage in radio evolution – as it was with digital television. With EPG users can record programmes to listen to at their convenience, effectively making their own station from the shows recorded on the SD card. “The bee's knees of digital radio. If you want a top of the range radio, look no further,” said The Times (14/2/06) awarding the radio 5 / 5. The EVOKE-3 is on sale for £199.99 (SSP inc. VAT.) The first units are on sale from February 24th 2006 at the Sound & Vision Show in Bristol. |
|
Bexley's newest radio station, TGR Sound (Thames Gateway Radio Sound) has just been awarded a five-year licence to transmit in the borough on the FM dial.
Hi-Fi enthusiasts, audio purists and record producers will be excited by the latest internet streaming innovation from 107.8 Radio Jackie, The Sound Of South West London. The station has now added a Finesse stream, which preserves the studio output quality even more faithfully.
17th February 2006
Waffler
A good week with Johnnie Walker on at breakfast time. BBC Radio 2 cannot miss with such good presenters in the morning. Wogan, Walker or Allinson, as far as I am concerned that network shines in the morning. Johnnie Walker has given credits each morning to the technical staff in the studio. Good to hear an ex colleague of mine Martyn Parker call out a loud hello on air recently. I think Johnnie may be on next week as well
I am now a fan of Sarah Kennedy reading the review of the press at 6:45 in the morning and her famous "Showtime" tune from the musicals after 7am.
The Laser Hot Hits crew battle on on numerous short-wave frequencies. They sound enthusiastic but who really listens for long to short-wave pirates now?
I heard an example of what DRM radio sounds like on my radio club audio tape recently. It was Voice of America. The glitches on this sounded like echos - the person who had put this on said he hoped that the system would be improved. Obviously worth waiting a while before buying a DRM radio. A reminder that this will be the new form of am digital broadcasting.
February 28th looks like the date that Sky will be re-jigging all of its channels. Radio Tatras International run by Eric Wiltsher was due to be on it a few days ago. It is not on the EPG yet and I have failed to find it. The problems with a free to air receiver is that you have to flip through the channels to find a station. With a Sky receiver you can go out of the main listings and tune something in manually. I live in hope that it will get on to the EPG listings and become easier to find nearer the end of the month.
I will shortly be starting off a Wireless Waffle Mart page. This will have on offer good condition second hand cds, books and radio related items. It will also have on offer copies of items in my personal archive. The single idea here is to help finance the website operation. When I ran a magazine up to 1999 it was possible to recoup some of my expenses from subscriptions. I have provided the service free for almost 7 years. Payment will be by cheque or if your prefer paypal.
I heard James O'Brien on LBC 97.3 yesterday doing a phone in about uses for using your own urine. It was inspired by a news item in which somebody survived by drinking their own. I put a cassette in my recorder upstairs as soon as I heard it. Alas the tape was at the end and did not record the item. I think I may have got it off the internet - LBC have a page of preview podcasts - you need to subscribe to get complete programmes. The subject was dealt with with humour and tact. James was giving the frequency out as 97.wee. Witty - pity more radio cannot be like this. I have found a way of downloading podcasts. Users of the old windows 98 set up cannot install I-tunes so I have to do it using the html code from the rss feeds.
There is a lot of information in the news section this time.
News from other sources
Hello there from Milan, Italy, We have recently extended our schedule with new daily broadcasts targeted to the Middle and especially the Far East (i.e. India, China, Philippines), and would appreciate receiving reception reports from listeners on these target areas: We are interested especially in the following: Mon-Fri: 15,750 kHz from 1300-1400 UTC to the Far East Sat&Sun: 15,750 kHZ from 1300-1500 UTC to the Far East reception on this frequency has been reported throughout Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. and: Fri: 9,380 kHz from 1800-1930 UTC to the Middle East and N Europe We have also extended our low power broadcasts to Europe now daily on 13,840 kHz from 0800-1600 UTC and on 5,785 kHz from 1600-2100 UTC (2200 UTC on Sat&Sun). Check our complete schedule for all other broadcasts at : http://www.nexus.org/NEXUS-IBA/Schedules/ Please address your reports to: reports@... Thank You and best 73s, de Ron (BCLNEWS.IT, the only italian updated DX web site!!!) bclnews@yahoogroups.com
VIP Radio is now on-air with test transmissions 24 hours a day. In Spring 2006 the station comes to the SKY Digital satellite and will be heard across the UK and Western Europe. The station promises a mix of Motown, Northern Soul, Disco, Soul Flavoured Pop and Legendary performers, all delivered by a mix of British and American DJs. Such artists being featured on the playlist will include Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Al Green, Michael McDonald, Sly and the Family Stone, Robert Palmer, Prince, James Brown and Marvin Gaye. Station PD Andy Wint comments: "VIP Radio will integrate live events, magazine publishing and music retail with its on-air output aimed firmly at over 35's." http://www.vipradio.net/
BBC launches new podcasts
Julia Day, radio correspondent (Guardian)
Tuesday February 14, 2006
The corporation is rolling out 29 more radio and TV packages as podcasts including highlights from Paxman's BBC2 Newsnight programmes, an hourly TV bulletin and Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
All of the programmes will be available as downloads and podcasts at bbc.co.uk/radio from February until June. There are plans to bring the total number of programmes in the trial to 50, with more programmes to be added.
Guardian reports again:
UBC - the owner of the AM wavelength Classic Gold network, joint-owner with Channel 4 of digital station One Word and the largest independent radio production company in the UK - wanted to merge 13 of its 18 Gold stations into regional "clusters".
But Ofcom believes that if had it agreed to UBC's plan, it would open the floodgates for radio groups to reduce their localness, which the regulator is bound to protect.
Following a public consultation, Ofcom ruled that UBC's plan would have narrowed the range of local programming available and said the company's rationale for regional clustering was "not compelling".
Mike Barraclough from the British DX Club spotted this information
From the current Radio Times You Ask Us column on analogue TV switch off: What's happening to radio? Is a similar switch off planned? No, there are no current plans to switch all radio signals to digital. A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport tells us: "The circumstances for radio and TV are very different. To take a few examples: consumer take up of digital TVs is 66% but for DAB the figure is about 8%. It's not currently economically viable for all existing small scale analogue stations to broadcast digitally: and unlike TV, there is no significant profitable use forseen for the released spectrum (i.e. the frequencies on which analogue broadcasts are made, which would become free for other uses after a digital switchover)."
Owen Gibson, media correspondent
Friday February 17, 2006
The Guardian
(from the Guardian web site)
The crowd is in a police station in south London, and the delay is caused by the fact that the planned raid on the pirate station cannot take place until it begins broadcasting.
After two hours of silence there is a crackle then a burst of enthusiasm as a budding DJ takes to the air. "You're locked in to Bounce 97.6 on your FM dial," he exclaims, as two enforcement officers from the media regulator Ofcom track the signal, followed by a police car and a van containing 10 police officers.
Minutes later the convoy swoops down the ramp of a local car wash, where the tinny strains of rapper Lil' Kim's Lighters Up can be heard emanating from a graffiti covered office disguised, not altogether convincingly, as a CD shop. The two officials bag up the record decks, CD mixer, computer, mobile phones, transmitter and stacks of CDs that allow Bounce FM to broadcast. As police arrest the DJ and joint station owner each wears an air of amused, weary resignation confirming the raid as the latest move in their game of chess with the authorities. On previous form, the station could be back on air in hours.
Meanwhile, another Ofcom team is alerted on top of a tower block two miles away. They take down the transmitter that has been broadcasting the station to listeners within a five mile radius.
This raid is just one of many and marks the beginning of a renewed clampdown on pirate radio amid warnings that London's airwaves are now saturated with illegal stations that interfere with emergency services and commercial rivals.
Ofcom, which has responsibility for investigating illegal broadcasts, plans to press for the courts to issue heavier penalties after recording a significant rise in the number of pirate stations on air during the past two years. It argues that the popular image of music enthusiasts operating on the edge of the law hides links with drugs, guns and organised crime.
New figures show that Ofcom targeted 177 stations in the past year, securing 58 convictions. But officers from the regulator's enforcement unit told the Guardian that stations are often back on air hours after being raided and having their equipment confiscated.
