Borderless Radio is Here!
What do ABC Radio, Radio NZ, RFO Radio, Communications Fiji, KCCN-FM
and KUAM have in common?
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Cutting the Pacific Free
© Radio Heritage Foundation Collection.
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Each features in our new Borderless Radio Rankings as being the top
radio websites from their countries when we've ranked them against
hundreds of others from across the Pacific.
This is a fresh way of looking at local radio stations and brands in
a 'borderless' global digital marketplace.
Local market boundaries, AM/FM/DAB/HD digital licence areas and
frequency allocations are becoming increasingly irrelevant to
building communities of listeners.
> read more
Supporters now get instant savings for donations
Annual and Lifetime supporters of the Radio Heritage Foundation now
get instant savings on merchandise, research services and other new
benefits in return for donations to help the non profit expand its
operations.
Corporate supporters can also make big savings with branding
campaigns on the hundreds of pages of high ranking and high quality
content at the global website [www.radioheritage.net].
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KPOL Los Angeles 1540 AM letterhead 1952
©Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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'Non-profits like ours have to work harder and smarter to fund our
operations' says David Ricquish, Board Chairman. 'We've put together
a great value package for various supporter levels starting as low as
US$10 a year. We want to build long term relationships with the
thousands of visitors to our website each week.'
'Our core content will always be available free, whilst some of our
new research reports and other premium radio guide content will be of
more interest to specialist users. All supporters will get special
rates whilst Lifetime supporters will get this premium content
included in their relationship with us.'
He adds 'We frequently get one-off donations of small amounts and
haven't been able to offer anything in return except our thanks. Now,
we can offer more tangible rewards and encourage those supporters to
stay in touch with us through the year, and longterm.'
For full details of the new Annual and Lifetime supporter packages
click here and start enjoying the benefits.
Book Review
Changing Stations
The Story of Australian Commercial Radio
by Bridget Griffen-Foley
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Changing Stations jacket.
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Let's get straight to the point with this book. If you have even the
faintest interest in Australian radio heritage, from any angle, you
must buy this book. It's big [530 pages], it's a bold traverse of the
subject and it's worth every penny.
The author says 'material recording the development of Australian
commercial radio, held in multiple forms and formats, is scattered
across Australia and beyond' and recollects turning up to a radio
research roundtable in 2006 with a paper entitled 'Writing a history
of commercial radio in Australia: The Kiss of Death?'.
> read more
Book Review
Cold War Radio
The Dangerous History of American Broadcasting in Europe 1950-1989
by Richard H Cummings
Although intended for listeners in Eastern Europe, programs from
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were regularly heard from their
powerful shortwave transmitters across Asia and the Pacific.
Listeners in this region regularly wrote to both stations, most to
obtain confirmation cards and promotional materials, but some wanting
to hear familiar radio voices from their homelands and in their own
language.
Through public fund raising and advertising campaigns in the USA, the
general public probably believed comments like those from
presidential candidate Dwight D Eisenhower that these stations were
engaged in a 'Crusade for Freedom'.
> read more
Australian AM Radio 1611-1701
Italian, Country, Arabic, Greek and Gold
Almost 70 low power stations are now broadcasting in Australia's
expanded AM radio dial almost two decades after the new channels
became available.
Originally populated by ethnic broadcasters and niche formats, the
situation remains little unchanged in 2009 as attempts to bring the
low cost extra frequencies into mainstream media have largely failed
to materialize.
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David Ricquish of the Radio Heritage Foundation outside the studios
of Rete Italia in Sydney
© Jo Del Monaco, Radio Heritage Foundation
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> read more
2LM Lismore
The Feature Station
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Peter Le Brun
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2LM is owned and operated by Richmond River Broadcasters Pty. Ltd. The Studios are situated in Molesworth Street, Lismore, and the transmitter in Ballina Road, Goonellabah. The licensed and operating power is 500 watts, wavelength 330 metres (900 kilocycles). The Station commenced operations September 21, 1936. Daily transmission hours, 16; transmitter, A.W.A. type J2221; studio equipment, A.W.A.
