From David's Desk
16 March 2005
Volunteers boost projects
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1952 advert for 2CH Sydney found in early radio industry magazine.
(Cleve Costello Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation)
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As a global on-line project, our lifeblood is the support of
volunteers and others who send us radio heritage items.
In the past few days, we've received a 30 year collection of radio
magazines and several boxes of other radio memorabilia; a large
package of radio station car stickers dating from the late 1960's,
top 40 charts from as far back as 1965 and access to a large on-line
collection of images from a small Pacific island radio station.
As well, we've had offers of first hand stories from former
broadcasters in Batavia (now Jakarta) and Sydney, and supporters have
spent hours researching old magazines to find information about
Pacific radio in 1944-1945, old radio station adverts from the
1930's, early Shanghai radio station histories and much more.
There's a lot going on 'behind the scenes' as more people find out
about how they can help 'tell the stories of Pacific radio'.
Volunteers Needed
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Short-lived 'Cool Blue' 96.1 FM in Auckland, an example of
contemporary radio heritage
(David Ricquish Collection, Radio
Heritage Foundation)
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You'll find a list of some of the positions we'd like to fill to help
move the projects along here. If you're interested in any of these,
or have any questions about what's involved please contact us.
You can live anywhere in the world to participate in this global
on-line project, and your contribution, big or small, may just be the
breakthrough needed. Contact us today if you've got a few hours to
spare and be part of a growing international team.
Today's broadcasters can help too
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Radio Polynesia's Olga Keil in the Apia studios of K-LITE. This
Samoan network contributed a large CD collection of jingles.
(Radio
Heritage Foundation)
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We're not just shining the light on the past. Today's broadcasters
can contribute with contemporary radio stories, news and views.
Become a 'radio heritage champion' at your radio station. Collect
jingles, promotional items, car stickers, photos and other bits and
pieces that help tell the story of your station.
If you're training to be a DJ or work in radio, and need to do some
study papers, ask your lecturers if you can include a topic about
radio history. We can help with information and publish your work
on-line, including images and audio. It's easy. Contact us today.
So many ways you can participate
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Radio Japan listener card sent in 1954, typical of those recently
donated.
(Cleve Costello Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation)
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From sending us story ideas, to copies of photos and images, articles
about your time in radio, magazine scans, jingles, air check
cassettes or CD's, car stickers, top 40 charts, station publications,
the list is almost unlimited.
Look at our list of volunteers needed, and Contact us today if
you'd like to participate. Claim your free membership and we'll keep you in touch with the
latest news about Pacific radio. Check out these free benefits and join our growing list of readers and supporters. There's no
obligation!
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PHOHI was the Dutch broadcaster to the East Indies, 1936. An
American student wrote a research paper on this station after contacting us.
(Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation)
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Keep those 'cards, letters and emails' rolling in, and we'll respond
as fast as we can. Your volunteer time will help us respond even
faster!
Search for Pacific's Oldest 'Top 10' Music List
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6KY Perth chart.
Frank Merrill Collection, Radio Heritage
Foundation
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The search is on for the Pacific's oldest 'Top 10' music list, those
lists of the top records of the day which many radio stations
produced.
Sometimes these appeared in local newspapers or magazines. More
often, stations issued their own 'Sound Survey', 'Official Top 30',
'Space Age 40' ,'Pink Page Pics', the list is endless.
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4RO Rockhampton chart.
David Ricquish Collection, Radio
Heritage Foundation
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On October 11 1965, 6KY Perth issued its 'Top Popper Survey' with
'What's New Pussycat' by Tom Jones at #1; on May 10 1970,
Rockhampton's 4RO 'Fabulous Forty' named 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
by Simon & Garfunkel as #1, and Honolulu's KKUA ranked 'Boogie Fever'
by the Silvers as #1 in the Aloha state on May 24, 1976.
In 1946, Sydney's 2CH broadcast the '2CH Hit Parade'from 2-5pm every
Saturday afternoon, compered by Bob Pollard.
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KKUA Honolulu chart.
David Ricquish Collection, Radio
Heritage Foundation
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Have you got old radio station surveys and charts? Newspaper
clippings with 'Top 10' lists or similar? 1960's. 1950's. 1940's.
1930's. 1920's?
Email us about the oldest chart you've got or others special to
you. Scanned copies very welcome. Have originals you'd like to see
placed in safekeeping? Just contact us with details.
Car Stickers Keep Sticking Around
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4XO Radio Otago, Dunedin decal (recently rebranded MORE FM).
