RADIO ST.HELENA Radio Station was officially opened on 25th December 1967 by the Governor of the time, Sir John Field. The station is registered with the International Registration Frequency Board in London as the ST HELENA GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING STATION, but is referred to as Radio St. Helena here on the island. For its identification call sign it has four evenly spaced trumpet calls followed by a few bars of music entitled 'LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE', which in turn is followed by the announcement that "This is the St. Helena Government Broadcasting Station operating in the medium wave band on a frequency of 1548 kHz, 194 metres". When it was first opened the station operated on the frequency 1511 kHz, 200 metres in the medium wave band. This changed to the present frequency on 1st November 1978. The building, which was financed from Development Aid funds, was constructed by the Government's Public Works Department in consultation with the engineering staff attached to the Diplomatic Wireless Relay Service (DWRS) stationed on the island at the time. In the beginning, the station used two Marconi half-kilowatt medium wave transmitters, one in use and one on stand-by. The transmitters and other equipment at the time were very old and had been modified by DWRS for broadcast use. The station was established as part of a ten-year plan for education, under the control of the Education Department. Prior to its official opening, a number of programmes for schools and adults were broadcast as test transmissions for a period of approximately six months. The Education Officer of the time, Mr Alan Johns attended a brief BBC course in UK in order to gain experience in broadcasting so that the output could be improved. In June 1968, Mr Eric M George, a senior headteacher was sent on a five-month BBC overseas training course in both general and schools broadcasting. Mr George later became Information Officer/Officer in Charge of Broadcasting Station. In July 1969 overall administration of the station became the responsibility of the Information Services, with time reserved for Education schools broadcasts. Schools broadcasts ceased in the mid 1980s. The station operated from 7 to 10 pm Mondays to Fridays with two- hour school broadcasts on Friday mornings. The evening programmes, a variety of music programmes, were presented solely by voluntary producers. Numbers of voluntary producers have varied over the years. In the late 1970s, early 80s these numbered up to 33 people. In April 1973, Mr Tony Leo was appointed Broadcasting Officer (now Station Manager) and attended an overseas training course in 1982. A few years later an Assistant Broadcasting Officer was appointed. Programming started to change from then onwards with more local material being included e.g. interviews, talks, local recordings, direct relays of church services, St. Helena Day Celebrations, sports events etc. However, numbers of voluntary producers have reduced to less than twenty and it is felt that the reason for this is because there is a lot more happening in the way of entertainment i.e. sports and other activities in community centres etc. Video and television are probably also reasons for the loss of interest in 'going on radio'. Equipment has also been gradually updated over the years. The old transmitters have been replaced by two Harris 'Gates One' models which have an output of 1000 watts. The studios are now fully equipped to allow for comfortable presentation of programmes. Almost any sort of recording can be catered for with the exception of large group recordings and this is due to confined space. The acquirement of a radio bus in the early 1990s has allowed the station to expand its broadcast for location transmissions i.e. relays of Legislative Council Meetings and other special functions. The station has built up an extensive record library over the years and now has in its Library some 23,000 LPs, 3,979 single discs and 346 compact discs. These have all been catalogued on computer for easy reference. The aim of Radio St. Helena is to inform, educate and entertain through a wide range of programmes. However, financial constraints and such a small staff puts a limit on how far this can go The staff now consists of the following people:- Tony Leo - Station Manager Ralph Peters - Production Assistant Joy Lawrence - Studio Organiser Derek Richards - News Editor Vanessa Henry - Clerk Clarissa Osborne - Trainee Production Assistant Colin Benjamin - Trainee Production Assistant Larry Francis - Freelance Technician Mrs Constantine - Cleaner/Librarian Station Consist Of 14 Rooms Which Are: Computer Room, Record Library, Studio A, Studio B, Toilet Gents and Ladies, Archives, Storeroom, Utility Room, Main Office, Managers Office, Engineering Room, Kitchen, Transmitter Room, and Garage for the Outside Broadcast Vehicle. Relay of programmes from the BBC World Service from 