> read more
3BA Ballarat
Sunshine Singers
Australian radio station 3BA Ballarat supported the Sunshine
Singers. Here they are pictured at Lorne in Victoria on January 24,
1938.
> read more
2AD Armidale
The Voice of New England
A decade has passed since Station 2AD took the air to serve the New England Tableland, which technical experts will tell you, is one of the most difficult areas in the State to serve day and night the whole year round.
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2AD Armidale used this logo on its letterhead in 1947
© Cleve Costello Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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2AD is located at Armidale, the University centre of the provincial districts of Australia. Armidale is 3,300ft. above sea level. The station situated at North Armidale, is 160ft. above town and the masts are 120ft. high, so that 2AD is "on top of radio" in Australia. It is the highest-located station in the Commonwealth.
> read more
3XY Melbourne,
Efftee Broadcasters Pty Ltd
For Live Artist Productions
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3XY Melbourne promotion to advertisers in 1939
© Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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3XY operated by Efftee Broadcasters Pty. Ltd., was founded by the late F. W. Thring, well known in Australian theatrical and film circles. It began operations on September 8th, 1935.
> read more
2LF - YOUNG
"The Voice of the South West''
Ideally situated in the heart of one of the Commonwealth's wealthiest districts, Station 2LF, from Young, dominates an area of over 11,000,000 acres containing a population of nearly 106,000.
Young, apart from being the centre of a vast agricultural, pastoral, fruit growing and poultry raising district, possesses one of the largest cherry orchards in the world. This progressive and flourishing district is favoured with an unsurpassable climate.
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Macquarie Network logo
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> read more
4MK Mackay, Queensland
'We Strive to Excel'
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View of Mackay township from the 4MK tower
c.1938
© John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
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Mackay Broadcasting Service Pty. Ltd., is a 100 per cent. Mackay organisation established firmly in a very prosperous district which boasts seven sugar mills, a butter factory and two wharf sheds wherein 38,000 tons of sugar has been stacked at one time.
> read more
The Queensland Network - Five Great Voices in One
4BC Brisbane 4SB Kingaroy 4GR Toowoomba
4RO Rockhampton 4MB Maryborough
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4GR Toowoomba issued this listener confirmation card in
the 1940's
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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The normal population of Queensland, according to the most recent official figures is just over 1,000,000.
Most of that population is concentrated in the south-east of the State, and more than 700,000 of that total live within easy listening range of the five stations of the Queensland Network. They are:
- 4BC Brisbane
- 4SB Kingaroy
- 4GR Toowoomba
- 4RO Rockhampton
- 4MB Maryborough
> read more
7DY Derby, North-East Tasmania
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7DY Derby issued this listener QSL card in 1945.
© Keith RobinsonCollection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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Playing an important part in Tasmanian country broadcasting since February, 1938, Station 7DY, situated near Derby, operates on 1450 kc/s. (107 metres) , with a power of 200 watts. Hours of transmission are: Mon. Sat., 4.30 - 10.5 p.m., Sun., 5.30 - 10.5 p.m. The North-Eastern unit of the Tasmanian Coastal Network, 7DY is associated with Stations 7BU, 7AD and 7QT, and is a co-operating station of the Macquarie Broadcasting Network.
> read more
Japan AM Radio Dial 1941
During 1941, Japanese radio audiences had almost 50 local AM radio stations they could listen to for a large part of each broadcasting day.
Since broadcasting officially began in 1925, the original Tokyo Broadcasting Station [JOAK] had been renamed Nippon Hoso Kyokai and by the end of that decade, had created a sophisticated network of landline connected stations across the main islands.
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JOAK broadcast from this substantial transmission building near Tokyo.
© Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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> read more
Book Review
Treason on the Airwaves
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Treason on the Airwaves
by Judith Keene
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Judith Keene from the University of Sydney recently released an
excellent book about three Allied broadcasters on Axis Radio during
World War II.
We strongly recommend this book for everyone interested in
understanding how AFRS radio developed in the Pacific as a
counterpoint to the successful propaganda broadcasts coming from
Radio Tokyo.