The more established stations with sizeable followings are able to kit out a studio and buy a transmitter for less than £3,000, while raking in up to £5,000 a week in advertising revenue.
In addition to advertising income, up and coming DJs are charged a fee of between £10 and £20 an hour for the privilege of playing and the stations often have links to local nightclubs. At weekends there are now more than 80 pirate radio stations operating in London and more than 150 around the country.
Apart from interfering with emergency services, air traffic control, the Ministry of Defence and commercial stations, Ofcom claims there is often a direct link between pirate radio and organised crime. Raids on studios have uncovered firearms and other weapons, while police report an increase in violent confrontations between rival broadcasters battling for possession of vacant slots on the FM dial. They also report an upsurge in the amount of transmission equipment stolen to order from local BBC and commercial stations.
"People's behaviour has changed. In the past they would allow us to get on with our jobs. People are now more volatile, more protective of the equipment and more likely to make verbal and violent threats," said Paul Mercer, Ofcom's head of operations in London and the south-east.
In an effort to combat the growing problem Ofcom has reorganised its enforcement unit. Around 125 staff work in the field operations unit that has responsibility for policing the airwaves. A new division will concentrate solely on longer term investigations, in particular the links between pirate radio stations and their advertisers, their connections with nightclubs and the black market supply of equipment.
Having incessantly promoted a club night on air, the operators of the station will often run it themselves, profiting from admission fees and bar takings.
Sometimes, say officials, a nightclub owner may not even know their venue is being used for an illegal event. Police say that money raised through advertising is also sometimes used to buy drugs to sell at these nights.
Talk radio stations, while rarer than those pumping out music, can also present particular problems. Pirate radio stations in Birmingham were accused of spreading rumours of the rape of a West Indian girl by a gang of Asian men that contributed to riots in October last year.
Others argue that pirate stations take advantage of young DJs and MCs by charging them to appear. At Bounce FM a notice on the wall reminds DJs to pay their £10 an hour subs to "keep Bounce bouncing".
Local councils also report an upsurge in the nuisance and damage caused by pirate stations gaining access to the rooftops of high rise tower blocks in order to erect their transmitters, often scaling the balconies of blocks of flats or leaping from one rooftop to another.
According to Mr Mercer, some use metal masts up to 50ft high, which then have to be taken down by specialist scaffolders at a cost of £1,000 a day.
DJs and artists argue that pirate stations, typically offering a steady diet of grime, rave, hip hop, R'n'B or reggae music, provide a breeding ground for new talent and an outlet for music that otherwise receives little exposure.
Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Shystie and Sway are among the British artists who put their success down to the network of pirate radio stations and attendant club nights that criss-cross the capital.
DJ G Money, who for almost 10 years ran the south London pirate Bassline and is now a news presenter for the BBC's digital urban music station 1Xtra, said such stations played a vital role. "There is always going to be a kid in his bedroom in east London who has made a CD and gives it to his mate to play that night. There is less of a gap between the street and mainstream than there was, but there's still a gap," he said.
But he accepted that pirate stations had become less organised, with more confrontation and less cooperation. "A lot of the structure has gone. We had our own rules that everyone adhered to," he said.
Hot buttons
Popular pirate stations include:
94.6 Kool FM (old skool drum & bass) - Wapping based station has been running for 15 years, playing drum and bass music. Had transmitter seized last October.
95.5 On Top FM (grime, eski) Launched a year ago to for growing number of grime DJs, MCs and producers making their own tracks in south London.
97.9 Bassline (R&B, hip hop, ragga) South London station founded in 1993, playing urban music. Co-founder G Money is now a news presenter on BBC 1Xtra.
101.1 Naija FM (African) Mix of African music and talk. Based in Plumstead and Wapping. Had two transmitters seized in past year.
The announcement last week that the US Broadcasting Board of Governors is proposing to eliminate the global English-language service of the Voice of America is still the subject of much debate in the media both in the US and overseas. One of the people most qualified to comment on the proposal is Dr Kim Andrew Elliott, who has many years' experience as an audience research analyst in the US International Broadcasting Bureau, which runs the VOA. Kim's personal view is that it would be better to keep the English service.
|
BBC Radio 1 announced today that Rory McConnell will be the new host of its Northern Ireland show on Thursday nights. Rory joined Radio 1 in 2004 as broadcast assistant on Donna Legge's show, which is one of the station's weekly new music shows from the UK's four nations.
Digital Radio Development Bureau
Senior BBC executives were meeting with trade unions today in a last-ditch bid to avoid strikes hitting some of the corporation's best-known radio shows next week (13/2/05)
Here's a translation from the flemish newspaper "Het Laatste
Nieuws" (The latest news) -thanks to http://www.beachradio.nl/
for this information
HET LAATSTE NIEUWS
'Wonderboy' Sylvain Tack (72) passed away
Sylvain Tack, the man behind Suzy wafels, bought Mi Amigo and founded
the weekly magazine Joepie has died.
Sunday afternoon, 5 february his body was found in his house in
Oudenburg by police detectives.
Tack died in biterness and loneliness at the age of 72.
Police suspects a possible suicide.
In half of the seventies the waffle bake had an important place in the
flemish entertainment industry, with amongst others a record label
called Start, the magazine Joepie and the offshore radio station Mi
Amigo.
Waffelbaker
Tack started his career as baker of the waffle brand Suzy which wasn't
not solely known in Belgium, but also in The Netherlands and Great
Britain.
Later on he stepped into the music industry with his label Start that
became a step up
for artists as Paul Severs, John Terra, Joe Harris, Ivan Heylen and
Samantha.
He also founded the magazine Joepie which still exists today
Crime Writer Sun Paper
FORMER Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning was jailed for
child sex offences yesterday — after being tracked down by The Sun.
Pervert Denning, 64, got four years after admitting four charges of
indecent assault on a male under 16.
He had a string of convictions in the UK and Czech Republic for
similar offences spanning more than 30 years, Kingston Crown Court
heard.
Denning was involved in a paedophile ring in the early 1970s which
included his music mogul pal Jonathan King, who was jailed for child
sex offences in 2001.
Denning was finally brought to justice when a Sun team traced him to
his lair in Austria, where police suspected him of hiring boys for
porn movies and gay mag pictures.
Return
to Top
In Holland: Radio 747AM to revert to old name of Radio 5 The public radio network currently known as 747AM will revert to its old name, Radio 5, and undergo a major change in profile. That's the most significant change in the radio strategy document published today by the Board of Management of Dutch public broadcasting. The changes to 747AM will account for around half of the 13 million euro per year savings that must be made across the public radio networks. The Board of Management describes the 'new style Radio 5' as a "colourful network in which outlooks on life, education and accessible music will be heard. It's hoped this will reach a bigger audience - the current 747AM rarely gets above 1 percent audience share - and make it more attractive to those aged 55 and over with a lower level of formal education. From the start of discussions over the new radio strategy, it was always clear that most of the savings would have to be made by 747AM, as spreading savings equally across all five networks would damage all of them. Two options were initially considered: setting up a "carousel of repeats" or make major savings on the existing 747AM programming. The management decided that neither of these options would deliver more listeners, so chose this third one. As far as the other networks are concerned, news and talk network Radio 1 will see hardly any changes. Radio 2 will undergo minor tweaks, and 3FM will continue its present schedule. Radio 4 will be re-profiled, and as well as a broad range of classical music it will also include jazz, world music, and programmes on art, culture and science. The Board of Management is now asking the various public broadcasting organisations for their reactions to the radio strategy by 15 March. (Media Network)
8th February 2006
Waffler
My cd recorder on the pc has been playing up recently. I thought it was the cold weather that was contributing to to this. I was recording at the very slow speed the editorial pc offers which is 4x. The recordings worked but the sound was a bit glitchy. I have turned the copying speed down to 2x and it is now working perfectly. I suspect that using the modern high speed cdrs points to an incompatibility with the older computers. I have no problems writing my radio recordings to mp3 at 4x but it is writing audio cds that is the problem. I mention this in case other site visitors are experiencing similar problems, so that hopefully it will sort things out for them. I have since found changing to my registered Musicmatch Jukebox plus program - has totally rectified this problem - the roxio software is either corrupt or needs updating to deal with faster cd media.
