Wavescan: The Original BBC Relay Station in Singapore. Extract from Wavescan (Adrian P.) March 2015. The Original BBC Relay Station in Singapore. The current BBC Far Eastern Relay Station in Singapore traces its earliest origins back to the year 1937. It was on March 1 of that year, that a new studio and transmitter facility was officially opened at Caldecott Hill on Thomson Road, on the edge of suburban Singapore city. This new international radio broadcasting station contained five transmitters; four low power shortwave transmitters each rated at just 500 watts, and a 2 kW mediumwave transmitter that had previously been on the air on 1333 kHz at a downtown location, a government building in Empress Place, Singapore. These five transmitters now on the air at Caldecott Hill were as follows: 4 Transmitters 1/2 kW SW Callsigns ZHO ZHP ZHN 1 2 MW 1333 kHz ZHL Most of the programming for this new radio station was produced locally in the adjoining new studio building on Caldecott Hill. However, live off air programming on shortwave from the BBC London via the two 80 kW transmitters at Daventry (Senders 4 & 5) was also inserted into the daily scheduling of Radio Malaya Singapore. It was intended that the Caldecott location was only temporary as far as the transmitters were concerned, and work began at Jurong on the south coast towards the western edge of Singapore island for a more permanent transmitter facility. At this same time (1937) as the British colonial authorities in Singapore were developing their new radio broadcasting station on Caldecott Hill, the BBC in London was making plans to establish a relay station in Singapore, their very first overseas relay station. Then, as warlike conditions were emerging in Europe, the BBC attempted to actually purchase the new radio station in Singapore. Soon after war broke out on continental Europe, a new 100 kW Marconi transmitter was despatched by ship for Singapore. However, this ship was torpedoed and sunk, and its electronic cargo was lost. As a replacement, the BBC obtained a 50 kW RCA shortwave transmitter from the United States and this was despatched to Singapore by ship for installation at the new station already under construction at Jurong. A simple antenna system had already been installed. However, before work was completed on the entire facility, the transmitter was hurriedly removed due to the outbreak of war in the Pacific. It was then shipped to Barbados in the Caribbean where it was installed at the C&W Cable and Wireless communication station at Bearded Hall, under the callsign VPO. The entire facility at Caldecott Hill was taken over by the Japanese administration and it was reactivated as Shonan Radio; their first broadcast was on March 27, 1942. In addition, the Japanese constructed a new transmitter station on an adjoining property at Jurong, and they installed four shortwave transmitters at 7 1/2 kW each. Three of these transmitters were new units, and a fourth was taken from Penang Island where it had been on the air previously under the British as ZHJ. The final broadcast as Shonan Radio took place three years later on February 3, 1945. Soon afterwards, the studio suite on Caldecott Hill and the two side by side transmitter stations at Jurong were taken over by the returned British administration. The original Radio Malaya transmitter site was developed for use by the Royal Air Force, and the new former Japanese transmitter site was taken over for use by four different radio organizations: C&W Cable & Wireless BMA British Military Administration SEAC South East Asia Command Singapore BFEBS British Far East Broadcasting Service Even though all four organizations were each using the same facilities, the three broadcasting organizations, BMA, SEAC & BFEBS, each issued their own separate QSL cards. Initially