> read more
9PA Port Moresby
WWII ABC-AFRS Radio
By Adrian Peterson
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Australian troops seen preparing the foundations for one of
the 90 foot towers for 9PA. This photo was taken on February 15,
1944, just 9 days before going on air. Australian War Memorial
© Australian War Memorial
Photo by Clifford Bottomley.
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For a period of around two years during the Pacific War, there was no radio
broadcasting station on the air in Port Moresby. However, when the American forces flooded into the South Pacific in support of the war effort, there was a need for a radio broadcasting station in Port Moresby. In actual fact, they did establish their own temporary and unofficial station in Port Moresby under the callsign WHMS, and there was also an unofficial Australian operation known as RAAF Radio on the air over at Milne Bay.
> read more
New Heritage Friend The Happy Station Show
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Edward [Eddie] Startz 1899-1976
© Johannes Zaadstra
Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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Returning to the Asia Pacific region is the famous 'Happy Station'
that began in 1927 with Eddie Startz broadcasting from PCJ in Holland
to the Dutch East Indies.
Now, international broadcaster
Keith Perron resurrects the heritage 'Happy Station Show' from Taipei
as an independent program using the Radio Nederland Archives for
listeners worldwide.
> read more
Book Review
Aunt Gwen of 2YA
by Margaret Willis
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Aunt Gwen of 2YA.
by Margaret Willis
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"Putting together this story about my mother has taken a long time,
all my life in fact."
With these words, Margaret Willis introduces us
to New Zealand's most loved Radio Aunt, 'Aunt Gwen of 2YA'.
In the 1920's when radio was new, it was common for stations to run
popular childrens sessions. The personalities of the day were usually
given a friendly 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' title, so that listeners could be
drawn around the fireplace to listen to a trusted 'family member'
tell stories, share poems, jokes and music and tips for growing up
'healthy, wealthy and wise'.
> read more
Book Review
Never A Dull Moment
by Keith Richardson
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Never A Dull Moment jacket.
© Keith Richardson.
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Keith Richardson is known to Kiwi babyboomers for his top rating
radio shows on 1XN Whangarei, 2ZC Napier, 2ZB Wellington and to even
more recent listeners on Radio Pacific, Greater Wellington FM, Radio
Fifeshire and others.
'Never A Dull Moment - My Life in Broadcasting and other Diversions'
is a little gem, as Keith lays, no holds barred, 'A Colourful Career'
in front of the reader.
'Top 40' at 2ZC, 'NZ Hit Parade' and 'NZ Top 20' are the record
spinning shows for which Keith is often best remembered, and these
programs with their crazy sound effects, double entendres and more
pushed the limit of acceptability on notoriously fuddy duddy state
radio in the 1950's and 60's.
> read more
New Heritage Friends WVUV-FM and KKHJ-FM
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KKHJ and WVUV logos.
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Welcome to South Seas Broadcasting, Inc stations V103 and 93KHJ in
American Samoa, latest Heritage Friends of the Radio Heritage
Foundation.
> read more
The KYOI Story
By Calvin Melen
In the Beginning
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KYOI Car Sticker
© Calvin Melen Collection, Radio Heritage
Foundation
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The idea for a pop / rock station on Shortwave first appeared in early 1980. At the time there was an upsurge of popularity in shortwave listening amongst teenage Japanese, brought about partly by the availability of inexpensive, good quality portable receivers. It was hoped that a station specifically targeting their interest in Western Rock music would be able to find a niche.
> read more
SuperRock KYOI Saipan
The Concept
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Listener confirmation card issued by KYOI Saipan.
© Paul Ormandy Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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KYOI, located on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands was a commercial shortwave station, on air 24 hours a day, broadcasting "Contemporary Hits" rock music directed at the Japanese market.
Superock KYOI was first heard testing on December 17 1982. Initial frequencies were 11900, 15190, 15405, and 9670kHz. The station was very well received in New Zealand, despite being off the 'back of the beam' and I for one enjoyed their music and frequently had KYOI playing in the back-ground.
> read more
Samoan Radio Journey
by David Ricquish
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Logo used by 2AP Apia, Samoa.
