Radio Victory
Encyclopedia
Radio Victory was the independent local radio
(ILR) station for Portsmouth
in southern England
. It was launched on 14 October 1975 and served south Hampshire
, West Sussex
and the Isle of Wight
.
Its studios were based in Fratton, Portsmouth. Its FM
transmitter, on 95.0 MHz, was at Fort Widley with only 0.2 kW but the signal reached Southampton
and all over the Isle of Wight quite well. It also broadcast on Medium Wave 257m (1169 kHz, later moving to 1170 kHz) from Farlington Marshes with 0.2 kW.
Victory had three managing directors throughout its life - Guy Paine, John Russell, and finally Bruce Jenkins. Housed in St Mary's Institute in Portsmouth's Fratton Road, Its address was PO Box 257, Portsmouth PO1 5RT.
For most of its life it transmitted from 6 am to 1 am Mondays–Fridays, 6 am to 2 am Saturdays and 7 am to midnight on Sundays. This increased to 24-hour broadcasting from the start of the Falklands Conflict. Newsreader Penny Guy broadcast news of the first UK warship casualty—the sinking of HMS Sheffield
. Listeners were unaware her fiancé Derek was aboard the vessel, and she had no idea if he were alive or dead. (He survived - they wed shortly afterwards).
The Independent Broadcasting Authority
didn't renew its licence in 1985 so the station ceased broadcasting on 28 June 1986 at 12 pm after 10 years and around 257 days on air despite a local campaign to save it. Fratton Road was jammed solid with traffic blaring their horns in tribute as the airwaves fell silent for the last time. Victory was the first ILR station to lose its franchise (although two others, Centre Radio
and Gwent Broadcasting, went off air after going bankrupt).
The station was replaced by Ocean Sound which was given a licence for a larger coverage area including Southampton
.
The name of Victory, as a radio station for the Portsmouth area, was re-invented in 1994 to mark the city's 800th birthday and the 50th anniversary of D-Day
(the city was the world's focus for this, hosting many events including a dinner for world leaders in the Guildhall
). Victory FM was set up by Mark Samways with the help of Kevin Huffer. Alex Bentley, the city's Lord Mayor during the set-up period, was most encouraging and helped by arranging for the council to provide space for the studios in the civic offices for a peppercorn
rent. This first outing for the new service acquired a 28-day broadcast licence, called an Restricted Service Licence RSL), from the Radio Authority.
It returned to the air twice more as Victory FM—over the Christmas period of 1994 and again in 1995 to mark VE Day's 50th anniversary. The studios for this period were located in the Anchor House, North End
and were loaned by the owners the Bradford and Bingley Building Society. The building had been empty since the Hampshire Building Society closed for business.
The name Radio Victory was kept alive by predominantly the same team, broadcasting from a studios in Twyford Avenue, Stamshaw
; this time broadcasting on cable TV and with occasional temporary FM licences for special occasions such as their own launch on cable at Christmas 1995 and to cover the Special Olympics
. A total of six 28-day RSL FM broadcasts were made from 1994 to 1998.
When Greater Portsmouth was re-issued with its own ILR franchise, Radio Victory successfully won the bid. It returned to the airwaves on 19 September 1999 on 107.4 FM.
The station was acquired by TLRC
at the end of 1999, so the 2000 saw a massive change of personnel. It would seem that, without the key members who took the station from 28-day RSL to full time FM licence, it was unable to compete in the RAJAR
ratings against now established local rivals like Ocean FM and Wave 105
. The station later relaunched as Victory 107.4 and 107.4 The Quay
, allying itself closely to Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) who from Autumn of 2009 became the sole owners. During 2010 PFC sold the station to Celador's radio arm and the frequency became part of a regional station called Breeze. The local studios in Twyford Avenue used since 1999 were closed.
from Capital Radio
. The Victory Roll was compiled from record sales at the Co-op
record department in Fratton Road, where Tony Power was the manager.
Some of its presenters were:
Anton Darby, Glenn Richards (first live programme), Bill Padley, Chris Rider, Chris Carnegy (final broadcast), Dave Christian, Matt Hopper, Nicky Jackson, Jim Ware, Dave Symonds, Andy Ferris, Tony Power, Howard Pearce, Bill Padley (later of Wisebuda), George Reed, Keith Butler, Mike North, Robin West, Chrissy Pollard, Roger Kennedy, Guy Morris,
Ted Trafficator, Jack McLaughlin, Graham Starr, Nino Firetto
and
Don Moss.
Its first catchphrase was:
Everything that touches you.
Broadcasters on the relaunched Radio Victory 107.4 in 1999 include:
Andy Ferris, Boy George
, Kevin Huffer, Gethyn Jones, Phil Marriot, Kristina Moore, Cliff Pledge, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Stuart Shave, John Thompson, Richard Taylor and Geoff Peters.