If you thing you can help save a student radio station please read the SOS in news from other sources below. I had forgotten it was on and must check it out soon before anything happens.
Yes Middle of the Road radio is not
dead - Saga has closed down on the
London digital network and for the time being we are being treated to
non stop middle of the road music with news on the hour.
We only have to listen to a short recorded announcement from David
Hamilton at the moment then its eyes down and out pops..............
Seekers, Sammy Davis Jnr, Jimmy Helms, Petula Clark - back to back.
I do not know why we have a local switch multiplex at Mount Vernon
hospital - but it does give me an error free digital signal. I did ask
for the same for DRG but apparently they are not allowed much power -
part of their licence agreement. |
Chill is now on sky which makes up for the weaker transmission power of
DRG in London.
I was getting used to the term "AOR" but am delighted to learn
that
Middle of the Road has not been done away with as a music term. Hip Hop,
Skool, Trip op -eat your heart out
This also proves that the state of British Radio is dire as I get
excited by a station closing down and being replaced by a playout
system! Pity all radio stations are not on for six months and then
close down - life might be more interesting?
Off subject rant
This current Goverment does not know how far it can squeeze the uk citizens. Not only are the gas and electric companies going to put up prices 25% but dental charges are going to rise excessively from 1st April 2006. I suspect our local paper may have got some of the detail incorrect, but they reckon one filling will be £42.40. I do hope that the report is incorrect. I also suspect that Conservative and Liberal policies cannot save this money grabbing nanny state we currently live in. I am pleased that radio and music continues to keep me amused and happy. Tell your local MP to sort out the dental and power issues so that we do not all go under.
News from other sources
SOS - SAVE OUR STATION! Blast 1386am the Student Radio Station at Thames Valley University Reading is facing crisis this week as the current Station Manager Bob Goertz will be leaving at the end of the week making the fate of the station unknown. The Student Radio Station was recently the subject of concerns over its future as the University had signalled that it was to be closed. However this has been denied by the University who are saying that "The development programme in place will work within the budget available and by rebalancing staffing to meet areas of growth." - Student Liaison Committee 24/01/06 The Students' Union has suggested that in fact the closure would have a detrimental effect on the student population and impede the growth of the University at Reading rather than encourage it. A meeting is to be held at Thames Valley University Reading, Kings Road Campus Thursday 9th February 5.30pm. Students will be able to discuss the future and progression of the radio station and the campaign to save it. A Student Union spokesperson stated, "We hope that this meeting about the future of such an important student facility will embarrass and shame those responsible for this unnecessary closure." Friday will also see students protesting outside the Kings Road Campus to voice their disgust at the closure of such a valuable student learning resource and integral part of the student experience. [END] ----------------------- Notes to Editors 1). Blast 1386am is the Student Radio Station at TVU Reading and broadcasts 24/7 across Reading on 1386am, at the Royal Berks Hospital and on Sky Channel 913 2). The meeting on Thursday the 9th Feb is being held at 5.30pm in Room B16/2. Press, Public, Students and Staff are more than welcome 3). The Protest will be held at 4pm outside the Kings Road Campus Reading. (CMA via Paul David, UK Radio Listeners)
Figures released by the DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau) today show that nearly 500,000 DAB digital radios were sold in December alone, putting cumulative sales at 2.716 million sets at the end of 2005.
As the impact of DAB is felt on the international consumer electronics market, WorldDAB is in talks with retailer auditors such as GfK and TSN Gallup to monitor sales in various countries around the world.
The audience at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (Monday 6 February) is to get a sneak preview of two new radio ballads – the first to be produced for the BBC since the Fifties.
More people are listening to BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2's breakfast shows, according to figures released today by Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd).
In a rare interview the former United States Vice-President Al Gore has told BBC Radio 4's In Business programme that the car industry is in a "state of crisis in the United States".
| Astra radio channels |
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498Music Choice |
BBC Radio 4 UK Theme to be released commercially The controversy over the plans to drop the five-minute medley of patriotic tunes that opens BBC Radio 4 each morning has taken a new turn. Musician Mike Flowers says he's producing a commercial release of the medley by the Royal Ballet Symphonia, that will be available on CD and download before the end of this month. Mr Flowers says he has the backing of Ingrid Spiegl, widow of the composer. However, he needs to record a new version because the BBC has copyright of the current recording. It will be accompanied by "Sailing By", the tune that introduces the late-night shipping forecast on Radio 4. Proceeds from sales will go towards the Light Music Society. The BBC has declined to comment. (Media Network)
1st February 2006
Waffler
I sold my radio tuning unit on ebay about two months ago, and really do not miss this piece of equipment. I am getting good fun and results on my Sony 7600G with a random length of wire. I have checked it out and compared it with the telescopic aerial by day and it really does pull in the stations. I was pleased to hear Radio New Zealand at around 930am. The female voices were lost in the fading but the male voices were quite easy to understand.
I have just put up a feature on Radio in Cyprus - great country - very nice in January around 15 degrees centigrade. cyprus.htm
I continue to listen to Nick Ferrari on LBC and Roberto on BBC 3 Counties. This lasts for the length of a wash or shower, but it really is interesting to hear phone in radio again. When commercial radio first started I used to overdose on the delights that LBC gave us on call ins. I also remember with affection the Robbie Vincent phone ins on BBC Radio London.
I have been enjoying some of the programmes and downloads on WFMU's website. Some or most of the material there is in the vain of Kenny Everett - some naff and many excellent music and curios from the world of recorded sound, The station is a free form radio station in New York and you can listen to it online at www.wfmu.org
I am considering the future of this website. I do not have the overheads that Liam Gough had with his UK radio operation, please see his notice about the future of his operation below. I have this webspace up until September of this year. I also have not moved from Ntlworld so am considering deleting the sound and vision site and moving the operation back to my own webspace. This is a hobby operation but I do intend shortly to try and generate some finances by selling some radio and music related items on the site - watch this diary for information. I also cannot afford a new pc for a few years so fingers crossed this old battleship keeps chugging along and that my waffles will continue to reach the internet. £50 would secure the future of this site on this address for another 2 years but my ntlworld site has been rather inactive for a few months now. I wish to offer my sincere thanks to Liam Gough for allowing this site to take selections from his news and to take the news feeder on site (not sure if that continues but if it doesn't I will delete it from the site)
News from other sources
WRN, the London-based international transmission service company, is to launch two Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) services. DRM is the digital radio transmission standard for Long, Medium and Short Wave. The first service is a London-wide 24 hour a day DRM trial broadcast at 26 MHz. The second service offers DRM transmissions that can target any major European radio market via directional antennas. Initially this second service will cover the whole of the UK and Ireland. Both services go live on Monday 6th February with programming from a range of respected international and UK radio broadcasters.
