HISTORY


Plymouth Portacabin

The new studio centre in Exeter featuring the robust BBC Mark III local radio desks, was soon being well used, with the daily programming comprsing of double headed ( two presenter) morning and evening shows.
Good Morning Devon and Good Evening Devon.


The audience grew rapidly via the stations network of FM and Medium Wave transmitters:
FM:
The Countywide service from North Hessary Tor on 97.5MHz, an FM service for North Devon relayed to Huntshaw Cross from North Hessary on 94.8MHz, a small fill-in service at Okehampton on 96.0MHz, and Exeter's VHF service on 97.0MHz. (These frequencies changed later to the ones used today)
MW:
Four line fed Medium Wave transmitters, one in Torbay near Marldon - 1458kHz, the Exeter MF transmitter near Kenford - 990kHz, Plymouths transmitter on 855kHz, and the North Devon service on 801kHz.

The Stations first Radio Car - a 1.6 litre Ford Cortina struggled to get over the Dartmoor Hills.

EIC Paul Gibson recording an OB at Exeter Cathedral
with the Glen Sound de-rig kit.

The Station undertook many regular OB's in it's early years, ranging from concerts at Exeter Cathedral, Royal Visits, Navy Days in Plymouth, Brass Band recordings, a Devon County Quiz, and the annual Devon County Show, and Children-in-need events.

The arrival of the "Type C OB Van in 1986 ( which the Station Engineer Nick Sharwood-Smith developed when he went to work for Capital Projects) greatly aided the rigging and carrying out OB's, saving the need to rig the heavy OB mixers.
(OB VAN - R.I.P Summer 2007!)


A quiz in the community Studio at Catherine Street.


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History