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Swansea Sound in 1979
9 December 2017 tbs.pm/13420
Swansea Sound・30 September 1974
95.1MHz・257m・1170kHz
Swansea Sound Ltd, Victoria Road, Gowerton, SWANSEA SA4 3AB
Tel: 0792 893751
Directors Prof J Howard Purnell (Chairman); Charles Braham (Managing Director); Mrs Margaret Aeron-Thomas; John Allison, JP, CBE; William Blyth, JP; Vernon Rees Davies, JP; David Goldstone; Brian Harpur; Leslie Rees; Selwyn Samuel, OBE; R D Kennedy.
Executives Brian Fullerton (Sales/Marketing Controller); Stanley Horobin (Chief Engineer); Colin Mason (Programme Controller); Colin Stroud (Financial Controller/Company Secretary); Wyn Thomas (Head of Welsh Programmes); David Thomas (Head of News).
IBA Local Advisory Committee for Independent Local Radio in Swansea Mrs E Jones (Chairman); E J Daniels; Miss G Graham; D Hull; V Jones; M J Murphy; Cllr D I J Thomas; CUr J Huw Thomas; Dr W Trehame; Mrs E White, JP; Cllr D Phillips.
Swansea Sound, Britain’s first bilingual Independent Local Radio station, has continued its policy of close community involvement, which in turn has reflected itself in remarkable listener response.
No fewer than 35,000 items of non-perishable food were donated to the station’s Christmas appeal for the housebound, and the Social Services department had to organise a daily vehicle shuttle service to cope with the parcels.
A remarkable instance of radio responding to local crisis occurred one February weekend when heavy snow blizzards cut off villages and hundreds of people found themselves stranded in cars and unable to make contact with relatives.
The station opened its Snowline and in a round-the-clock phone-in marathon succeeded in initiating assistance for the elderly and infirm, arranging for an expectant mother to be air-lifted by helicopter to hospital and generally acting as a control centre for an emergency service to those in need and distress.
The Western Mail reported: ‘West Glamorgan’s deputy engineer, Mr Llew John, believes the contribution of Swansea Sound was a vital link in saving life and maintaining public morale’.
In general programming, Midday Report, the daily half-hour look at topical issues in the principality, has been complemented by Window on the World in which Ted Nevin, Professor of Economics at Swansea University and a veteran broadcaster, turns a Welsh eye on global events.
The policy of language integration has continued and research figures confirm the success of mixing English and Welsh naturally as it does in the market place.
News, information and sports too, have high priority and more than 200 bulletins a week go out in English and in Welsh.
Popular music output changes tempo throughout the day, and in keeping with its prime objective of setting up a dialogue between itself and its listeners there are phone-in and regular spots for the arts, children, local musical talent (in which the area is rich), and regular church services.
Basically programme philosophy is popular, bright up-tempo music with talk, opinion and news features aimed at an all-age audience.
The studio has extensive facilities, including sixteen-track recording, and naturally has become something of a mecca for local singers and musicians.
IBA Transmitters
VHF Transmitter
(FM with stereo capability)
Kilvey Hill (NGR: SS 672 940)
95.1 MHz
Max erp 1 kW
Circular polarisation
Aerial ht. 752 ft aod
MF Transmitter
(medium wave, mono only)
Winch-wen (Jersey Road) (NGR: SS 681 966)
257 m (1170 kHz)
Transmitter power 0.8 kW
(MF omnidirectional aerial)
Air Date: 30.9.74
VHF COVERAGE. The map shows the area within which most listeners should obtain satisfactory mono reception on VHF and, with adequate aerials, good stereo reception. Medium wave coverage is designed as far as possible to match VHF.
You Say
3 responses to this article
Bill Everatt wrote 14 December 2017 at 7:45 am
I still have some Medium Wave recordings of the Snowline from this period, and it makes interesting listening… Little did I know that within ten years I’d actually be a Mainline Presenter on the station!
Karl Burtonshaw wrote 8 August 2019 at 4:09 am
Swansea Sound 257 was a great station!
It was ranked ILR number 2 in the whole of the UK in 1979 after Capital Radio 194!
With great classic radio presenters Adrian Jay Chris Harper Crispian St John Dave Bowen Doreen Jenkins Phil Fothergill Michael Hooper Charles Coghill Viv Evans Tara Jeffries Peter Quinn Mike Baker Jon Hawkins Patrick Morgan Clive Saddington Steve Nicholas Mike Menner Paul Holmes etc etc and it was my local radio station which later I was very honoured to work at as a radio presenter following in the footsteps of my heroes Swansea sound 257’s Adrian Jay and the radio genius Capital radio 194’s great Kenny Everett!
Bob Davies wrote 30 March 2022 at 9:42 pm
This was ground breaking entertainment for the local community, I loved the station and presenters something I will always regret is not being a part of this historical event, Mike Evans had a Saturday night slot whereby you could play your personal top 10 tracks, joined him on two occasions, fantastic memories!
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