The long-awaited longwave radio station has been delayed again. Just two months ago, Isle of Man International Broadcasting confirmed it still hoped to get the station on air this month. However, it has been confirmed the Communications Commission has agreed an extension to the licence start date. Broadcasts are now expected from May 1. Station founder Paul Rusling admitted there have been problems. However, he said preparation of the technical aspects of the station is progressing well. 'Our licence has been extended a few more months to allow time for us to complete the construction and launch in a professional manner,' he said. 'We have had a couple of minor delays recently - one of these was financial in nature. 'Effectively one of our shareholders had a shift in investment policy and that line of funding dried up. Certain policies of the alternative funders that we had immediately available were not acceptable to us and we dug in our heels and ran out of money. 'They say, however, that every cloud has a silver lining, and from this delay we have emerged with a deal far better for our existing shareholders and that should give better prospects for the project and all stakeholders, it is just taking a few months longer.' Mr Rusling added: 'We are now confident of being able to launch around Easter, but will not give a date until the facilities are all operational.' In August, Mr Rusling admitted there had been a six-month delay to the planned start date for the station, which will be based in Ramsey and broadcast as far as mainland Europe. The station's name still hasn't been revealed. He said then it was hoped broadcasts would begin early this year, an ambition repeated in mid-November. Delays have dogged the project, including planning and legal rows. The cost of broadcasting from an offshore platform - put at £3 million - means the first broadcasts could be at a lower power than originally planned. However, IMIB hopes after a 'proving period' the station will be successful and able to grow. It is also planned to make transmissions available on mobile phones and over the internet. Several big names have been linked to the project, most recently former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who has been lined up as a presenter. Other presenters could include former Radio Caroline North DJs Mick Luvzit, Emperor Rosko and 'Ugli' Ray Teret alongside 'at least one Manx Radio personality'. 10 January 2006 http://www.iomonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1307976
NEW EDITION OF RADIO STATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM The new 2006 (20th) edition of Radio Stations in the United Kingdom is now available from the British DX Club. Radio Stations in the UK is a comprehensive 60-page guide to BBC, commercial, community and low power AM/FM services on MW and FM, with lists in frequency order and by station name. It includes transmitter power and site details, plus contact information. Frequencies are cross-referenced to help you find parallels. It comes with a separate supplement - Radio Stations in the Republic of Ireland. Its been two years since the last edition was published, so there are lots of changes. This new updated edition can now be ordered for immediate despatch. Radio Stations in the UK is a must for anyone interested in UK domestic radio - from the keen mediumwave or FM DXer to the casual listener. Why not order a second copy to keep in the car - we have a special price for two copies! PRICE of the new 20th edition per copy (includes postage): to UK addresses: - 3 pounds. Rest of World - 3.50 GBP, 6 Euros, 8 US dollars or 8 IRCs **SPECIAL PRICE for 2 copies: UK: 5.50 pounds Europe: 10 Euros ** All orders should be sent to: British DX Club 10 Hemdean Hill Caversham Reading RG4 7SB UK UK Cheques/POs payable to British DX Club. Dollar/Euro payments by cash or Paypal only E-mail enquiries/paypal payments to bdxc@bdxc.co.uk - please add 5% to cover Paypal fees. Full details also on the BDXC-UK web site - www.bdxc.org.uk (the Waffler recommends this publication)
Radiofax has launched its new web site complete with audio downloads in podcast style. Radiofax broadcast on SW throughout the 90s from TX located in Republic of Ireland. The site will include programme extracts from the extensive archives available to Radiofax, music programmes, speech extracts of historical or, in other words, 'anorak' interest and there are some items that have been remastered from original tapes. * Detailed comment on the Crossed Field Antenna. (oh how topical!) I'm afraid we had this debunked back in 1992 and have not seen anything in the intervening 14 years to change our minds. * The Churchill Tapes - Are they genuine? Relating to the controversy over the wartime speeches * An exclusive 90 minute music programme from Andy Bradgate of Radio Caroline fame, where he had a chance to play some of his favourite music. Founder and Sponsor, Trevor Brook, feels that the project has been one of the most worthwhile things he has ever done giving thanks to the listeners, their response and, in particular, the devotion of housebound, disabled and blind listeners. For more information visit www.radiofax.org
'The Beach', owned by Tindle Radio, has named Paul Carter as Programme Manager. Paul's promotion comes as Tom Kay takes up the new position of Regional Programme Controller based at Tindle's new Norwich station which goes to air later this year.
Myleene Klass is to join Classic FM as the presenter of a new Sunday morning breakfast show. Mylene comes from six generations of classical musicians and began playing the piano and violin at the age of four. She has performed in a number of orchestras and choirs and has been a piano and voice teacher in her native Norfolk for a number of years.
'The Beach', owned by Tindle Radio, has been named Radio Academy 'Station Of The Year' for the Eastern region. Radio Academy judges praised 'The Beach' for it's 'friendly lively localness, editorial news values and confident humour' while staff were on hand to pick up the award.
Sad news - reproduced in full - from one of my suppliers of radio news
Dear Radio Newsletter Reader,
It is with the greatest regret that we have decided to close down the services of ukRadio.com / The Radio Newsletter. The main reason for this is that we have been unable to secure sufficient funding for the year - which we rely on to pay for general business overhead costs and some small reward for the number of hours put in daily to keep this service going.
I launched the Radio Newsletter about 9 years ago as an information service on RSL stations to an off shoot list to the then SMS email list. It then developed to include more and more generalised Radio news, with the support of the Radio Authority / BBC and various radio stations around the UK. I later joined the team at Newstide to provide content for their website, but after that closed in 98/99 I was approached by Phillip Jones to set up a new dedicated Industry News website - www.ukRadio.com which launched in March 1999.
With the continued support of our readers and our advertisers over the years we grew this service from being an occasional hobby to becoming a respected Industry news portal - which at its peak had some 5000+ visitors (when we had forums as well) to the website daily and currently some 3600 subscribers to the Newsletter.
This would not have happened, were it not for the financial support from the following organisations / people - to whom we are extremely grateful.
Lines Unlimited
Launch Cast
Psion Wavefinder
UKRD
Grapevine Jobs
TM Century
Blue Revolution
RPB
Digital 1
Reach Radio
Find A Presenter
Radio Academy
Somethin Else
Channel 103
Tindle
New York Festivals
Orange Shop
Paul Chantler
unique Interactive
On-A-Hi
Juice
The Wireless Group
Hallam FM
WRN
The Radio Organisation
Geojock
EUC Conferences
Geojock
Gary Haberfield
Les Gunn
Devaweb
Global Radio news
Media School
NTL Broadcast / Arqiva
Better Radio Programming
Fusion Community Media
On-A-Stick Playout Software
JKC Media
Pure Digital
and also the support and advice from Keri Jones, Calum McCaulay, Andy Griffiths, Bill Everatt, Eric and Fiona Wiltsher, Paul Kavanagh, Hans Knot, John Myers, John Bradford, Steve and Wendy Conway, the various press departments, and many, many others over the years.
My thanks also to the rest of the ukRadio.com team - Phillip Jones, my wife Rachel, Victoria Smith and Andrew Rogers for all their hard work and to you for your support. It has been a pleasure and a great learning expereince for all those involved.
At this stage we are not ruling out a return at some point in the future - though I will be tied up with parental duties when our new baby arrives in March!
So for now it is Goodbye and thanks again for you kind support, comments and feedback over the last 9 years.
Co-Editor
Liam Gough
All enquiries please send to
ukradio@ukradio.com
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The move increases Xfm's audience by 10% to 836,000 listeners and means it will broadcast for the first time in Leicester, Norwich, Nottingham, Coventry, Cambridge, Bournemouth, the South West, and the M4 corridor.
All regions will hear the same DJs, including breakfast show host Lauren Laverne, who took over from Christian O'Connell when he left to join Virgin Radio.
But in the North East, South Coast and Midlands, locally relevant news, traffic, travel and events listings will be put together by producers in GCap's regional hubs.
The remaining non-London area multiplexes will receive a national service for the time being, but content will gradually be localised.
Xfm Scotland, launched earlier this month, has its own DJs and all content is produced in Glasgow. A similarly independent Manchester station is expected early this year.
| New plans have been announced for BBC Radio 4 which will change the face of the early morning schedule. | |
|
Mark Damazer, Controller of BBC Radio 4, announced the plans on the 23rd of January that will take effect from April 2006. Radio 4 will begin its own programming at 5.20am with an extended Shipping and In-shore Waters forecast and from 5.30am a News Briefing containing headlines, a newspaper review, business news, sports news and a look ahead. Prayer for the Day and Farming Today will follow, neither of which are affected by the change - The UK Theme is to be dropped. |
23rd January 2006
News from other sources
Mike Terry spots:
"UK Theme to be dropped by Radio
4"
The UK Theme has been broadcast daily at 0530 GMT
BBC Radio 4 is to axe the UK Theme, the opening music it has played for 33
years, in changes to its schedule.
The theme is a five-minute medley of tunes including Danny Boy, What Shall
We Do With The Drunken Sailor?, Scotland the Brave and Rule Britannia.
It will be replaced by a news briefing and extended shipping forecast.
Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer predicted there would be some protest at the
decision to lose the medley, which will take effect in April. (You bet there
will be much more than "some protest"!!... Mike)
"I know there are some people who will regret the passing of the UK
Theme,"
he said. (Definitely!!... Mike)
"But I believe the bulk of the audience will be better served by a pacy
news
briefing, read by one of Radio 4's team of news readers." (what absolute
tosh!!"(IMHO)...Mike)
Written by Austrian composer Fritz Spiegl, the UK Theme also includes
popular tunes Men of Harlech, Greensleeves, Londonderry Air and Early One
Morning.
