ContactRadio Scilly
"107.9 Radio Scilly... the spirit of the islands"
Radio Scilly
Radio Scilly
Okay, not exactly an ILR station, but Radio Scilly needs to be put on the radio jingles and radio history map.
The station is the community service for the five inhabited islands of the archipelago of 50 or so islands, 28 miles off the southwestern most tip of the Cornwall coast. The islands have around 2,000 inhabitants and therefore Radio Scilly has a potential audience of around 2,000. We believe that this station could be the first in history to achieve 100% Weekly Reach.
Run almost single handedly by the legendary Keri Jones, Radio Scilly is - in this editor's opinion - one of the finest examples of radio broadcasting in the UK today. You have the chance to listen and watch the presenters in action at the station's website (see below).
Radio Scilly made its first broadcast to the Islands back in the summer of 1999. At that time, equipment was set up in a room at the Star Castle and our aerial was perched precariously on the roof of the Castle itself - the highest point they could find at the time.
Radio Scilly came back during Christmas 2000 and crammed all their equipment into a very cosy turret at the Star Castle. Several listeners felt sorry for Keri being on air on Christmas day and he ended up with at least five Christmas dinners - the Star Castle cat had his best Christmas ever!
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Summer 2001 saw Radio Scilly taking up residence in a shed near the Perfumery on Porthloo beach. The shed had an up-and-over garage door and tourists would wander past and lift up the door to watch them - a bit off-putting when you're on air! That summer, The Daily Mirror came to do a story on 'The Smallest Radio Station in the World' and even published a cartoon showing Keri in the shed.
What's more - the station has a great set of jingles from The Jingle Factory (listen below).
The station shares the Atlantic airwaves with amateur station M1IOS.
Click to visit the excellent Radio Scilly webpages
Radio Scilly Jingles
- Radio Scilly - Jingle Factory launch jingles