Brian Webb Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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I remember driving along the San Diego Freeway in Los Angeles in the
late 1980's, and passing a Morris Minor car covered in Radio Hauraki,
Radio Waikato, 4XO, Radio Avon and other New Zealand radio decals. I
nearly crashed into the car in front whilst doing a double take!
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Radio Windy, Wellington decal.
Brian Webb Collection, Radio
Heritage Foundation
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They're still everywhere today. Recently, we've had some good
collections handed into us, and we'll share some early examples from
4XO (flipped to MORE FM recently), Radio Windy (blown away years ago)
and Radio U (still around as RDU in Christchurch).
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Radio U, Christchurch decal.
David Ricquish Collection, Radio
Heritage Foundation
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Have you got old car decals you'd like to send to a new home?
Contact us today. Add more content and images to the on-line
archive project.
Wherever in the Pacific you are -
Santiago de Chile, Sydney,
Singapore, Seattle, Suva or Shanghai.....
your scanned copies or
originals are very welcome!
3ZB Transmitter Building
Read the results of the radio community meeting last month and
the background paper on plans to save the 1937 original 3ZB
transmitter building in Christchurch, New Zealand.
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3ZB Christchurch decal.
Brian Webb Collection, Radio Heritage
Foundation.
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Got radio heritage sites in your area? Write to us with details so
we can add them to our radio heritage site register.
Again, no matter
where you are around the Pacific, your email with information can
make a difference. Radio heritage can be lost overnight.
Even More MORE FM in New Zealand
Canadian owned Canwest RadioWorks continues to close down local
heritage radio stations in New Zealand and rebrand them as MORE FM or
other radio brands.
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89FM Gisborne logo.
David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage
Foundation.
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Latest casualties are 89FM in Gisborne which becomes MORE FM and 96FM
in the same city which flips to The Edge. Also in Gisborne,
independent Surf City Radio which franchised two Canwest brands has
sold the frequencies outright to RadioWorks.
CEO Brent Impey says 'This is another strategic acquisition by the
company that strengthens our national profile in radio.'
We asked RadioWorks if they'd support a plan to preserve and promote
the memories on-line of the more than 20 local radio heritage
stations they've rebranded since Christmas. We're still waiting to
hear from them.
More Pacific Radio Heritage Documentaries
Radio New Zealand International recently broadcast two more 20 minute
documentaries about Pacific radio.
Radio Polynesia in Apia, Samoa featured in early February, with
jingles from Magik FM, Talofa FM, K-LITE and K-ROCK, an exclusive
interview with Corey Keil the network manager and much more.
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Talofa FM magazine advert, Apia, Samoa.
David Ricquish Collection,
Radio Heritage Foundation
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Later in the same month, Radio Sunshine from Niue was the feature
station, with lots of jingles, local airchecks, another exclusive
interview, this time with Patrick Lino the station manager, and the
history of radio on Niue.
Both programs continue a series running since 2004 on RNZI's
shortwave service and are produced by the Radio Heritage Foundation.
An audio-on-demand version of the series is planned soon.
Hits and Memberships
Since going live on December 23 2004, this new website has averaged
around 1500 visits a month and some 40,000 hits have been recorded on
our growing number of pages and images.
Our special thanks to 2day.com for hosting us and helping us grow
to handle ever increasing traffic. We're still in soft launch mode,
and there's plenty more coming down the pipeline. Please tell your
friends and colleagues about us, and about 'the clueful people' at
2day.
Remember, claim your free membership. Membership has its benefits,
including our newsletter, volunteer priority, and much more. Why miss
out on the latest in Pacific radio news? Do it now and stay informed.
New Guide Series Launches
The first in our major on-line guide series with search capability
is about to launch. Watch this space! It's as big as the whole
Pacific!
Links are Lovely
Like the website,the virtual on-line archive project and our stories
about Pacific radio? Please link to us or mention us on your website
so others can enjoy our content.
We've got a Links page with a choice of logos and we'll
provide a fact box on request.
Our radio heritage partners each have a link and fact box.
Want to be added? Please contact us today.
^Top
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 "2CH Sydney Ad")
 "'Cool Blue' 96.1 FM")
 "Olga Keil at K-LITE")
 "Radio Japan QSL Card 1954")
 "PHOHI 1936")
 "6KY Perth chart")
 "4RO Rockhampton chart")
 "KKUA Honolulu chart")
 "4XO Radio Otago, Dunedin decal")
 "Radio Windy, Wellington decal")
 "Radio U, Christchurch decal")
 "3ZB Christchurch decal")
 "89FM Gisborne logo")
 "Talofa FM magazine advert")