It has been broadcast daily at 0530 GMT to signal the switchover from the
World Service to BBC Radio 4.
Farming Today and Prayer for the Day will not be affected by the changes.
(RECORD IT WHILE YOU CAN, its stood the test of 33 YEARS - its WONDERFUL and
so quintessentially British, why do things have to change??...PLEASE email
"Feedback" and the BBC DG and whoever you can find at the BBC
....PLEASE
DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN...thanks...Mike)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4640990.stm
21st January 2006
Waffler
Have recently returned from Cyprus. This was slightly marred by it taking nearly 17 hours to get back thanks to Thomson fly having a technical fault. They picked us up from hotels and knew that a plane in the UK had a hydraulic fault and then much later flew in a replacement from Manchester. Gatwick is a quite place first thing in the morning. Enough of that a new section will be appearing shortly in the World Radio section of the site. In Cyprus in Nicosia, distant from Limassol where I was located, Kiss FM and the Mix from the UK are on FM in the city there!
Have seen reports that the Storm is due to come off dab radio. I hope that Chill does not follow it as it is still one of my wife's favourites when she has an afternoon nap.
Roberto had an amusing phone in on Friday on BBC Three Counties. One feature was where they asked listeners to phone in for songs for toilets. "wee are the champions, I did it my way" were amongst some of the suggestions. I also caught the Steven Rhodes phone in afterwards and that seemed to be a jolly good programme as well.
LBC this morning has a presenter on it, I think it was Paul Ross, being rude about Nick Ferrari. A lady caller, I think called Audrey, was most upset that he was being compared to a Whale or any form of animal. Such is the fabric of phone in radio, you either like it or do not. I think it is refreshing to listen to all genres of talk radio from time to time. Do you remember the 70s in London when it was only LBC and Capital Radio and BBC Radio London. These three stations did in fact provide us with high quality entertainment. The likes of Robbie Vincent and Adrian Love. The likes of David Symonds and Kenny Everett and little Nicky Horne as well.
For those interested in world radio and jingles - you may like to visit Gordon Mac's site and consider buying his history of Australian radio. http://www.waynemac.com/jingles.php. He has lots more information and some jingles in mp3 format to download if you want then. I have added it to the links pages as well for future long term reference. Which reminds me to ask that if you find a dead link on my links pages please email wirewaffle@hotmail.com please.
I have also been having problems with my elderly Archos jukebox recorder. It no longer recharges from the charger unit and a new one has not done this either. I nearly gave up on it and then found a program on the net, I think at http://www.rockbox.org . It has made a recharged battery nimh battery charged externally last a lot longer, but does not allow you title recordings made on it.
I was sorry to learn of the recent death of Tony Banks. I met with him in the course of my work in the 70s and found him to be a very lively personality. He also did a wide range of radio broadcasts, but I must confess I did not know he had a passion for conservation matters.
Reports below show how the BBC are re-locating to Manchester. My thoughts are with the staff involved in moves and redundancies etc. The BBC at the moment has a great world brand and presence, even when you go abroad they are on the satellite. In Cyprus they were not there however in our hotel. We got Anglia ITV only and Sky News in English!
There is a lot of news here, selected mainly from UK radio news - if you think you can finance their comprehensive news operation then please contact them directly Contact Information =============== Tel : 020 8816 8716 Mob : 077 8227 1114 Fax : TBC Web : http://www.ukradio.com Skype: liamgough Address: ukRadio Ltd Communications House 26 York Street London W1U 6PZ
We are not essentially a news service but I do like to select stories from this service to supplement my ramblings. It may be diary but I do not wish to be lumped into the web log category thank you!
News from other sources
Virgin Radio listeners will be able to hear the station's new star DJ Christian O'Connell on FM in London, AM, DAB Digital Radio, online, via podcast and now through a sonic bus shelter in a UK radio first. The long-awaited Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show will be broadcast to the nation from January 23rd, but Londoners will be able to hear the Virgin Radio show even while waiting for a bus. Parts of the show will be broadcast from the shelter every day as part of the "Britain's Best Breakfast Show" advertising campaign to raise the national profile of Multi-Sony Award winner Christian O'Connell. "We've always looked to connect with our listeners in more impactful and innovative ways through special gigs, outdoor broadcasts and presence at music festivals," said David Andrews, Marketing Director at Virgin Radio. "Christian O'Connell's broadcast through the sonic bus shelter really pushes back the boundaries in yet another UK radio first for Virgin Radio. Londoners won't know what hits them when they're treated to Christian's irreverent brand of breakfast while waiting for the number 88." The sonic bus shelter site was booked through Starcom.
(Just announced on Jonathan Ross show) -
thanks to Mike Terry from British DX Club for the below information)
Colin Berry was born in Welwyn Garden City on 29th January 1946. After
completing school he got his first taste of the media working in the
advertising departments of Granada and Westward Television. He joined Radio
Caroline's commercial traffic department in 1964 looking after the
scheduling of advertisements. He auditioned for a position as a disc-jockey
and acted as an occasional relief presenter and news-reader on board
Caroline South. His first stint on board came in December 1965. Colin
remembers: "Colin Nicol was taken ill and they needed someone to read
news.
It was a baptism of fire and I recall not being very good in those early
days." Because there was already a Colin working for the station, he
called
himself Robin Berry during this first period on air. Colin says: "As
Christmas was looming Paul Noble came up with the idea of me taking the name
Robin. It didn't fool too many listeners as I had done the odd voice piece
before and the DJs had referred to me on numerous occasions." Although he
made occasional visits to the ship, Colin did not enjoy life at sea and was
mainly based in Caroline House. His voice featured on numerous adverts and
on the pre-recorded Partners In Profit competition. Following the
anti-pirate legislation he worked as a plugger for a music publisher,
helping Lieutenant Pigeon get to number one in the charts with Mouldy Old
Dough. He then became a continuity announcer on HTV, presented a Saturday
afternoon music and sport show on BBC Radio Medway and worked in the
promotions department of Radio One. He is now an announcer and news-reader
on BBC Radio Two and presents a weekly show every Saturday night on BBC
Three Counties Radio. Colin has his own web-site at
www.geocities.com/berryradio. See also the Continuity Booth. (Many thanks to
Colin for his help.)
(from http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djsb.htm)
He is Radio 2's longest running newsreader.
It was 40 years ago on January 1 that Radio
Scotland began a brief but
popular life as a pirate station, writes Bob McLean
Just after midnight on January 1, 1966, a new voice joined the babel of pop
pirates broadcasting illegally from rusty ships around the coast of Britain.
The voice had a Scottish accent, and called itself "the pride of Bonnie
Scotland, the station with the kilt".
At the microphone for the launch of pirate Radio Scotland was a 21-year-old
disc jockey called Paul Young, now familiar as an actor and television
presenter. "It was chaos," he recalls. "We were promised this
floating
palace and what we got was a rustheap. The turntables were on gimbals to
compensate for the rocking of the boat, and records would speed up and slow
down depending on the tilt."
One of Young's colleagues was 18-year-old Richard Park, who 40 years on is
now best known as a judge on television's Fame Academy. Life on board could
get wild, he recalls, in a number of very different ways. "Boats used to
come out from the shore to visit us when the weather was good, and girls
used to throw themselves on the boat just to get a hold of the DJs," says
Park with a sigh. "I've never seen anything like it since."
Wild was also a fair description of the conditions the crew often had to
endure, not least the "hurricane-type seas" that Park remembers
could strike
in waters off Troon. "We slept with our life jackets on," he
remembers. "In
fact we had them on 24 hours a day."
The drama of life at sea added spice to broadcasts, which were the
antithesis of the familiar Reithian fare, and very different from the BBC
station that now bears the pirate's name.
"We were very honest about the conditions we were working under,"
says Park.
"We had all the things you usually find at sea - the drunken chef, a
couple
of people who weren't very sure about their sexuality and spent a lot of
time finding out, all that sort of stuff."