0900 to 1500 hours daily Monday to Friday. World News daily at 2100 hrs, and Local News, Announcements and Advertisements daily at 2000 and 2200 hrs. Epilogue daily before station closes. When the Station first started in 1967, the only equipment the Station owned was a second hand 4 Channel General Electric Mixer, with a power supply of 110 volts and a transformer to take care of the voltage from 240 volts. Two Decca Transcription Turntables, Two Ferrograph 2 Track Tape Recorders and a small Ribbon Microphone. This equipment was used up until 1977, when it was found that this very old equipment just could not cope with the day to day use, and being second hand at the time, found it's way into the Museum in Jamestown. It was replaced with an 8 Channel Pye Mixer, Two Revox Recorder Decks, Two Shure Microphones, Two Phillips Turntables, Two Sony Cassette Players, Two Boom Microphone Stands and a Portable Uher Recording Machine with relating equipment. This was a big step forward to what the station originally owned. As time progressed, funding from our Grant in Aid from Britain was increased and the station was able to almost fully equipped itself to the extent that it could handle almost any situation as far as recording was concerned. This led to an improvement of radio programmes. The setting up of the station originally was done by the DWRS (Diplomatic Wireless Relay Station) who were operating on the island at that time. They left the island in 1977, and since that time up to this very day the setting up of the overall running of the Station has been carried out by Tony Leo, Station Manager, who has been at Radio St. Helena since 1973. On the internet you will find photographs from our station, a few of which were taken at the 25th Anniversary of Radio St. Helena in 1992. It is hoped that a similar occasion can be duplicated involving some 600 people to a `Cheese and Wine Dance' event to celebrate 30 years of broadcasting on the Island of St. Helena. To celebrate an event such as this, an estimate of ú1,000 would be required. We were extremely grateful to those who donated cheeses, wine, cheques and also donated prizes for the evenings ball, without which the event would not have taken place. Being a Government Station, funds are none existent for a celebration of this nature. The 25th Anniversary will somehow never be forgotten, comments about the organisation of the event still rest in the minds of all those who were there and were connected with the station for the past 25 years, including broadcasters, past and present. Radio St. Helena is the only station on the island and we have no rivals at present, that's why it is important we keep up the momentum of all those involved in the field of radio. Anyone who would care to make a donation which should be made known by 31st June 1997. Please address you donation to 30th Anniversary Celebrations, Radio St. Helena, Broadcasting House, Main Street, Jamestown, Island of St. Helena, South Atlantic Ocean. The following is a copy of our weekly programme schedule:- RADIO PROGRAMME SCHEDULE Fri. 27th September 1500 - 1530 From My Collection - Prog. 4* Marianne Musk 1530 - 1600 Master Control SBC 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive Ralph Peters 1715 - 1745 London this Week* COI 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1900 A Date with a Disc Joy Lawrence 1900 - 1915 Story Special Betty Crowie 1915 - 1930 AIDS Today* BBCTT 1930 - 2000 30-minute Theatre BBCRI "The Sleeper" by Alec Baron* 2015 - 2200 The Friday Nite Show Tony Leo Sat. 28th September 1900 - 2000 The Story of Pop BBCRI Part 22 - "Listen to Me Me Me" - a follow-on to last week's edition which looks at the folk protest movement and the music of the mid sixties. 2000 - 2005 Announcements & Advertisements 2005 - 2200 The Saturday Show Joy Lawrence Sun. 29th September 1900 - 2000 Twilight Classical Hour Johnny Drummond 2015 - 2130 Stedson's Sunday Selection Stedson Francis 2130 - 2200 Service from the Seventh Day Adventist Church Mon. 30th September 1500 - 1530 Powerline SBC 1530 - 1600 The Birth of Europe BBCRI Prog. 2 - "The First Farmers" 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive Joy Lawrence 1715 - 1730 UK/OK COI Sorry folks - we're waiting on a further stock of programmes to come in from UK, so we hope you won't mind hearing a repeat of the very first edition of UK/OK presented by Samantha Meah. 1730 - 1745 Let's Sing & Listen Liz Foster and Sheila Young 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1830 Album Time 1830 - 1845 Health Watch Quantum Radio Productions This week's programme provides some very useful information. For example, Migraine - what it is and what to do about it. Then there's Asprin - its benefits and its side effects. June Christie gives some general advise about Analgesics - when to use them and what to avoid; and finally there's some information about Tiger Balm which is well known in the west as a muscle rub, but has been used for centuries in the east as a headache remedy. Dr David Randerson tells Julian Coleman that an Australian study has demonstrated its worth. 