Capital Radio - Euston Tower
Capital Radio, one of the first two ILR stations, commenced broadcasting from Euston Tower, in Euston Road opposite Warren Street tube station, on the 16th of October 1973. I joined the engineering staff in February 1974 and stayed for nearly nineteen years, around half of my working life. Initially the whole operation was from the first floor but, as the company expanded, much of the ground floor was taken over in stages by the Talks Dept., Programme Production Dept., and a new music studio.Originally the same programmes were simulcast on medium wave and on VHF, with most listeners on medium wave because VHF FM receivers were not widely available then. Later, as VHF FM receivers came into general use, duplication by simulcasting was looked upon as a waste of resources. For a time the medium wave transmitter and VHF transmitter carried independent programmes part time and were later totally split into two separate radio stations, to become known as Capital FM and Capital Gold.
Because of planning permission problems the main medium wave transmitter site near Barnet wasn't ready for the launch date. Instead a temporary transmitter was installed at Lots Road, Chelsea on a temporary channel, 557kHz or 539m.
)
Car sticker for the temporary AM channel on medium wave
The Chelsea transmitter continued to operate in parallel for several months after the main transmitter site at Saffron Green near Barnet opened in 1974 on 1546kHz (later changed to 1548kHz), 194m.
)
Car sticker for the main AM channel on medium wave
Below are a few behind the scenes pictures of the studio equipment and facilities at Euston Tower. I've been fortunate to have worked alongside a number of well known people including (in alphabetical order) Mike Allen, Michael Aspel, Sir Richard Attenborough, Matthew Bannister, Tony Blackburn, Mick Brown, Dave Cash, Nicky Campbell, Graham Dene, Greg Edwards, Kenny Everett, Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, 'Diddy' David Hamilton, Nicky Horne, Paul McKenna, Tony Myatt, David Rodigan, John Sachs, Roger Scott, Pat Sharp, Chris Tarrant, Bill Turnbull, Tommy Vance, Tim Westwood and Peter Young. My apologies to anyone I've forgotten to include.
)
Alan 'Fluff' Freeman on air in studio A
Initially the dj's and presenters were only asked to take technical control to the extent needed for artistic purposes. The on air studio audio outputs passed through a second mixing desk in the Master Control Room where levels were manually adjusted as necessary, commercials were played and all external feeds such as the IRN news and outside broadcasts were handled.
)
Andy at the MCR controls
Later many of these responsibilities were transferred to the presenters with the on-air studios re-configured for 'self-op'.
Other facilities were available for pre-recording programmes etc., such as Control Room 1.
)
CR1
The major ground floor studio (7) and its associated control room, in the space formerly used by Scorpio Sound, was used for bands, political discussion programmes etc.
)
Terry at the controls in CR7
)
The Engineering Workshop with me at my desk in the far corner
Thanks to my former colleagues who appear in the photos above for their permission to publish.
I could relate many stories about my time working for Capital Radio. I remember the time when one of my colleagues who, on arriving for work, asked the receptionist for the identity of the Group that had just left the studios and took offence when told "Curiosity Killed the Cat". Oh, and then there was the time when I had the radio car (used for live on the spot news reports) parked on double yellow lines in central London while a reporter investigated the incident. Two burly policemen walked purposefully up to the car and as I nervously wound down the window one of them said assertively "Excuse me, Sir . . . gotta car sticker?" . . . . . and so on.
Capital Radio transferred its studios for Capital FM and Capital Gold, and the associated offices, from Euston Tower to Leicester Square in 1997.