The station was also known by its wavelength, 242, and the moniker "Super
S"
. The energy behind it was the founder and managing director, Tommy "Mr
242"
Shields, a seasoned Glaswegian journalist.
The template for his plan was the first pirate station, Radio Caroline,
which started broadcasting in 1964.
The home of Radio Scotland was the Comet, a 90ft, 500-ton former lightship.
She had been built at John Brown's on the Clyde in 1904 and was already an
old lady when she slipped out of Dublin to be fitted out as a radio station
in Guernsey.
During the 20 months of Radio Scotland's existence, from January 1966 to
August 1967, the Comet anchored off Dunbar, moved to Troon in search of
improved reception in Glasgow, and moored briefly off Ballywalter, Co Down,
to avoid the attention of the authorities before returning to Dunbar.
Almost 30 disc jockeys followed Paul Young to the station microphone. Among
them was Stuart Henry, who went on to enjoy a formidable career with Radio
Scotland, BBC Radio 1 and Radio Luxembourg until his death in 1995. Shortly
after launch, it became clear that Henry suffered from acute sea sickness.
He prerecorded his shows at Radio Scotland's studio in Cranworth Street in
Glasgow, and the tapes were ferried to the Comet.
Henry travelled around Scotland promoting the 242 Clan, the station fan
club, with co-presenter Cathy Spence, a former beauty queen. "Clan
gatherings" were held at dance halls around Scotland, attracting pop
stars
and thousands of fans. Spence's promotional role brought her into contact
with many celebrities. In just one edition of the 242 fan magazine, she
reported on her interviews with the Rolling Stones, the Four Tops, Jane
Asher, Lulu and the Walker Brothers.
Young believes the station will be remembered as giving Scotland its own
distinctive voice for the first time. "On the BBC you never heard much
about
Scotland, and here was this station mentioning Scottish placenames and
Scottish people, and even taking the mickey out of traditional ideas of
Scottishness and Scottish music."
From the moment Radio Caroline went on air at Easter 1964, the government
maintained a consistent line of attack on the pirates. It accused them of
using wavelengths allocated to foreign stations under international
agreements and of interfering with essential ship-to-shore communications.
Legislation that came into force on August 14, 1967, was tough. It made it
illegal to support offshore stations from the UK, and it became an offence
to advertise on pirate stations.
The future looked grim, but Radio Scotland lobbied for survival. Politicians
recognised its hold over young voters and lent it support. Backers included
senior Scottish Tories, Young Liberals and the SNP's future leader, Gordon
Wilson. A quarter of a million signatures were collected on a petition, and
a campaign song was recorded, calling on listeners to "beat the ban and
join
the Clan on station 242".
"There were ways Tommy could have kept the station going," says Jack
McLaughlin, a former Radio Scotland DJ. "You could take money from
American
religious groups, or take payola from record companies to get their songs
played. But Tommy felt the only way to do it was the proper way."
The last DJ on air was Mark Wesley, and he signed off with a bagpipe lament.
Three days later the Comet was towed into the Fife port of Methil, where
fans lined the quayside. Her radio mast and equipment were removed before
she was towed to Holland to be sold for scrap.
Shields died within six months.
Dr Bob McLean's book on pirate Radio Scotland will be published by Luath
Press in the summer
(Sunday Times)
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Mike Barraclough from BDXC reports also
GCap have decided to close The Storm on
Friday. They say they will be
running lots of competitions in their final week. XFM will take up
their DAB slots in areas they do not currently cover, no information
yet as to who will replace them in the areas who already have XFM on
DAB, London, Bristol and Wolverhampton.
See more about Colin at http://www.geocities.com/berryradio/
From a BBC 7 email newsletter dated 13th January:It is now three years and one month since BBC 7 launched, bringing you many great programmes from our vast archive. In that time we have built up an audience of over 631,000 adult listeners, according to the RAJAR results from last September. The next figures are due on 1st February, and I do hope that they show our network continuing to grow. You might also like to know that we have totalled over 55,000 transmissions since our launch (this includes our repeats) and prepared over 12,000 programmes for digital broadcast.
The BBC is launching the next phase of its plans to relocate key departments from London to Greater Manchester in 2010. The BBC announced on the 17th of January that it has short- listed two sites for the location of a Media Zone in the north of England. The proposed sites, Salford Quays and Central Spine in Manchester, have been chosen from a selection of four, following a stringent evaluation process conducted by the BBC. Mark Thomas, Director of the BBC North Project, said: "The two sites, Quays Point at Salford Quays and Central Spine in Manchester, have been chosen as - within the required timeframe - they offer the greatest potential for a world-class Media Zone that realises all of the benefits of the BBC's investment." The plan to move BBC services to Greater Manchester, is part of the BBC's wider Out of London strategy which is a key component of the BBC's Building Public Value vision, announced in 2004. The departments relocating from London are: * Children's BBC, including the TV channels CBBC and CBeebies, * Children's Radio * Children's Learning * BBC Sport * BBC New Media and R&D * Five Live and Five Live Sports Extra The concept of a Media Zone is a base for the BBC, independent producers, facilities suppliers and potentially, other broadcasters, on a single site. BBC Director of Nations and Regions, Pat Loughrey, will put forward a recommendation for a preferred site to the BBC's Executive and Board of Governors by the summer. The Governors' final decision will be based on whether the plans represent value for money for licence payers and whether the proposal is affordable.
RadioScape has announced that it has been awarded a contract to supply the first DAB broadcasting system for Slovenia.
UKRD is to start broadcasting daily news bulletins for younger listeners. Based on the concept of TV's newsround, "The Source" will take the form of a three-minute bulletin and will be broadcast at 3.30 each weekday afternoon. The privately owned radio operator, which runs stations across the UK including Pirate FM and 96.4 The Eagle, is pursuing, in its view, the malaise of mediocrity which threatens to destroy commercial music radio in this country. Commenting on the move, UKRD's Group Programme Director, Phil Angell, said: "This is yet another innovative move by UKRD to continue to bring a compelling sound to our radio stations and, at the same time, acknowledge that we all need to think outside the box in order to boost commercial radio listening in this country". The target audience being listeners from the ages of 8 to 14 although UKRD hopes, by combining the resources of its news rooms with writing skills of its journalists, that the updates will become a hit with youngsters as well as mums and dads heading home on the afternoon school run.
Dobry Wieczo'r Southampton meaning "Good Evening Southampton" is the name for a brand new Polish programme added to the Unity 101 schedule. Szymon Gradek and Alina Sawina are newly trained volunteers by Unity 101 Community Radio who have wealth of knowledge in Polish music and culture.
A joint statement from the BBC, BECTU, NUJ and Amicus was issued at on the 13 January 2006. Change Programme Progress Meeting on the 12 January 2006. "Both sides acknowledged the considerable progress made in divisional talks since last June's ACAS agreement. The unions emphasised that compulsory redundancies were unacceptable to their members. They also told Mark Thompson that they believed there were further steps the BBC could take to achieve its targets through voluntary rather than compulsory means but said they were concerned that time was running out and that, unless progress could be made, further industrial action was inevitable. For the BBC, Mark Thompson said that the BBC had to meet its value for money and headcount targets and that the change programme had to continue within the context of the existing divisional talks and the timetable laid down in the ACAS agreement. The DG however committed himself to ensuring that the unions' suggestions were fed into the divisional talks. The BBC's divisional directors would be asked to redouble their efforts to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies. He also said the BBC would look again at whether it was feasible to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies through better inter-divisional co-ordination. "In order to give the divisional talks the best chance of making progress while remaining within the ACAS timetable, the unions offered on a wholly exceptional basis and for the period from today to the 1st April this year only, to waive two months of the five month redeployment period which staff who are being made compulsorily redundant are entitled to under the statement agreed by the unions and the BBC in 1998. This would not change the earliest date under the ACAS agreement at which the compulsory redundancies in the present change programme could be effected: that would remain the 1st of July 2006. It would however mean that the first date at which it might be necessary to send out any compulsory redundancy notices would now be the 1st April this year, allowing more time for management and unions to try to reduce the need for compulsory redundancies further. In conclusion, the unions stated that they believed that the BBC should be able to achieve all its targets without the need for compulsory redundancies. The Director General reiterated his position that he could not rule out the need for compulsories in some divisions but said he remained committed to achieving as much as possible through voluntary means."
