Radio Hartlepool starts in 10 minutes…
Well, more like 5 minutes now.
Currently still doing test transmissions, and playing Diana Ross + The Supremes. I think….
And now they’re playing a trailer featuring Coldplay…
And now it’s 40 seconds…
THis is the cheesiest countdown thing I’ve ever heard.
“Okay, here it is, it’s midday”… are the first words uttered on the air.
Thei first record played is “The Only Way Is Up” by Yazz + The Plastic Population. The first 30 seconds were obliterated by the sound of annoying clapping.
I don’t know whether that’s an ironic song to start it off with or not…
Next up we have Kid Rock, and that song which murdered Sweet Home Alabama…
And we’ve just had the first trailer that mentions West View.
Next record is “Waiting For A Star to Fall” by Boy Meets Girl. You may, or may not know I LOVE this song. Note, except for the first announcement, there’s been no other “live” announcement, and no adverts. What do we reckon the first advert will be?
12:11… Still no adverts, and the music has taken a turn for the worse… “Larger than Life” by some late 90’s / early 2000s boy band.
12: 36 Well, it’s almost exactly 37 minutes since the station went live. How did I know that? Well, firstly, I looked at the clock, and secondly, my tape ran out. Yes, I’ve taped the introduction and launch. I’m sure it’ll be worth something in a few centuries.
It feels weird actually using a cassette tape to record something. Everything I do these days recording-wise is digital, but seeing as I slept in, I didn’t have chance to connect everything up. In fact, I woke up just a few minutes before twelve. God, I love these days off work.
Glen’s posted a comment asking for the website, which he found seconds later… and for those who can’t be bothered to Google it, it’s http://www.radiohartlepool.co.uk/
Currently, the website, as Glen describes it, is “awful”. But as the top states, it’s just a holding page…
12:49 #OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH, GIMME HOPE JO’ANNA….. and so on.
It’s almost been an hour now, and not one technical breakdown. Sigh. I’m almost disappointed.
12:56 I must admit, I didn’t mention the “special” guests they had for the introduction. One of them was the chairman of the radio station. I’d have expected someone a little more famous, if I’m honest. Hartlepool has lots of famous people…. Lawrence for example… what about Divvy Sharon reading the news? They’ve missed a trick there!
October 14th, 2008 at 11:36:41 am
Is it on the interwebs? Linky poo please
October 14th, 2008 at 11:38:08 am
Never mind, I’ve found it.
http://www.radiohartlepool.co.uk/
It’s awful
October 15th, 2008 at 8:34:12 pm
Mid 1980s Radio Tees - used to listen to it from York in the evening whilst doing my homework. it was so much better than the super-dull BBC RY or Viking Radio.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:52:33 pm
I missed the Tyne-Tees bit opening ceremony as I was stuck in the toilet.
Shame, but the carpet tiles stuck to the walls were a nice touch but a little hard to clean I suppose and I think it might have been a mistake to place the broadcast area at the front of the shop. It would have been better at the back for security…………………
October 15th, 2008 at 11:21:45 pm
Two sets of windows though, that’s one of the things I thought of when I realised that the studio appeared to be in “open view”.
There appears to be a ~two foot void between the front set of windows and the windows in the studio… That’s what it looked like when I went past today.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:38:13 pm
There is some chat about the station on This is Hartlepool’s forums here: http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1298
No plans to launch it live on the internet yet though :(
October 20th, 2008 at 4:01:39 pm
Hey guys - don’t be so quick to dis the website - the station has just been re-branded, and this bold combination of colours makes it stand out from many boring radio stations online. Just wait and see when it is fully functional with plenty of content and it’s own business directory…….it will be liked by many.
October 20th, 2008 at 5:33:38 pm
Mr T : As stated, I realise it’s just a holding page, I mentioned this in the original post. I’m sure my opinions on the site will change as it gets its proper content online, and I will be one of the many who like it and use it.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:07:28 pm
It’s an awful holding page, it uses a fucking Marquee.
Marquee is a crime against web design.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:31:23 pm
.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:39:21 am
I pity the fool who uses marquee.