Hi everyone.
Its the first of the month, and I have a few ‘in this month’ events that hopefully some of those who were in the know, can help with adding a few details, dates etc.? My questions are in [square] brackets after each entry
Oct. 1970
* GBR London. 199m MW, [1507 kHz] Radio Nelson goes down to two DJs; Henry Morgan and Libby Caroline after Barry Johnson is fired for a takeover attempt and Johnny Mitchel emigrates. The programmes suffer as a result, with shorter timings and the transmitter power remains low at 15 watts
[really, I just need dates here if possible please]
Oct. 1978
* GBR. Wolverhampton. UK Radio starts experimenting with FM, as the AM suffers from interference after dark. Pete Winfield also leaves the station to pursue a career in catering.
[this is from the info I was given by Paul Johnson RIP, can anyone recall dates, and also the frequency of the FM service at this time please?]
Oct. 1980
* NED. European Music Radio is raided this month.
* GBR. Leicester. 103.8 FM. Radio Alice is raided this month; programmes again return after about a week.
[again its mainly dates I am after here for both stations, but in the case of Radio Alice, ANY info would be gladly received; it was part of the inspiration behind Argus, and even used rigs made by Simon in the later years, but all the info I and Bill Lyons can find is very sketchy, and some I have left out of the usual ‘On This Day’ threads, we probably met Jane Nelson who was one of the leading lights of the station about half a dozen times.]
Oct 1981
* GBR. Event Magazine produces a picture of a radio dial with free stations listed with their positions on the dial. These include Thameside Radio, Alices Restaurant, Crystal Set, Radio Free London [RFL], Invicta, South London Radio, Telstar South, Radio Zodiac, JFM, and London Music Radio [LMR]
[what was Crystal Set’s exact frequency, and can someone tell me more about this station please?]
Oct. 1982
* GBR. Wolverhampton. UK Radio opens another new studio, and the audio quality improves as a result.
* GBR. Colchester. Radio East’s rig blows up!
* GBR. London.92.0 FM. After repeated raids Radio Free London [RFL] closes down again for a while, it has been raided about twelve times in as many weeks but it closes this time round because the engineer has run out of handles for the rigs.
[its again all about dates here, when did the new UK Radio studio open? When did Radio East go off air, and, so I can calculate correctly backwards, when did the handles run out? I have heard this directly from the then engineer for RFL, but really could use the date so this interesting detail can be more accurately placed please]
Oct. 1983
* GBR. London. 1413 kHz MW. Skyline Radio is on air 7 days a week this month on MW and FM playing pop and disco. 06:00-00:00
+ London. 92.0FM. Imagine appears this month, playing laid back rock
[Skyline questions first if I may? I am going to add in the daily stuff from this month, but was this the month it all started, and if so what date please?
As for Imagine, it is just dates here I am after please]
Oct. 1984
* GBR. London. DTI raids on stations intensifies in this month, few stations are able to maintain a 24-hour service without significant gaps in transmissions. Skyline Radio is to drop its MW service during this period
* GBR. London. 92.0 FM. Imagine returns with its laid-back rock programming. DJs include Steve Martin, Pete Simmons, and Dave James. The rig is 10 watts, increasing to 40 watts from Christmas.
[Skyline again here, what date was the last date MW was on air please? Also, how quickly after raids did the station return? a day, a week? or just a few hours?
Imagine is again just a question about when this happened if anyone can help please?]
Oct. 1985
* GBR. London. Up to the start of October the dti claim to have raided stations 180 times with 88 prosecutions.
* GBR. SE London. In this month, Eric Gotts of the dti manages to create a rush hour traffic jam on the A2 when he commandeers a fire engine with a mechanical lift and turntable. He goes up in the bucket to disconnect the aerial of Kiss FM’s rig.
* GBR. London. Radio Jackie staff were fined £3,900 in this month (including £750 for the programme controller who had an earlier prosecution), relating to a raid on the station in February. Plus, costs of £100 each. Plus, equipment and records seized valued at £20,000 value.
* Offshore. Despite repeated rumours in press and magazines, the planned Country & Western Tennessee Sound, to come from the unassumingly named vessel MV General Lee never appears!
[ Dates, dates, and more Dates here please 🙂 Also, I have added in the rumoured offshore station that never was, but was there any truth behind the rumour?]
Oct. 1986
* GBR. Wolverhampton. 3463 kHz and 6200 kHz SW. Radio Orion moves 49 mb frequency this month, to 6200 kHz, tropical band 3463 kHz stays on, but the response is not as good as 49mb.
* GBR. Colchester. 90.9 FM. In this month a one-off broadcast was made of Radio Bogroll, featuring Garry Lee, Tim Rice, and Grumpy Mc. Gaskill. This was to be a pilot transmission for the station to become Freedom Overflow; it is comprised of Radio Freedom staff.
[More dates needed here if possible please, With Orion, when did each of the frequencies start, and what date did this change take place please? As for Bogroll… was anyone in Colchester around this time with an FM radio, tuning around? Its a long shot, I know 🙂 ]
Oct. 1989
* GBR. Leyton. London Weekend Radio [LWR] by now run by ‘Zak,’ starts trying to muscle in again on 92.0 FM. Radio Free London and Rock FM [RFM] turn up the power of their rigs. RFM tunes slightly down [to 91.95]. In Bromley Radio Argus London also tries out the old RFM channel of 94.3, besides relaying RFL and RFM onto 92.15 mHz when they are on air, thus putting their signals out either side of and swamping LWR in the Bromley area.
[This is the third incarnation of LWR, and it was a rather unpleasant time, ending with a blind DJ on RFM being threatened; but can someone tell me when LWR returned to the air please? I know they were busted on Christmas Day of that year]
If you can help with some of the questions herein, I will be most grateful, the usual ‘On This Day’ will follow after I have had a lie-down in a dark room for a while! 🙂
Thanks in advance
Bert
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