Apart from changing back to being called Capital radio, the re-launched station has not only halved the amount of ads by playing no more than 2 in a row, it is also offering more music between 9am and 5pm following it's slogan; 'Capital gets back to the music faster'. The 'new station sound' has involved key schedule changes including a range of new programmes that will be faster and tighter with 'fresh' new features. Capital Radio will provide 24 hour news for London which is going to be continuously updated as well as the 'Capital Eye Witness Travel' reports with 'more reporters, more cameras and more updates' . The schedule changes are as follows: * Chris Brookes moves to afternoons 1-5pm * New time for the Go Home Show, 5pm- 8pm * New evening show with Paul Gillies, 8pm-11pm * London's Love Songs featuring chilled and love songs Monday - Thursday 11pm-1am * Jeremy moves to a new Sunday night show "The Jeremy Kyle Show" Sunday 9pm to midnight * New Saturday morning entertainment led show with Craig Doyle, Saturday 9am to noon * New Sunday morning chilled music show Capital's Easy Sunday 10am-1pm * Seven changes its name to Entertainment Weekly
FUN radio caters for pre and primary school children and their parents and carers, providing a safe-haven for children that is entertaining and educational, as well being fun. The station encourages children to learn through the radio, in particular through educational music and song, as well as through reading and playtime. Music content comprises nursery rhymes, well known sing-a- longs, music from favourite children's films, televisions programmes and stage plays, songs created for children, international tracks and carefully selected child-friendly pop. The speech content includes stories, children's book reviews, games and things to make and do, as well as parent-orientated entertainment and information for grown-ups. FUN radio is now available on DAB digital radio multiplexes serving London, Essex, Berkshire & North Hampshire, Wiltshire, Bristol, Avon, Dorset, Cardiff & Newport, Sussex and Kent, and on the Internet at www.funradiolive.com
10th January 2006
Waffler
I have not received Hans Knot's report for January yet so apologise for its non appearance to date. It is on the offshore radio web site http://www.offshore-radio.de/ If I do not receive a copy of the report regularly I may decide to drop it from the site as it is available for download on many sites. It is a pity because I enjoy this regularly.
Forgot to mention that I caught the end of Colin Berry's show on Three Counties Radio on New Years Eve. He does a superb radio show, it is a pity that Radio 2 do not let him do shows there.
Roberto does a good phone in show at breakfast time on Three Counties Radio - well worth a listen. That station has been blessed with another FM frequency 92FM which is receivable in my area of Middx.
I am well into indexing my collection of recordings and have encountered a case of double numbering and also a few missing numbers on my spreadsheet. At least I am beginning to see the wood for the trees though. This must be the fourth time I have indexed my radio recordings. First on reel to reel, then cassette, then mini disc and now cdr. I no longer have any radio recordings on cassette, they take up so much space.
News from other sources
From Isle of Man Today:
However, it has been confirmed the Communications Commission has agreed an extension to the licence start date.
Broadcasts are now expected from May 1.
Station founder Paul Rusling admitted there have been problems.
However, he said preparation of the technical aspects of the station is progressing well.
'Our licence has been extended a few more months to allow time for us to complete the construction and launch in a professional manner,' he said.
'We have had a couple of minor delays recently – one of these was financial in nature.
'Effectively one of our shareholders had a shift in investment policy and that line of funding dried up. Certain policies of the alternative funders that we had immediately available were not acceptable to us and we dug in our heels and ran out of money.
'They say, however, that every cloud has a silver lining, and from this delay we have emerged with a deal far better for our existing shareholders and that should give better prospects for the project and all stakeholders, it is just taking a few months longer.'
Mr Rusling added: 'We are now confident of being able to launch around Easter, but will not give a date until the facilities are all operational.'
In August, Mr Rusling admitted there had been a six-month delay to the planned start date for the station, which will be based in Ramsey and broadcast as far as mainland Europe.
The station's name still hasn't been revealed.
He said then it was hoped broadcasts would begin early this year, an ambition repeated in mid-November.
Delays have dogged the project, including planning and legal rows.
The cost of broadcasting from an offshore platform — put at £3 million — means the first broadcasts could be at a lower power than originally planned. However, IMIB hopes after a 'proving period' the station will be successful and able to grow.
It is also planned to make transmissions available on mobile phones and over the internet.
Several big names have been linked to the project, most recently former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who has been lined up as a presenter.
Other presenters could include former Radio Caroline North DJs Mick Luvzit, Emperor Rosko and 'Ugli' Ray Teret alongside 'at least one Manx Radio personality'.
Ahead of the start of the 14th Celtic Connections festival 2006, Celtic Music Radio has commenced test transmissions on 106.6 FM to the Glasgow area. Celtic Music Radio is a community operation with aspirations for a full-time Ofcom Community Radio Licence to serve a community-of-interest with a broad mix of Scottish traditional and contemporary 'celtic' music and culture. Celtic Music Radio will have a studio base in the Exhibition Hall within the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and will be on-air 24 hours-a-day until Monday 30 January.
Somethin' Else, the UK's biggest cross-platform independent production company, kicks off the New Year with 14 hours of new commissions for BBC Radio 2. The broadcaster has ordered new runs of two series - Soul Solutions with Mica Paris and Norman Jay's Funk Factory - both strong performers for the station. Eight one-hour editions of Soul Solutions will follow six hour-long editions of Funk Factory. Soul Solutions, presented by singer Mica Paris, features the best in classic and contemporary soul music, from Aretha Franklin to Alicia Keys. Live recordings mix with top name interviews to create a complete soul fix for fans. In Funk Factory, 'funk master' Norman Jay unearths classic and forgotten funky gems from the 1950s to the present day to host a show all about music and feeling. The new series follows a Christmas Eve special, Norman Jay's Soulful Xmas. Matt Hall, Head of Radio Production at Somethin' Else, said: "It's great to kick off 2006 with two new commissions for Radio 2. Somethin' Else has established a formidable reputation for producing innovative and contemporary radio programming across the globe, but our relationship with the BBC is something we are particularly proud of. We're delighted to begin the New Year with a deal to make more programming for Britain's most listened to radio station." Commissioned by Lesley Douglas, Controller, BBC Radio 2, both shows are produced by Somethin' Else's senior producer Alex Feldman and Exec Produced by Matt Hall. Funk Factory is due for broadcast in June, with Soul Solutions following in August. These new series are the fourth and seventh series respectively.
BBC News Interactive has this month released nearly 80 online news reports from its archives. The bulletins cover some iconic events of the past 50 years including the fall of the Berlin Wall, crowds ejecting soldiers from Beijing's Tiananmen Square and behind-the-scenes footage of the England team prior to their World Cup victory in 1966. They are offered as The Open News Archive, part of a new kind of BBC service which is currently in pilot stage. The clips have been made freely available under the terms of the recently-launched Creative Archive Licence, which allows people within the UK to watch, download and edit the clips and programming for non-commercial purposes. Helen Boaden, Director, BBC News, said: "This trial is an important step in allowing us to share with our audiences the extraordinary news archive which the BBC has recorded over the years. We look forward to getting their reaction." In releasing these reports, the BBC has now doubled the number of programme extracts it originally made available through an initial trial with Radio 1 Interactive. The BBC is currently piloting the release of content under the terms of the Creative Archive Licence over an 18 month period after which its Board of Governors will assess the service according to its public value. The footage is now at; www.bbc.co.uk/opennewsarchive
Comedy genius, Al Murray, will swap a barstool for a mike as he steps in to present Virgin Radio's Sunday afternoon show. Al will present four shows, starting on January 8th, while Sky's Tim Lovejoy is away for a month. Listeners of Virgin Radio's will be treated to Al Murray's irreverent and off-the-wall humour that's been a hit in comedy clubs and with TV and radio fans since he created the Pub Landlord in 1994. Al Murray said, "When the Great British inventor Marconi came up with radio he knew that it meant the ugly could speak to the blind and no one would be any the wiser: and what better way to celebrate this than having me broadcast direct from my pub on Virgin Radio." His Sunday afternoon shows will follow Tim Lovejoy's winning format of playing music and interviewing celebrities as well as bringing his live pub atmosphere to the country.