though, left over stock of the pre-war Radio Malaya card with its Malayan sunset scene was in use. On June 30, 1946, the SEAC services ended; BMA became Radio Malaya, and BFEBS became a BBC relay station with off air programming from the BBC London. The identification announcement for the BBC relays was given as the Voice of Britain. In January 1946, work began on the installation of four Marconi shortwave transmitters, 10 kW units Model No. SWB11. These transmitters came from India, and it is presumed that they were left over units no longer needed for the Forces Service in Delhi. The first unit was activated on January 19, (1946) and the second on February 4. All four were in use by November in the following year (1947). The BBC officially took over the Jurong station on August 8, 1948. At this stage, three of the recently installed transmitters were now listed at just 7 1/2 kW, and one at 5 1/2 kW. In order to increase the coverage from the Jurong transmitter station, the BBC announced that they planned to install a Marconi 100 kW transmitter at this location. However, due to the development of an international airport nearby, this projected facility had to be cancelled; the tall antenna towers would become an obstruction to aircraft. At this stage, the BBC began to look for another suitable location, which they ultimately found on the nearby Malay peninsula, and thus work began on a huge new station in the rubber plantation areas near the bottom tip of the peninsula. In April 1949, the BBC closed out its usage of the Jurong transmitter base on Singapore Island, and their Far Eastern Service was transferred temporarily to the SEAC shortwave station at Ekala north of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The QSL cards verifying the shortwave transmissions from the BBC Far Eastern Relay Station reflect the changes that took place in that era. Initially, BFEBS QSL cards quite clearly verified the reception of the station. After the BBC takeover, appreciation was expressed to the listener for the report, though, as was stated on the card, they could no longer officially QSL reception reports from listeners. Thus in summary, the story of the BBC Singapore in this early period of radio history is as follows: * 1937-1942 Radio Malaya Caldecott Hill 4 at 1/2 kW Program relays * 1937-1939 BBC Jurong 1 at 100 kW Projected shortwave station * 1945-1947 BFEBS Jurong 4 at 7 1/2 kW Ex Japanese station * 1945-1949 BBC Jurong 1 at 100 kW Projected shortwave station * 1948-1949 BBC Jurong 4 at 7 1/2 kW Official BBC relay station When we take up the continuing story of the BBC Far Eastern Relay Station next time here again in Wavescan, we plan to present the information regarding their temporary usage of the SEAC shortwave station in Ceylon. (via SW TX site March 2) Language Progr Start StopTime Days Frequ Power Bengali MISCA 00:29:30 00:30:00 8 9790 250 Bengali BENGA 00:30:00 00:59:30 8 9790 250 Hindi HINDA 00:59:30 01:29:30 8 11995 250 Bengali MISCA 01:29:30 01:30:00 8 11995 250 Bengali BENGA 01:30:00 01:59:30 8 11995 250 Burmese BURMA 01:59:30 02:29:30 8 11995 250 Hindi HINDA 02:29:30 02:59:30 8 17510 250 Non-Specific SIG5 09:58:00 09:59:30 8 6195 125 000deg Non-Specific SIG5 09:58:00 09:59:30 8 9740 125 13deg Non-Specific SIG5 09:58:00 09:59:30 8 6195 125 90deg Non-Specific SIG5 09:58:00 09:59:30 8 9740 125 135deg English ENASE 09:59:30 10:59:30 8 15285 250 English ENASE 09:59:30 13:59:30 8 6195 125 000deg English ENASE 09:59:30 13:59:30 8 6195 125 90deg English ENASE 09:59:30 13:59:30 8 9740 125 13deg English ENASE 09:59:30 13:59:30 8 9740 125 135deg English ENASE 10:59:30 11:59:30 8 15285 250 Bengali NHK 13:00:00 13:44:30 8 11685 250 Bengali MISCA 13:29:30 13:30:00 8 12065 250 Bengali BENGA 13:30:00 13:59:30 8 12065 250 Non-Specific SIG6 13:43:00 13:44:30 8 7485 100 