Archive recordings of major events in Manchester discovered in central library vault
Many of the tapes were produced by presenters and journalists working for commercial radio in Greater Manchester, which today celebrates its 50th anniversary
Recordings of major events in Manchester, feared to have been lost forever, have been discovered locked away in the vaults of the city’s central library.
Many of the tapes were produced by presenters and journalists working for commercial radio in Greater Manchester, which today celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Audio Preservation Engineer David Govier is now hoping to raise funds, so that the delicate recordings can be digitally preserved. He says it is a race against time because many of the reel-to-reel tapes are deteriorating very quickly.
The recordings include coverage of major news and sporting events, such as the Pope’s visit to Heaton Park in 1982.
Piccadilly Radio began broadcasting in Manchester at 5am on Tuesday the 2nd of April. Its studios overlooked Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre.
The founding Managing Director was the late Philip Birch, who was formerly the boss of a highly successful pirate radio station called Radio London.
Roger Day, who had been a presenter on another pirate radio ship played the first song on Greater Manchester’s new commercial radio station – “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys.
Over the past 50 years the radio station has been re-branded as Key103 and now Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, with its studios based at Castle Quay.
Five decades on, the audio archive project will hopefully ensure in years to come people will still be able to hear how commercial radio covered the highs and lows of life over the past 50 years in Greater Manchester.