Digital One has extended national DAB digital radio coverage and reach by switching on five out of the 10 new DAB digital radio transmitters. The new transmitters are part of its network development announced in September 2005 and add to the existing sites across the UK. The new transmitters extend coverage in Wales, Cumbria and East Anglia. They have been switched on at Blaen-Plwyf, Kendal and Great Massingham, Great Yarmouth and Oulton.
4th January 2006
Waffler
Happy New Year - but no so happy apparently if we visit any unfamiliar websites - there is a new virus about that can install spy software on your pc which can read bank and other passwords. Oh dear the web seems to be like a hell on earth at times! Thankfully 99% of the time it is fun and informative. Take care surfing.
I managed to pick up the January 2006 issue of Radio User very easily in Weymouth WH Smith. For me it is a slight improvement on Shortwave Magazine, in so much as it does cover a variety of topics in one issue. It is edited by the editor or Radio Active but still has the feel, size and appearance of Shortwave Magazine. It fails to entertain me in quite the way that Radio Active used to. I object to the high content of advertising, which normally entices me to buy a new radio, at this time of the year this is just not practical. There is an interesting article looking at the recent action against pirate stations in London which highlights the effects they have on us. Oscar has his off the Record column but this does not reach the same standards or wide range of coverage that Andy Cadier's used to. I am not interested in aircraft, military or decoding. The first set of radio logs are not very expansive, but obviously will get more contributions during the year. Chris Brands radio web sites section is excellent. I will not be in a rush to purchase the February issue.
Virgin Groove was back on DAB on the 15th December, although I only noted this yesterday. Apparently it is only back 1900 to 0600, in the position previously allocated to Students Broadcasting Network.
I have started to use a length of random wire on my Sony 7600G radio again after a very long break. It brings in stations that the telescopic aerial cannot manage by day which is a real treat.
Congratulations to Johnnie Walker for his MBE for his services to broadcasting. I wonder if it also embraces his days on Radio England and Caroline?
News from other sources
David (Ditchy) Ditchfield is to headline in a brand new drive- time show on Manchester's Key 103. Ditchy will host the afternoon drivetime programme from January 3rd, replacing Warren Moore who moves to mid-mornings to take over from Steve Penk who will headline in two new shows on Saturday and Sunday mornings between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Steve Penk will also continue to present Piccadilly Radio Years on Sunday evenings from 7pm, capitalising on Key 103's heritage and history. Ditchfield from Hazel Grove started as a presenter on Liverpool's Radio City hosting the 'Slow Jam' before returning to Key, where he successfully fronted an evening show for three years. He then moved to Radio Aire in Leeds and for two years presented the breakfast show and won Sony Academy Gold Award in 2002. He also completed the record-breaking 'Longest Breakfast Show' - broadcasting for 78 hours non-stop. Later, he moved to the North East where he presented the mid morning show on TFM before returning to Key 103.
BFBS Radio 1 welcomes Clare McCann and Katie Trinder to its international line-up. Clare joins British Forces Broadcasting from Kiss 100 in London where she took on various presenter roles. Clare was also a producer at Talk Radio and a presenter on Invicta FM, Power FM and Spirit FM. Kal Sutherland, General Manager BFBS UK said, 'We are very glad to have attracted presenters of Clare and Katie's calibre to BFBS Radio 1. After a short initiation at BFBS UK they will start their journeys as Forces Broadcasters on detachment to the Falklands and Belize respectively.' Katie has been in radio since 1999, working as a reporter on local radio station Mansfield 103.2 and later as programme controller and breakfast jock. Katie more recently presenter the Big Toe Radio Show on BBC7. Both BFBS Radios 1 and 2 are transmitted by satellite from Buckinghamshire and are received by British Forces in 23 countries world-wide and can be heard online via http://www.ssvc.com/bfbs/radio/
The Gorillaz gig was accessed 100,000 times at the Radio 1 website, helping it to maintain its record online reach of 3.1 million unique user agents for a second month. Elsewhere in November, the BBC Radio 4 Today programme's British winter photography competition gallery generated more than 990,000 page views, while more than 30,000 people took part in BBC Radio Five Live's Greatest Team of All Time vote, contributing to the site's 1.1 million monthly unique user agents. The figures are published as BBC Radio & Music Interactive announces it is to extend its podcasting and downloading trial into the New Year, inviting more programmes to take part as it builds a fuller picture of the technical challenges presented and listeners' downloading preferences. The trial which currently comprises 20 BBC radio shows as downloads and podcasts was scheduled to finish at the end of the year but will now continue into 2006.
Tony Fisher will be taking over the Afternoon Show on 9th January between 12.30 and 4pm and Richard Wilford will be joining as the new Drivetime Show presenter on 16th January between 4 and 7pm. Tony Fisher joins BBC Hereford and Worcester's Afternoon Show from BBC Southern Counties and has worked in radio for 21 years, starting out in hospital radio at the ripe old age of 11. Tony has worked at a variety of radio stations up and down the country before deciding to join the team at BBC Hereford and Worcester. Tony has fond memories of the area as he met his wife in a nightclub in Worcester! Richard Wilford takes over the Drivetime Show at BBC Hereford and Worcester after more than ten years working at BBC WM. Richard has been a mainstay of the sports department, commentating on football, cricket and basketball and presenting the station's midweek football coverage for six seasons. Over the last couple of years Richard has become the regular stand-in presenter on the BBC WM Breakfast Show, covering a wide range of news and current affairs while inflicting his dry sense of humour on the audience. James Coghill, Managing Editor at BBC Hereford and Worcester adds: "It's a thrill to be adding two such high-calibre presenters to the BBC Hereford & Worcester team. Both will bring different qualities to our daytime schedule. Tony has an infectious sense of fun and knows Herefordshire and Worcestershire inside out. Richard is a powerful journalist, a voice of the people, who will get under the skin of the stories and issues which matter to this area." BBC Hereford and Worcester broadcasts on 104, 104.6 & 94.7FM.
On Friday 16th December over 20 city and community leaders gathered at the Christian station, Cross Rhythms City Radio. Guests attending included Mark Meredith, the Elected Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Mark Fisher MP and Aktar Choudhury, the Chief Executive for North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone. Each guest spoke on a live radio broadcast about how they and others are 'building on the foundations' of renewal and regeneration in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. During the event Jonathan Bellamy, CEO of Cross Rhythms presented a gift to Elected Mayor Mark Meredith, depicting new building taking place in the city. During his presentation speech, delivered to the city leaders gathered at the Cross Rhythms building, Jonathan honoured and thanked the leaders for taking the lonely stand to be leaders in the community and declared: "Regeneration and renewal is much more than changing physical appearance, and introducing better systems and management. It is about raising people's spirits and aspirations. Fundamental change involves a renewal of the heart...Speaking as Christians our hope is that we will have the vision to engage, serve and support the wider activities, systems and leadership that you represent in our city; and at the same time we hope to find a city leadership that is willing to continue to embrace us as partners in our joint vision to serve our community and improve their lives in body, mind and soul".
Stuart Cable, former drummer with the Stereophonics, is ready to get the nation rocking with his own show on Kerrang! Radio. Starting on January 6th, Stuart will host the 9pm -12pm show every Friday. He'll be playing a mixture of current and classic, big rock tunes whilst entertaining the listeners with his rock 'n' roll stories, special guests, listener interaction and good all round chat. Stuart said "I am very exited about doing a show for Kerrang! Radio. I've had a great time with Kerrang! over the years both as an artist and presenting the Kerrang! Awards...Hope everyone will enjoy he show" Adam Uytman, Kerrang! Radio programme director, said: "Stuart lives and breathes the Kerrang! brand having hosted the Kerrang! Awards for the past 2 years - he has been itching to take this involvement a step further and get himself on the airwaves. I am excited that Stuart is becoming part of UK's biggest rock brand. The show will go out on Kerrang! 105.2 FM in the West Midlands as well as across the UK DAB, Sky Channel 933, Freeview Channel 722 and online at www.kerrangradio.co.uk
