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UK Broadcast Transmission |
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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY
| Photos by Ringway Manchester | Page last updated: 2026-08-23 |
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| This antenna can be found in Whalley Range High School in Manchester and belongs to Range Radio. It's a vertical with a capacitive hat at the top, allowing it to radiate such a low frequency signal on a relatively small antenna – commonly seen on LPAM (low power AM) stations. It appears to be a Radica AM50/AT50 setup (50 watts in for an ERP of 1 watt). Their first test transmission was broadcast around July 15th, 1999, after the school was granted a licence for five years. The official opening was by a former student of the school, Estelle Morris, at that time the Minister of State for Schools, on 6 July 1999. The station began broadcasting 6 hours daily after the summer 1999 school holidays on 1350kHz AM. Sarah Jones and Rebecca Liaaz, both 15, fronted the breakfast show which was produced by Kalayne Wren. It featured a blend of chat, music, and news and the stations output could be received within a six-mile radius of the school. The station was a dream of Headmistress Jean Else and the idea was that pupils could carry radios around the school corridors so they could listen throughout the day. The school's head of information technology, Roy Appleby, who used to be head of presentation for Cheshire-based Signal Radio was also involved in the station. The studio was built and equipped in a quad area in the school at a cost of £20,000, which was raised through discos and from the school budget. Media staff anchored the main programmes, allowing students to work with them at specific times, starting at 6am with the Breakfast Show preparing for the school day ahead. They continued to broadcast through the school day with a Lunchtime show hosted by regular student presenters, and an Afternoon show to see listeners home safely until 4pm. An evening show was broadcast by students followed by non-stop music throughout the night. For reasons unclear, perhaps the end of the 5-year licence, Range Radio moved to online only, offering content for both students and the general public. Range Radio re-launched after Easter 2018 on a brand-new web platform. Live shows from each house every lunchtime included interviews, reviews, and the latest school news. Today, there's no sign of Range Radio online and the antenna remains in its compound on the school field. |
| Can you spot the antenna? |
| 1999 |
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