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Do you remember
the music that accompanied |
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IBA Tests For Local Radio in London
The Conservative Party stated in their manifesto for the 1970 General Election
that they would, if voted into office, introduce local commercial radio into
mainland UK.
After winning the election, the "Sound Broadcasting Act 1972" was
passed.
This
Act gave the Independant Television Authority the task of
setting up the new stations.
It was also given a new name - Independant Broadcasting Authority,
and the new service was to be called ILR.
London was to have 2 stations, one for general entertainment and other, speech.
Capital Radio (entertainment) was to be on 539m
/ 95.8Mhz.
London Broadcasting, LBC (speech) was to be on 417m / 97.3Mhz.
The first MW IBA transmitter was situated at the London Transport power station
in Lots Road, Chelsea,
on the banks of the River Thames.
Test transmissions started on 557Khz
/ 539m first,
on the 15th January 1973,
and were followed later on 719Khz
/ 417m.
The aerial was strung between 2 chimneys and earned the nickname "Radio
Washing Line".
Lots
Road is still used by the BBC for Radio Four Medium Wave.
VHF tests were from the IBA site at Croydon
on 95.8 and 97.3Mhz using circular polarization.
A list of the records used in the tests can be found HERE
There
was a problem with 557Khz
/ 539m,
this frequency was also in use by Radio Veronica,
transmitting from International Waters off the coast of Holland.
After the IBA tests started, reception of Veronica was impossible in the London
area.
The early tests consisted of 12 music tracks and an IBA announcement
which at first did not mention the programme contractor.
Lots Road was only intended to be a temporary transmitter for ILR,
the permanant station was to be sited at Saffron
Green,
near Borehamwood, beside the A1,
but there were problems obtaining planning permission
and Saffron Green opened much later.
IBA
announcements
28th February 1973 539m
/ 557Khz
7th March 1973 539m / 557Khz
26th May 1973 539m / 557Khz & 417m / 719Khz
9th September 1973 VHF Test 95.8Mhz
6th October 1973 VHF Stereo Test
Thanks
to Howard Pitfield for these clips
Excerpts of the music used in the early tests from Lots Road
Part 1 Part 2
These two recordings are in stereo.