© Radio Heritage Foundation Collection.
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We turned a corner on the Cross Island Road, and there sat a stumpy little radio tower, almost hidden in the misty rain. High in the hills behind Apia, the Afiamalu Pass is the location used by 2AP for many years. As Alan Roycroft, even today still remembered in Samoa as the founder of radio in the islands, once said "the engineers were fed with kava before deciding to put the transmitter at Afiamalu . The signal was lacking in lift outside Apia. No longer used, the mast looms lonely, surrounded by sodden fields of high grass and tropical ferns and approached along a muddy track.
In the distance is another tower, this one used to beam Magik 98 FM across northern Upolu. From the FM Building in Savalalo, a block back from the waterfront in downtown Apia, "The Real Music Station" is "Voted Number 1 in Town" . We took the 4WD Toyota through copra plantations and along the beautiful East Coast Road listening to American country music. At night, programs originate from a second studio up at Afiamalu. The owner can broadcast from home, it's less stressful.
> read more
Starting Radio Sangley
US Naval Station Sangley Point
By Louis McClure Snr
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US Naval Station Sangley Point aerial view.
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I was sent TDY to the Naval Air Station, at Sangley Point, across the bay from Manila.
I was teaching technicians in communications, radar, and sonar equipment. There were many families living on or near the Sangley Point station, and they had no radio except Philippine stations. So, in conversation with the Special Services Officer, we decided to build a "carrier current" transmitter and broadcast music and news on the station. We used salvage parts from the electroncis lab, and built a carrier-current transmitter.
> read more
KTLG Radio
US Naval Station Sangley
By Matt McGuigan
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KTLG Radio Sangley logo.
© Matt McGuigan Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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Before enlisting in the Army in 1952 I had done some commercial broadcasting at a local radio station here at home, so, naturally, I was drawn to the AFRS station there at Sangley.
After Basic training and Army Clerk school training I was sent to the 29th Engineer Base Topographic Battalion stationed at Camp Cavite across town from Sangley PT NAS.
> read more
WASA Radio, AFRS McMurdo Antarctica
"The Most Wonderful Antarctic Station Anywhere"
By Bob Flint
ASA "Det A" Deep Freeze 72
In 1971 I had the privilege of being deployed to the Antarctic for one year and three days. The following are excerpts from my diary in regards to my involvement with the WASA radio station at McMurdo.
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WASA Radio, AFRS McMurdo station sign.
[L] ET1 Bob Flint
[R] HM1 Chuck Yarnell.
© Bob Flint Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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> read more
2ZA Radio Golden Years
Reinvented on Stage
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This short announcement in the 'NZ Radio Record'
magazine heralded the opening of 2ZA in 1938.
© David Lascelles Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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2ZA 'The Voice of the Manawatu' began broadcasting from
Palmerston North in 1938.
An ambitious social history exhibition was mounted by the regional
museum Te Manawa to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the local radio
station that had such an impact on community life.
Running for over six months, the exhibition has proved a magnet for
memories and a catalyst for events such as The Great New Zealand
Radio Show.
> read more
Kiwi Amateurs 12-92 On Air
Hello? Is it me you're looking for?
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ANYBODY OUT THERE?: Brendan Farrell, 12, is the youngest radio ham in New Zealand. Beside him is Cecil James - the oldest at the age of 92.
© Waikato Times
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Interviewed by Geoff Taylor - Waikato Times
Cecil James and Brendan Farrell share something unique: they are the oldest and youngest ham radio operators in New Zealand and they belong to the Hamilton Radio Electronics Group.
> read more
^Top
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 "2AD Armidale logo"){kind=logo}
 "3XY Melbourne promotion 1939")
 "view of Mackay from the 4MK tower")
 "4GR Toowoomba QSL")
 "7DY Derby QSL")
 "The JOAK broadcasting building")
 "9PA Foundation")
 "Happy Station Show QSL")
 "Aunt Gwen of 2YA jacket")
 "KYOI Car Sticker")
 "KTLG Sign")
 "Bob Flint and Chuck Yarnell")
 "report opening of 2ZA in 1938")
