This week’s delve into the audio archive, while taking us back to the 1990’s is inspired by topical events.

Those in the radio game have probably read in the trades how Steve Penk has sold Oldham based radio station 96.2 The Revolution, the story even featured in the local rag.

But turn the clock back even further than Penk’s purchase of the station, back even further than “The Rev’s” launch in 1999 under majority shareholding of radio group UKRD and the afore mentioned local paper, where you’ll find a bunch of local radio types who ran a series of ‘Restricted Service Licence’ broadcasts for a month once or twice a year under the moniker “Oldham FM”.

The Oldham FM broadcasts used local voice-over artist Peter Baker for all their idents and sweepers.

So first up a little montage I’ve cut together of the jock name checks from the sweeper package from Oldham FM’s first RSL broadcast in Summer 1994. Which leads me to the obvious point of “answers on a (virtual) postcard to the question ‘where are they now’?”

Download Oldham FM 105.4 namechecks MP3

I know that there are some names who starred ‘missing’ from this list, and maybe some of the names didn’t actually feature ‘on-air’ in the end.

 

Next up a longer selection of the ID’s – this is not the complete package as I’ve chopped out some of the ‘variations’ on a theme. From an historical point of view it’s interesting to note how back in 1994 the frequency 105.4MHz was “at the top of your dial”, and I guess it’s also of note that many people where still using a ‘dial’. I also recall how listening to the last two cuts of this package highlighted to me in my early days of producing audio how much difference just a light bit of reverb can make to a voice-over.

Download Oldham FM 1054 jingle selection MP3

 

Finally jump ahead a couple of years to a later Oldham FM month long broadcast, probably still at the ‘top of your dial’ but with the 105.4 slot usurped by Century Radio they were now allocated the 107.0MHz frequency. Today’s radio commentators and even the odd futurologist, are often seen to be warning of the dangers of relying on a concept of “the best variety” as the backbone of your radio station strategy. Luckily in the pre iPod, YouTube and Spotify days Oldham FM where able to take the ‘variety’ line to it’s ultimate conclusion in this montage of idents.

Download Oldham FM 107 Jingle Montage Mp3

Sorry the audio quality of this last one is not as good, my copy of the jingles where a third or firth generation cassette dub. The earlier package was a cassette dub of what seemed at the time the incredibility hi-tech CD master!

This is the second of a regular series of “Sound Archive” posts.

 

Photo Credits: “Mixing Desk Close Up” by Phil Edmonds

Page edited 2nd June 2020 update URL of Peter Baker website.