Radio 390
Encyclopedia
Radio 390 was a pirate radio
station which operated from Red Sands Fort, near Whitstable
), a former Maunsell Fort
located on the Red Sands sandbar.
Radio 390's predecessor, KING Radio
(previously called 'Invicta'), was bought by Ted Allbeury, who wanted to relaunch it with an easy listening
format and name it Eve, The Women's Magazine of the Air. Allbeury was advised to change the name to the station's wavelength
in metres, so listeners would know where to tune. The actual wavelength was 388 metres (773 kHz), but 390 was easier to remember and close enough for tuning. However, the original name was not discarded: the station was announced as "Radio 390 presenting Eve, The Women's Magazine of the Air".
Like its neighbour Radio City
, Radio 390 took advantage of the fort's layout by erecting a 250-foot vertical mast on an inner tower, guyed to three of the outer towers. This, with the additional elevation provided by the height of the towers themselves, gave it a stable and efficient antenna, more than on ship-based stations, ensuring good coverage of southern England with only a 10 kilowatt transmitter
. For the benefit of advertisers, the station claimed a power of 35 kilowatts.
The station's easy listening format was innovative but criticised by rival Britain Radio as "stone age
radio - a series of segmented dirges".
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station which operated from Red Sands Fort, near Whitstable
Whitstable
Whitstable is a seaside town in Northeast Kent, Southeast England. It is approximately north of the city of Canterbury and approximately west of the seaside town of Herne Bay. It is part of the City of Canterbury district and has a population of about 30,000.Whitstable is famous for its oysters,...
), a former Maunsell Fort
Maunsell Forts
The Maunsell Forts were small fortified towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. The forts were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities...
located on the Red Sands sandbar.
Radio 390's predecessor, KING Radio
King Radio
King Radio was a calypsonian active in the 1930s and 1940s.He was the composer of many calypsos which later became standards, such as "Mathilda", "Man Smart, Woman Smarter", and "Brown Skin Gal".-References:...
(previously called 'Invicta'), was bought by Ted Allbeury, who wanted to relaunch it with an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format and name it Eve, The Women's Magazine of the Air. Allbeury was advised to change the name to the station's wavelength
Wavelength
In physics, the wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.It is usually determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests, troughs, or zero crossings, and is a...
in metres, so listeners would know where to tune. The actual wavelength was 388 metres (773 kHz), but 390 was easier to remember and close enough for tuning. However, the original name was not discarded: the station was announced as "Radio 390 presenting Eve, The Women's Magazine of the Air".
Like its neighbour Radio City
Radio City (pirate radio station)
Radio City was a British pirate radio station that broadcast from Shivering Sands Army Fort, one of the abandoned Second World War Maunsell Sea Forts in the Thames Estuary.- Origins :...
, Radio 390 took advantage of the fort's layout by erecting a 250-foot vertical mast on an inner tower, guyed to three of the outer towers. This, with the additional elevation provided by the height of the towers themselves, gave it a stable and efficient antenna, more than on ship-based stations, ensuring good coverage of southern England with only a 10 kilowatt transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
. For the benefit of advertisers, the station claimed a power of 35 kilowatts.
The station's easy listening format was innovative but criticised by rival Britain Radio as "stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
radio - a series of segmented dirges".