Broadcasters on the Cable service include:
Gary Burnett, CJ, Nicky Crag, Andy Ferris, Boy George
, Arnold Gutbukett, Rob Haskell, Kevin Huffer, Phil Marriot, Andy Martindale,
Kim Michaels, Geoff Peters, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Natalie Shaw, Richard Taylor, Sally Vincent, Jim Ware, Steve Winslade and Neil Young.
Broadcasters on Victory FM include:
Dave Christian, Nicky Crag, Kenny Everett (vintage programming from 1970s), Kevin Huffer, Andy Martindale, James Montgomery, Chrissy Pollard, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Glenn Richards (opening programme in May 94, later known as CJ), Kim Robson, Rob Persani, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Gary Burnett, (Mark's helper on the Family Fun Show) Stuart Shave, Phil Skerman, John Terrett, Jim Ware, Justin Westnedge and Malcom Young.
Its first catchphrases were:
Enjoy the moment, From the heart of the City (with sometimes) to Greater Portsmouth
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
(ILR) station for Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was launched on 14 October 1975 and served south Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
History
Victory was one of the first 19 independent stations in the UK, all of which started broadcasting between 1973 and 1976.Its studios were based in Fratton, Portsmouth. Its FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
transmitter, on 95.0 MHz, was at Fort Widley with only 0.2 kW but the signal reached Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and all over the Isle of Wight quite well. It also broadcast on Medium Wave 257m (1169 kHz, later moving to 1170 kHz) from Farlington Marshes with 0.2 kW.
Victory had three managing directors throughout its life - Guy Paine, John Russell, and finally Bruce Jenkins. Housed in St Mary's Institute in Portsmouth's Fratton Road, Its address was PO Box 257, Portsmouth PO1 5RT.
For most of its life it transmitted from 6 am to 1 am Mondays–Fridays, 6 am to 2 am Saturdays and 7 am to midnight on Sundays. This increased to 24-hour broadcasting from the start of the Falklands Conflict. Newsreader Penny Guy broadcast news of the first UK warship casualty—the sinking of HMS Sheffield
HMS Sheffield (D80)
HMS Sheffield was the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975.An...
. Listeners were unaware her fiancé Derek was aboard the vessel, and she had no idea if he were alive or dead. (He survived - they wed shortly afterwards).
The Independent Broadcasting Authority
Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television - and commercial/independent radio broadcasts...
didn't renew its licence in 1985 so the station ceased broadcasting on 28 June 1986 at 12 pm after 10 years and around 257 days on air despite a local campaign to save it. Fratton Road was jammed solid with traffic blaring their horns in tribute as the airwaves fell silent for the last time. Victory was the first ILR station to lose its franchise (although two others, Centre Radio
Centre Radio
Centre Radio was the first independent local radio station to serve Leicestershire. It was based as at the lavish Granville House, Leicester, England.-History:...
and Gwent Broadcasting, went off air after going bankrupt).
The station was replaced by Ocean Sound which was given a licence for a larger coverage area including Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.
The name of Victory, as a radio station for the Portsmouth area, was re-invented in 1994 to mark the city's 800th birthday and the 50th anniversary of D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
(the city was the world's focus for this, hosting many events including a dinner for world leaders in the Guildhall
Portsmouth Guildhall
Portsmouth Guildhall is the biggest events venue in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth in England. The building, completed in 1890, was designed in the neo-classical style by architect William Hill, who had earlier been responsible for the design of the town hall in Bolton...
). Victory FM was set up by Mark Samways with the help of Kevin Huffer. Alex Bentley, the city's Lord Mayor during the set-up period, was most encouraging and helped by arranging for the council to provide space for the studios in the civic offices for a peppercorn
Peppercorn (legal)
A peppercorn in legal parlance is a metaphor for a very small payment, a nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. "A peppercorn does not cease to be good consideration if it is established that the promisee does not like pepper and will throw...
rent. This first outing for the new service acquired a 28-day broadcast licence, called an Restricted Service Licence RSL), from the Radio Authority.
It returned to the air twice more as Victory FM—over the Christmas period of 1994 and again in 1995 to mark VE Day's 50th anniversary. The studios for this period were located in the Anchor House, North End
North End, Portsmouth
North End is a mainly residential neighbourhood in the middle of Portsea Island in Portsmouth, England. It developed rapidly after a horse drawn tram route was opened between Portsmouth and Cosham. The area is composed of mainly late Victorian to early 20th century buildings...
and were loaned by the owners the Bradford and Bingley Building Society. The building had been empty since the Hampshire Building Society closed for business.
