Rewind: Radio Fiona

Jon from Radio Fiona looks back at their eighteen years on air

This year Radio Fiona will have been on and off the air for eighteen years. This probably makes us the longest running unlicensed station in the UK — even though we aren't on the air EVERY Sunday!

Broadcasts started in spring 1969 using relatively low power and covering our then home town of Letchworth, Herts on Thursday evenings and Sundays on 1179KHz. After a few months of this we operated two 10-watt transmitters either side of Letchworth, alternating every hour on Sundays. During this time we changed the name briefly from Radio Fiona to Radio 206 North and South.

We began to penetrate more of North Herts and East Beds from 1970 when a Collins ex-USA Navy transmitter was used again on 206 metres, and as Radio Fiona once more. This transmitter ran up to 50 watts. From summer 1974 until 1978 we were silent. Since then several frequencies have been used. In the early eighties we got out further than ever before, on 189m, and more people heard the name Radio Fiona for the first time. We then received reception reports from far a field — up to 100 miles away.

Musically on Fiona we like to vary the things considerably: rock music, album tracks, reggae, soul, rock 'n' roll, sixties beat and many new independent labels' stuff gets an airing. Although the hours are limited we try and play an interesting assortment.

One fact that we're particularly proud of is that in 1981 for several months, all four members of The Stingrays broadcast on the station, with their brand of rock 'n' roll, doo-wop, rockabilly, R&B and the like. Since then they've become famous and alas we've lost contact. We've also always been interested in plugging things we believe in, such as Greenpeace and FoE.

Altogether, some 32 people have been on the station throughout the years, though unfortunately only four were female. The station has had a bit of a lapse lately, though hopefully this is only temporary. Still, at least we don't get busted so often that way! 189 metres, 1584KHz is where you'll find us. Although the other stations on this frequency restrict long distance reception, it's still good for Letchworth, Hitchin, Baldock and East Beds.