1845 - 1900 Story Special 1900 - 1930 Sports Review Derek Richards and Andrew Nicholls 1930 - 2000 30-minute Theatre BBCRI "In Flight Entertainment" by J.C. Wilsher - a comedy which confirms one's worst fears of flying. Paul is an airline passenger with a pathological fear of flying. His only solace is the multi-channel in flight entertainment system. He's seated next to Harry, an aviation expert who knows that the chances of a catastrophic failure are millions to one. But some damm fool has assembled both engines incorrectly and a lightning strike has started an argument between the on-board computers. Harry and the crew are baffled, perhaps Paul can avert a disaster by listening to the voices in his headphones........ 2015 - 2200 Fine Tuning John Coleman and Daphne Greentree Tue. 1st October 1500 - 1530 Streams in the Desert SBC 1530 - 1545 Eco-watch - COI In this edition - gas powered passenger buses to help reduce traffic pollution; a campaign to save Britain's indigenous red squirrels from extinction; restoring natural meadows; the latest Ecowatch news; and a reminder of the Ecowatch Competition where you could win a clockwork radio. All you have to do is write in the name and number of the environmental plan on action agreed at the Rio Earth Summit, to take us into the 21st century and also state why you like Ecowatch. Send your entries to - "Eco-watch Competition", London Radio Service, Hercules Road, London SE1 7DU. 1545 - 1600 Oratory BBCRI Prog. 5 - The After-Dinner Speech. 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive Tony Leo 1715 - 1745 The Birth of Europe BBCRI Prog. 2 - "The First Farmers"* 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1830 From My Collection - Prog. 1 Nigel Henry 1830 - 1845 AIDS TODAY Panos Institute 1845 - 1900 Story Special 1900 - 1930 One Foot in the Grave BBCRI Episode 3 - In Luton Airport No One Can Hear You Scream. The Meldrews return from holiday, lose their luggage, find an over- zealous customs official and learn their house has just burned to the ground. "I don't believe it!" 2015 - 2000 Oracle COI In this very last edition of the programme, Rory Johnston introduces items about - a high-tech camera mounted inside a car that can catch vehicle thieves as well as opportunists breaking in to steal radios; the findings of research into the mysteries of photo- synthesis; a new process for making drugs is showing how to inhibit the replication of the HIV virus; and research is showing that vitamin E could be the answer to male infertility. Oracle will be replaced next week by a new programme called "New Horizons" which looks at scientific, engineering and technological innovation from the U.K.. The presenter will be Jay Knox. 2015 - 2200 Airwaves Command Natasha Clingham Wed. 2nd October 1500 - 1530 Country Crossroads SBC 1530 - 1600 London this Week COI 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive 1715 - 1745 Oracle* COI 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1845 Record Hotmix Andrew Nicholls 1845 - 1900 Story Special 1900 - 2000 Twilight Classical Hour* Johnny Drummond 2015 - 2200 Evening Shuttle Ralph Peters Thu. 3rd October 1500 - 1600 The Story of Pop - Part 22* BBCRI 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive Derek Richards 1715 - 1730 Health Watch* Quantum Radio Productions 1730 - 1745 Let's Sing & Listen* Liz Foster and Sheila Young 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1830 Country Crossroads* SBC 1830 - 1845 UK/OK* COI 1845 - 1900 Story Special 1900 - 1930 Hotch Potch - Stephen James This is a new programme for all the family. Apart from music, you'll hear your horoscopes for the coming week, a short story, a quiz and some handy hints to save you time and money (so have pencil and paper ready). 1930 - 2000 One Foot in the Grave BBCRI Episode 3* 2015 - 2020 It's Getting Better 2020 - 2030 Interlude 2030 - 2100 Night Flight Jazz Tony Leo 2100 - 2105 World News BBC World Service 2105 - 2200 Gospel Music Time Jackie Stevens and Daniel Leo Fri. 4th October 1500 - 1530 From My Collection - Prog 1* Nigel Henry 1530 - 1600 Master Control SBC 1600 - 1615 World News BBC World Service 1615 - 1715 Afternoon Drive Ralph Peters 1715 - 1745 London this Week* COI 1745 - 1800 Sports Roundup BBC World Service 1800 - 1900 A Date with a Disc Joy Lawrence 1900 - 1915 Story Special 1915 - 1930 AIDS TODAY* BBCTT 1930 - 2000 30-minute Theatre BBCRI "In Flight Entertainment" by J. C. Wilsher* 2015 - 2130 Variety Time Bert Constantine 2130 - 2200 A Gentle Alternative Joy Lawrence Relay of programmes from the BBC World Service from 0900 to 1500 hours daily Monday to Friday. World News daily at 2100 hours and as printed. Local News, Announcements and Advertisements daily at 2000 and 2200 hours. Epilogue daily before Station closes. * repeated programmes.