A Potted History of Radio Six International

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A Potted History of Radio Six International

*1963 - 1966* - 11 year old schoolboy /Tony Currie/ invites a group of his friends to join him in his attic to build a radio station. With wind-up clockwork gramophones and ex-army microphones, the station is launched at 15:20 on 6th June with a mixture of records, chat and even a short play. The programmes are piped around the house for the rest of the family to hear and the launch team are /Derek Andrews, Morag Hamilton, Morag Gilmour/ and /Sheena Gossman/. Programmes are 'broadcast' irregularly mainly during school holidays and become more frequent.
*1967 - 1969* - with regular programmes every day, printed programme guide *Radio News* is launched. It appears weekly, except when it doesn't! Programmes now broadcast to neighbouring homes and next-door Eventide Home by wire. STV features the station on its news programme "Here & Now". Joining Tony as main on-air regulars include / Gordon MacDonald, Chris Seabury, Dave Marshall, Jean Wright/ and /Eric MacDonald/ with programmes in stereo.
*1970 - 1975* - programme syndication begins with a number of regular programmes being shared with KPFK (Los Angeles), Radio Dubai, HBS Glasgow, Radio Paisley and RKW in Aberdeen. Studios rebuilt to professional specifications. Tony's regular crew include /Dougie Allan, Tim Stevens, Ken MacDonald, John MacCalman, Steve Wright, Raymond Orr, Bridget Macgregor, Susan Broadfoot, Colin Dalziel, Bob Mackie (Bob McWilliam), Bill MacIntyre (Eric Simpson)/ and /David Jamieson/. Daily programming in Ardrossan ended in October 1973, and the station closed down permanently in Ayrshire. Studios moved to Glasgow's west end.
*1976 - 1979* - Regular programming resumes from new studios on the south side of Glasgow . The station is now a workshop for professionals to try out new ideas and develop new skills, as well as provide syndicated programmes. Stations taking Radio Six material include HBS Glasgow, ORF Blue Danube Radio (Vienna), Radio Clyde, Westsound. Full broadcast spec studios installed. Regulars include /Iain Purdon, Karin Spalter, Charles Nove, Bob Mackie (Bob McWilliam)/ and /Morna Chambers.
*1980 - 1983* - Studios move to current location and are purpose-built. Plans made to expand the station. Further programme syndication to ORF, BBC Radio Scotland, Radio KLT-FM, Paisley Local Radio, Radio Nova International, Central London Radio, Heartland FM and Radio London.
*1984 - 1986* - After demonstrating the potential of the service to politicians and cable operators, It is planned to launch as a cable station in East Kilbride in October 1984, but the sudden closure of the cable operator in that town delayed plans. Launched in October 1985 as a 12 hour daily service simultaneously in Glasgow and Aberdeen in FM Stereo via new broadband cable systems in both cities. The on-air team with Tony were /Allan Andrews, Don Cumming, Mark Goodier, Ulla Smartt, Karin Spalter, Mike Stevens, John Toye, Clem Ashby, Maggi Lavender, Joanna Tope, Sylvia Peters, John Carmichael/ and /Callum Kenmuir/. Due to poor cable takeup, the service closed a year later.
*1987 - 1995* - Radio Six applies for Central Scotland radio licence under the chairmanship of /Sir Alan Peacock/. The two-year process ended when a group formed by Grampian and Border TV was awarded the licence. They promtly sold it. In 1996, Radio Six produces the weekly *Europe Top 40* show for Ukranian State Radio, for an estimated weekly audience of 75 million including listeners in Russia where the programme is relayed.
*1996 - 1999* - After the company considers other potential opportunities under the chairmanship of /Andrew Neil/, in 1999 Radio Six resumes daily programming in February on the 'workshop' basis.
*2000 - 2002* - Radio Six launches online on 9th March 2000. Initially a basic two hour programme of non stop music rolled over each day. On July 1st, 2001 the service is renamed *Radio Six International* and expanded initially to include a more varied selection of programmes although still the same 4 hours repeated endlessly from servers in the USA. But at 1720 GMT on 19th January 2002, the service goes live 24 hours a day from the Glasgow studios.
*2003 - 2009* - With a new policy of playing unsigned bands, irregular shortwave broadcasts from transmitters in Italy started in December after successful test transmissions. *Record of the Year 2003* carried on shortwave as well as online. Regular monthly shortwave programmes from Italy began in April 2004. Daily shortwave programmes from a transmitter in Maine, USA started on 1st August 2004 and ended in July 2005. In March 2005 we added weekly shortwave transmissions from Ulbroka, Latvia and weekend FM transmissions via World FM in Tawa, New Zealand. In January 2006 we added weekend programmes on 945kHz in Riga, Latvia and from 6th June 2006, we were carried overnight on RTI-FM in Slovakia and on the Sky and Eurobird satellites as well as daily on 945kHz in Riga and 88.5FM in Tawa. On Dec 26th 2008 we ended Shortwave, FM in Slovakia and satellite transmissions to concentrate on webcasts, and signed copyright agreements with PRS, MCPS and PPL to allow us unlimited use of commercial records. Current team includes Tony and /Thea Newcomb, Alyson Woodhouse, John Cavanagh, George Burton, Paul Higginbotham, Spike Nesmith, The Reverend Rabbit, Sue Fisher, Moira Kerr, Judy Gruber, Diana Luke, Tom Fahey, Karen Miller, John Collins, Steve Flynn, Dan Roberts/ and /Robert Wallace.