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Incredible UK government claims, from the first licence application in 1986, onwards: "No frequencies are available...", "...would demolish the UK's credibility in international fora."
Lord Thomson, IBA, 1988: "...unfortunately we cannot help under present legislation - lack of interest at the Home Office - sorry cannot help - wish you luck with exciting project."
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, the Minister had stated that radio stations could operate until licence formalities were introduced...

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Radiofax Programme Index and Audio Archive
Radiofax, the ground breaking short-wave radio station launched in 1988, was the forerunner of web-based science and technical newsfeeds of today.
Listen again to broadcasts which are a time capsule of the era.

We have some 300 hours of recordings transcribed and indexed but seek any more of the thousands broadcast you might have.

1988 Programmes
April-December

Audio Archive

1991 Sparks Technical and Media News: M1-M28

Audio Archive

1992 Sparks Technical and Media News: M30-M63-Final

Audio Archive

Radiofax audio
and print miscellany

Audio Archive

As sent to Members of Parliament and the government - TRANSCRIPT
Button to hear comments from Radiofax listeners
MP3 - 16 minutes, 9.3MB

thumbprint of Radiofax Memories Radiofax and Radio Caroline Memories by Andy Burnham, here.

Thumbprint of chart recordings Charts of the three frequencies received in Surrey, England, here.

thumbprint of Radiofax At 1992 Radiofax At September 1992 - audio and text here.

Radiofax old valve logo   Artist's impression of transmitter site

The fantastic response from listeners, the way they cared about the speech based output and the touching devotion of housebound, disabled and blind listeners in particular, led founder and sponsor Trevor Brook to feel the project to have been one of the most worthwhile things he has ever done.

Box files and pile of Radiofax listener letters Large bundle of letters to Radiofax
Just a few of the 5000 letters the station received each year
Large pile of High Court and ECHR court document files
Some of the legal submissions which ensued
Selection of Radiofax High Court and ECHR documents
TREVOR BROOK   -v-   THE UNITED KINGDOM
After eleven years of promises and prevarication, when challenged in the High Court in London, and subsequently the European Court Of Human Rights in Strasbourg,
the government went to immense lengths to concoct a strangely paranoid and archaic 'cold war' type of case - rather than offer a licence.
News report Radiofax case admissible at ECHR in Strasbourg in September 1998
The ECHR ruled there was an insufficient infringement of Human Rights for the Court to act because the UK did have independent radio on AM and FM.
Radio Netherlands Media Network report Radiofax case ECHR in Strasbourg 27th September 2000
One can only hope that the officials who implemented such obstructionist policies feel a tad ashamed of themselves nowadays.
They did at least tell the Court: "The United Kingdom makes no admission that there has been maladministration in this case; but, on any view, the handling of the matter and what has occurred are to be regretted."
Office Of Fair Trading logo in 2001
A complaint in 2001 to the Office Of Fair Trading revealed that the Radiocommunications Agency was not even covered by the Competition Act.
UK Radio news story Radiocommunications Agency not covered by monopoly legislation
- -   Britain's short wave broadcast monopoly (BBC Transmission > Merlin Communications > Merlin VT > Babcock > presently Encompass) still survives to this day.   - -

Radiofax Programme Schedule August 1992: Sparks; World of Country Music, Tommy Murphy; Radiodaze, Andy Walker; Paul Maclaren; Jodie's Rock Show; Red Sands; Triple R; Falcon; Gary Stevens; Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law; Independent Producers; Classic Gold Feature with Krissi Carpenter or Paul Bentley; Reflections.
Amongst those who broadcast on Radiofax are:
Mike Allen - Paul Bentley/Barnett (1952 - 2023) - Andy Bradgate - Trevor Brook - Andy Burnham - Eddie Caffrey - Krissi Carpenter - Steve Conway - Martin Deeley - Henry Dulat - Jodie - Dave Johns - Ricky Jones - Paul Maclaren - Juliet Masters - Bob Mathews - Peter Moore - Jill Moss - Peter Moss (no relation) - Tommy Murphy - Ruth Phillips - Johnny Reece - Holly Robson - Nick Salaman - Red Sands - Andy Sherwood - Helen Songest (died 1989) - Gary Stevens - Maggie Stephenson - Kevin Thorne - Bob Tomalski (1953 - 2001: funeral eulogies) - Andy Walker - Colin Ward - Chris Watford

Cover of Radio Listener's Guide
Radiofax - The best thing to happen to radio for 20 years - Radio Listener's Guide 1992

Contact: t.b@tbrook.com


 

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