Non-Specific SIG6 13:43:00 13:44:30 8 9900 100 Burmese BURMA 13:44:30 14:29:30 8 9900 100 Burmese BURMA 13:44:30 14:29:30 8 11685 100 Burmese BURMA 13:44:30 14:29:30 8 7485 100 Non-Specific SIG5 13:58:00 13:59:30 8 7465 250 Hindi HINDA 13:59:30 14:29:30 8 12065 250 English ENASS 13:59:30 16:59:30 8 7465 250 Burmese BURMA 14:29:30 15:14:30 23456 11685 100 Burmese NHK 14:30:00 14:59:30 8 11740 250 Pashto PASHA 14:59:30 15:59:30 8 9810 250 Urdu URDUA 14:59:30 15:59:30 8 12065 250 English ENASS 14:59:30 16:59:30 8 9410 100 Non-Specific SIG6 15:43:00 15:44:30 8 9855 100 Tamil TAMLA 15:44:30 16:14:30 8 9855 100 Hindi HINDA 15:59:30 16:29:30 8 9540 250 Non-Specific SIG6 16:28:00 16:29:30 8 9855 100 Bengali MISCA 16:29:30 16:30:00 8 9540 250 Bengali MISCA 16:29:30 16:30:00 8 7485 100 Sinhala SINHA 16:29:30 16:59:30 8 9855 100 Bengali BENGA 16:30:00 16:59:30 8 7485 100 Bengali BENGA 16:30:00 16:59:30 8 9540 250 Non-Specific SIG5 21:58:00 21:59:30 8 6195 125 000deg Non-Specific SIG5 21:58:00 21:59:30 8 6195 250 13deg Non-Specific SIG5 21:58:00 21:59:30 8 6195 125 90deg Non-Specific SIG5 21:58:00 21:59:30 8 3915 100 English ENASE 21:59:30 22:59:30 8 6195 250 13deg English ENASE 21:59:30 22:59:30 8 3915 100 English ENASE 21:59:30 23:59:30 8 6195 125 000deg English ENASE 21:59:30 23:59:30 8 6195 125 90deg Non-Specific SIG5 22:58:00 22:59:30 8 11955 100 English ENASE 22:59:30 23:59:30 8 9740 125 13deg English ENASE 22:59:30 23:59:30 8 9740 125 135deg English ENASE 22:59:30 23:59:30 8 11955 100 Non-Specific SIG6 23:58:00 23:59:30 8 9510 250 Non-Specific SIG6 23:58:00 23:59:30 8 12025 250 Burmese BURMA 23:59:30 00:29:30 8 12025 250 Burmese BURMA 23:59:30 00:29:30 8 9510 250 English ENASS 23:59:30 01:59:30 8 12095 250 Days All time are in UTC 8 = every day 1 = Sunday 2 = Monday 3 = Tuesday 4 = Wednesday 5 = Thursday 6 = Friday 7 = Saturday (via engineering Kranji, Peter Jenus on tour in SoEAS call 9M8XXW - DJ8XW) and coming Singapore Kranji A-15 summer schedule 9810 0000-0030 SNG 250 340 Mya BURMA 11700 0000-0030 SNG 250 330 Mya BURMA 9740 0000-0100 SNG 125 135 Eng ENASE_S 9740 0000-0100 SNG 125 13 Eng ENASE_E 11750 0000-0100 SNG 100 340 Eng ENASE_W 11955 0000-0100 SNG 100 90 Eng ENASE_S 15335 0000-0100 SNG 100 13 Eng ENASE_E 12095 0000-0200 SNG 250 320 Eng ENASS 11700 0030-0100 SNG 250 330 Ben BENGA 15310 0030-0100 SNG 250 315 Ben BENGA 11995 0100-0130 SNG 250 315 Hin HINDA 15620 0130-0200 SNG 250 315 Ben BENGA 11995 0200-0230 SNG 250 340 Mya BURMA 17870 0230-0300 SNG 250 315 Hin HINDA 15285 1000-1100 SNG 250 13 Eng ENASE_E 6195 1000-1400 SNG 125 90 Eng ENASE_S 6195 1000-1400 SNG 125 0 Eng ENASE_W 9740 1000-1400 SNG 125 13 Eng ENASE_E 9740 1000-1400 SNG 125 135 Eng ENASE_S 15285 1100-1200 SNG 250 13 Eng ENASE_F 11730 1330-1400 SNG 100 330 Ben BENGA 7485 1345-1430 SNG 100 340 Mya BURMA 9585 1345-1430 SNG 100 340 Mya BURMA 11945 1345-1430 SNG 100 340 Mya BURMA 11795 1400-1430 SNG 250 315 Hin HINDA 6195 1400-1500 SNG 125 90 Eng ENASE_S 6195 1400-1500 SNG 125 0 Eng ENASE_W 9740 1400-1500 SNG 125 135 Eng ENASE_S 9740 1400-1500 SNG 125 13 Eng ENASE_E 11890 1400-1500 SNG 100 320 Eng ENASS 7485 1430-1515 SNG 100 340 Mya BURMA 11945 1430-1515 SNG 100 340 Mya BURMA 9705 1500-1600 SNG 250 320 Pus PASHA 12075 1500-1600 SNG 250 315 Urd URDUA 17790 1500-1600 SNG 100 315 Urd URDUA 11890 1500-1700 SNG 250 315 Eng ENASS 9900 1545-1615 SNG 100 270 Tam TAMLA 9605 1600-1630 SNG 250 315 Hin HINDA 9705 1600-1700 SNG 250 320 Prs DARIA 7485 1630-1700 SNG 100 340 Ben BENGA 9540 1630-1700 SNG 250 330 Ben BENGA 9900 1630-1700 SNG 100 270 Sin SINHA 3915 2200-2300 SNG 100 160 Eng ENASE_S 9740 2200-2300 SNG 250 13 Eng ENASE_E 6195 2200-2400 SNG 125 90 Eng ENASE_S 6195 2200-2400 SNG 125 0 Eng ENASE_W 9740 2300-2400 SNG 125 135 Eng ENASE_S 9740 2300-2400 SNG 125 13 Eng ENASE_E 11850 2300-2400 SNG 100 90 Eng ENASE_S |