The name Radio Victory was kept alive by predominantly the same team, broadcasting from a studios in Twyford Avenue, Stamshaw
Stamshaw
Stamshaw is a residential district of Portsmouth, located on the north western corner of Portsea Island in southern England.Much of it consists of dense rows of 'two up, two down' terraced housing built during the late 19th century and early 20th century for dockyard workers and their families...
; this time broadcasting on cable TV and with occasional temporary FM licences for special occasions such as their own launch on cable at Christmas 1995 and to cover the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
. A total of six 28-day RSL FM broadcasts were made from 1994 to 1998.
When Greater Portsmouth was re-issued with its own ILR franchise, Radio Victory successfully won the bid. It returned to the airwaves on 19 September 1999 on 107.4 FM.
The station was acquired by TLRC
The Local Radio Company
The Local Radio Company is a British media company, originally based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, that owns ten independent local radio stations in the UK...
at the end of 1999, so the 2000 saw a massive change of personnel. It would seem that, without the key members who took the station from 28-day RSL to full time FM licence, it was unable to compete in the RAJAR
RAJAR
RAJAR was established in 1992 to operate a single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United Kingdom. RAJAR is jointly owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the RadioCentre...
ratings against now established local rivals like Ocean FM and Wave 105
Wave 105
Wave 105 is a UK regional commercial radio station broadcasting across Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and parts of West Sussex and Wiltshire. Playing a mix of adult contemporary music, it combines presenter-led shows with local news and information, entertainment guides and competitions. The...
. The station later relaunched as Victory 107.4 and 107.4 The Quay
107.4 The Quay
The Breeze is a United Kingdom radio station, broadcasting to the cities of Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester. The station is operated by Celador and is part of The Breeze network of stations...
, allying itself closely to Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) who from Autumn of 2009 became the sole owners. During 2010 PFC sold the station to Celador's radio arm and the frequency became part of a regional station called Breeze. The local studios in Twyford Avenue used since 1999 were closed.
On Air
One of Victory's longest running shows was the Victory Roll, its own top 40 chart show aired on Saturday evenings until all ILR stations started simulcasting the Network ChartThe Network Chart Show
The Network Chart Show was a radio programme launched across Independent Local Radio in the UK on 30 September 1984.-Background:The main presenter was David Jensen , however Pat Sharp would often provide holiday cover in its later years: in its earlier years Timmy Mallett and Alan Freeman also...
from Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
. The Victory Roll was compiled from record sales at the Co-op
The Co-operative brand
The Co-operative is a common branding used by a variety of co-operatives based in the United Kingdom.Many in the UK mistakenly consider the Co-op to be a single national business, however each Co-operative is actually a franchise selling branded goods produced by the Co-operative Group The...
record department in Fratton Road, where Tony Power was the manager.
Some of its presenters were:
Anton Darby, Glenn Richards (first live programme), Bill Padley, Chris Rider, Chris Carnegy (final broadcast), Dave Christian, Matt Hopper, Nicky Jackson, Jim Ware, Dave Symonds, Andy Ferris, Tony Power, Howard Pearce, Bill Padley (later of Wisebuda), George Reed, Keith Butler, Mike North, Robin West, Chrissy Pollard, Roger Kennedy, Guy Morris,
Ted Trafficator, Jack McLaughlin, Graham Starr, Nino Firetto
Nino Firetto
Nino Firetto is a radio presenter, TV host and actor, currently based in Exeter, England.-Biography:Nino Firetto shot to fame first as a DJ in the 1970s, then as a television personality in the 1980s...
and
Don Moss.
Its first catchphrase was:
Everything that touches you.
Broadcasters on the relaunched Radio Victory 107.4 in 1999 include:
Andy Ferris, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Kevin Huffer, Gethyn Jones, Phil Marriot, Kristina Moore, Cliff Pledge, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Stuart Shave, John Thompson, Richard Taylor and Geoff Peters.
Broadcasters on the Cable service include:
Gary Burnett, CJ, Nicky Crag, Andy Ferris, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Arnold Gutbukett, Rob Haskell, Kevin Huffer, Phil Marriot, Andy Martindale,
Kim Michaels, Geoff Peters, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Natalie Shaw, Richard Taylor, Sally Vincent, Jim Ware, Steve Winslade and Neil Young.
Broadcasters on Victory FM include:
Dave Christian, Nicky Crag, Kenny Everett (vintage programming from 1970s), Kevin Huffer, Andy Martindale, James Montgomery, Chrissy Pollard, Tony Power, Phil Reed, Glenn Richards (opening programme in May 94, later known as CJ), Kim Robson, Rob Persani, Mark Samways (founded Victory FM in 1994), Gary Burnett, (Mark's helper on the Family Fun Show) Stuart Shave, Phil Skerman, John Terrett, Jim Ware, Justin Westnedge and Malcom Young.
Its first catchphrases were:
Enjoy the moment, From the heart of the City (with sometimes) to Greater Portsmouth