UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

dave walsh · 2nd Aug 2020, 2:51 pm

I took a look at Wikki re the Advent of R1 and 2 [something I lived through as a teenager when the Light Program ceased] right at the peak moment in the sixties, on September 30th 1967. I think the BBC were keen to catch up with "Flower Power" but behind the real curve as usual [that was pretty much all over by 1968]. The comment by the late Joe Strummer [not my favourite person] on the Wikki Radio 2 page is reasonably accurate but I'm not sure he was all that working class himself. Adjacent to that, it's pointed out that R1+2 had to share airtime at first!! They were still too establishment for many of the younger audience and not fully committed to, didn't get, or want to, the real musical changes going on-trying desperately to stay in the middle of the road all the time. Look at the heavily edited anodyne TOTP's repeats they put out even now [in 2020] for example and "Pop Prom's" in the park etc

I didn't know there was the usual financial issue even about such a major change then ie not enough funds to even run the Station and a subsequent License fee increase to cause ripples. Just like the "free" over 75's "debate" in 2020. I don't think they learn or even want to from a cosy position

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As I said, in my attempt at an overview of the Beeb as a subsidised P S Broadcaster [Post 34] , there is a constant muddying of the waters. LBC Listeners rang in indignantly last night but it was all bogged down in repeated detail [mainly about how you don't need a License if you watch a streaming [but maybe more expensive] service-with no recognition at all of of the broader live broadcasting issues. At least that was clearer in the sixties-something more modern was required on at least one Radio Channel but promises turned into a BBC fudge. The fact that it eventually became popular is beside the point. It's called conditioning! The younger audience got something out of it yes but I suspect, only inadvertently!

Wikki has a useful list of notable former programs through to the period when The Light Program put on a Kaftan [or tried to]. Some of these were popular with the young as well [eg Round The Horn]. Other, music based, regulars were "Trojan Horses" allowing exciting contemporary music to be heard even before September 67! EG "Pop Go The Beatles" 1963, Ticket To Ride 1965, Pick of the Pops 1955-67, Saturday Club [in particular 1957-69] and Top Gear [1964-75]. Not everything was separated out but the main new addition to Radio really was a celebrity, often greasy, DJ culture-John Peel excepted of course!

Some of us younger folks, looking at the Science as well as the social change [Amps. Early Wha Wha and effects panels, Radio Receivers TX's etc] had a lot of time for young Tony. Not the other one, Mr Benn who was the Post Master General at the time. Sadly, he lost all credibility with us when he led the charge against Pirate Radio [not that I was a great devotee] and then even changed the W T Act to outlaw speech modulated light transmissions. A design had been published in Practical Wireless for street to street comms, not broadcasting. [I think it used a headlight?]. Why the panic? Did they think it was the start of a Revolution? This seemed to be an oppressive and deliberate act against us delicate post-war "yoof".

Just to reinforce my comment about Licensing in relation to costs circa 1967 and now in 2020 [Manifesto Post 34* again] I found this clipping, while looking for something else entirely last night- "Pensions at BBC to cost more than RADIO STATIONS" [extracts from the BBC in-house Ariel Magazine]. The Telegraph, 18/8/10

Dave W

2nd Aug 2020, 2:51 pm	#71
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: The BBC Light programme I took a look at Wikki re the Advent of R1 and 2 [something I lived through as a teenager when the Light Program ceased] right at the peak moment in the sixties, on September 30th 1967. I think the BBC were keen to catch up with "Flower Power" but behind the real curve as usual [that was pretty much all over by 1968]. The comment by the late Joe Strummer [not my favourite person] on the Wikki Radio 2 page is reasonably accurate but I'm not sure he was all that working class himself. Adjacent to that, it's pointed out that R1+2 had to share airtime at first!! They were still too establishment for many of the younger audience and not fully committed to, didn't get, or want to, the real musical changes going on-trying desperately to stay in the middle of the road all the time. Look at the heavily edited anodyne TOTP's repeats they put out even now [in 2020] for example and "Pop Prom's" in the park etc I didn't know there was the usual financial issue even about such a major change then ie not enough funds to even run the Station and a subsequent License fee increase to cause ripples. Just like the "free" over 75's "debate" in 2020. I don't think they learn or even want to from a cosy position. As I said, in my attempt at an overview of the Beeb as a subsidised P S Broadcaster [Post 34] , there is a constant muddying of the waters. LBC Listeners rang in indignantly last night but it was all bogged down in repeated detail [mainly about how you don't need a License if you watch a streaming [but maybe more expensive] service-with no recognition at all of of the broader live broadcasting issues. At least that was clearer in the sixties-something more modern was required on at least one Radio Channel but promises turned into a BBC fudge. The fact that it eventually became popular is beside the point. It's called conditioning! The younger audience got something out of it yes but I suspect, only inadvertently! Wikki has a useful list of notable former programs through to the period when The Light Program put on a Kaftan [or tried to]. Some of these were popular with the young as well [eg Round The Horn]. Other, music based, regulars were "Trojan Horses" allowing exciting contemporary music to be heard even before September 67! EG "Pop Go The Beatles" 1963, Ticket To Ride 1965, Pick of the Pops 1955-67, Saturday Club [in particular 1957-69] and Top Gear [1964-75]. Not everything was separated out but the main new addition to Radio really was a celebrity, often greasy, DJ culture-John Peel excepted of course! Some of us younger folks, looking at the Science as well as the social change [Amps. Early Wha Wha and effects panels, Radio Receivers TX's etc] had a lot of time for young Tony. Not the other one, Mr Benn who was the Post Master General at the time. Sadly, he lost all credibility with us when he led the charge against Pirate Radio [not that I was a great devotee] and then even changed the W T Act to outlaw speech modulated light transmissions. A design had been published in Practical Wireless for street to street comms, not broadcasting. [I think it used a headlight?]. Why the panic? Did they think it was the start of a Revolution? This seemed to be an oppressive and deliberate act against us delicate post-war "yoof". Just to reinforce my comment about Licensing in relation to costs circa 1967 and now in 2020 [Manifesto Post 34* again] I found this clipping, while looking for something else entirely last night- "Pensions at BBC to cost more than RADIO STATIONS" [extracts from the BBC in-house Ariel Magazine]. The Telegraph, 18/8/10 Dave W Last edited by dave walsh; 2nd Aug 2020 at 3:17 pm.