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Radio 210 old advert, is my memory correct?...
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I've just been chatting to a friend on facebook and mention was made of 2-Ten in the Reading area (which is now heart of course), but I recall it was originally known as Radio 210 ("two one oh"), and I'm sure I remember a sung TV advert for it that went something like this:
"For news, for travel, for information, for you. For music, the heart of the south - Radio 210!"
Does that ring any bells for anyone or is my memory totally faulty and I've got a false memory?! Help please someone!
"For news, for travel, for information, for you. For music, the heart of the south - Radio 210!"
Does that ring any bells for anyone or is my memory totally faulty and I've got a false memory?! Help please someone!
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http://www.thisisilr.co.uk/210/210logos.html
I guess the last line must have been "The sounds of your life - Radio 210" even if what I originally thought would equally work too. If it were that, it would of course be deeply ironic now anyway!
So yeah, probably a faulty memory!
And travel
For information
For you! (Da-da-da)
For music, the sounds of your life
Radio Two One Oh!
Radio Mercury in Crawley was "the Heart of the South". As you say, a little ironic as it is now Heart, as of course is 210.
For a while 210 was "At the centre of the South" before it became "Hits and Memories 210FM" in 1989.
Ah so I wasn't that far off after all, I guess I could have heard both adverts back then and my brain merged them. But yup, it is definitely ironic! Thanks for clearing that up! Such a shame that all those iconic, distinctive stations have now gone heart. No, before anyone starts and calling me a radio nerd who doesn't understand commercial realities of ILR, I do. I just also happen to think that consolidation did not have to bring quite the utterly unapologetically bland and insipid output that is heart, that's all!
If I remember rightly the 102.9 franchise was originally going to be given to a new station but lack of funds or something meant the IBA offered it to 210. They did offer some split transmissions though mostly for some of the specialist shows. 210 was a great station but it was instantly destroyed in 1993 when GWR took over with their so called "Better music mix" 2-Ten FM.
I don;t think it was a lack of funds as such, just the general economic climate at the time.
There were a lot of areas which had been identified as having potential for an ILR station, but which ended up as being advertised in tandem with the renewal of a neighbouring existing ILR licence. For example, the Derby franchise was added to Nottingham, Eastbourne & Hastings was added to Brighton, Southampton was added to Portsmouth etc.
It's here, 3'08" in.
No, the franchise was extended to include Southampton, and Radio Victory bid for it, as did Ocean Sound.
The IBA were more impressed with Ocean Sound's programming proposals than the incumbent.
Yes, and Ocean Sound certainly made a bloody good job of the 'twin' area in their first few years, indeed extending it to a tri-region area with the addition of Winchester.
Back to Radio 210, the IBA had indeed earmarked 'Basingstoke and Andover' as a franchise area, but added it to the existing Reading franchise that 210 held.
It made sense, Hannington was the only viable site for an FM Tx to cover both those towns (with one frequency), and any coverage would have spilled over into Reading (and Newbury) no matter how directional the Tx aerials could have been made.
The Basingstoke and Andover extension was the IBA's first attempt at an 'FM only' service, (Beacon's extension into Shopshire was the second)
The 1986 Anniversary Theme was the real nostaliga trip, and I can still hear the tag line being read after the build at 1'21" "At the centre of the South, 24 hours a day, this is radio two one oh"
Yes, I'm told they couldn't even receive themselves properly after dark at their Calcot
studios, just three miles away from the Tx. Having said that the daytime coverage was/(is still) poor, I'm not really sure why ?
In 1993ish two extra transmitters were added, an FM relay at Henley (103.4), and an AM transmitter (for Classic Gold) just to the south of Newbury, on 1485/202m, (using BBC Oxford's relinquished AM frequency)
It still does
BBC Berks from the same site (and using the same Tx aerial) isn't quire as good, only because there's other stuff on adjacent and co channels.
Yes, I used to listen to Southern Sound on 102.4 (Heathfield) here in Basingstoke in the early days. No nonsense presentation and music.