The Pumamouse Website: Captial Radio

AN INVITATION FROM THE PUMAMOUSE
If anyone out there knows the complete or partial history of this radio service, or if you have fond memories of it, and if you wish to share your knowledge and recollections with me and with the world via this website, please contact me! Your tutelage would be greatly enjoyed and appreciated. Squeak!

NOSTALGIC
OLD-TIME RADIO

SA BROADCASTING AND
"THE BACK ROOM BOYS"

The following informative essay was written and provided by Colin Miller.
It is included here for your enjoyment with Mr. Miller's knowledge and consent. Thank you, Colin!

LM RADIO

BOTSWANA

SOUTHERN (NOT SOUTH)
AFRICAN RADIO SERVICES
(Introduction)

NRBC
(Northern Rhodesian
Broadcasting Corporation)

RADIO 540
BOPHUTHATSWANA

RBC
(Rhodesian Broadcasting
Corporation)

You are viewing
"Capital Radio"

SOUTHERN (NOT SOUTH) AFRICAN RADIO SERVICES LINKS:

SPRINGBOK RADIO

SOUTHERN (NOT SOUTH)
AFRICAN RADIO SERVICES
(Introduction)

ESSAYS:

Please investigate all of the varied sections of
The Pumamouse Website by clicking on the links below.

THE PUMAMOUSE WEBSITE SECTION LINKS:

Capital Radio Opening
26 December 1979

PHOTOGRAPHS:

SOUND FILES:

NEW PRODUCTIONS

NO BULL

REGIONAL
SOUTH AFRICAN
RADIO SERVICES

SOUTH WEST AFRICAN
BROADCASTING
CORPORATION

VINTAGE RADIO
ON RADIO TODAY!

OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN
RADIO SERVICES

USA OLD-TIME RADIO

PUMAMOUSE PIECES
OF THE PUZZLE

LUCKY LISTENER
LETTERS

JET JUNGLE GEMS

WHERE TO BUY OTR
RECORDINGS

SOUTH AFRICAN OTR
INTRODUCTION
(The Section Begins Here!)

IN MEMORY OF
SPRINGBOK RADIO

THE HISTORY OF SPRINGBOK RADIO

CATALOGUE

THE PUMAMOUSE'S OTR
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

SPRINGBOK RADIO
SOUND FILES

SPRINGBOK RADIO
PHOTOGRAPHS

SOUTH AFRICAN OTR LINKS:

HISTORY:

CAPITAL RADIO
By Colin Miller © 2004

On 26 October, 1976, Transkei achieved its independence from South Africa, the first of the Black homelands to do so. Although it was Africa's 50th independent state, its independence was not recognized internationally. All the homelands (Bophuthatswana, Ciskiei, Transkei and Venda) reverted to South African rule in 1994 when the nationalist government of Nelson Mandela took power.

Up to then, of course, radio service had been provided by the SABC. A new entity, the Transkei Broadcasting Corporation, took over the SABC facilities.

Just over 3 years later, on 26 December 1979, Capital Radio and Music Holdings Transkei (Pty) Ltd., a new independent commercial radio station, began broadcasting to Southern Africa. The Transkei government held 51% of the equity and 20% was held by a consortium composed of the managing director, chairman and programming director. The remaining was open and available for Transkeian subscription at a later date.

The main transmitter of 500,000 watts was located at Herschel in the northeastern Cape Province. It was powerful enough to cover most of South Africa. Cape Town and the remote Northern Cape, which could not be reached by mediumwave (AM) during the day due to poor ground conductivity, was served by a shortwave transmitter at Umtata between sunrise and sunset.

Broadcasts originated from an old Edwardian mansion on a hill overlooking Port St. Johns on the Indian Ocean coast. A large music studio and a small interview studio for taped recordings was situated at Milpark, Johannesburg. In addition, studios for compiling special feature programmes and recording local talent were set up at Milpark.

Capital’s music style would be unique, according to Michael Bukt, the original programme controller at Capital Radio, London, the highly successful pioneer independent station from which the Transkei station got its name. He added that Capital’s sound would be distinctive. At first it was on the air in English for 20 hours a day, with top DJs recruited overseas and locally spinning the best in pop music, interspersed with news bulletins and sports every hour. Advertising content did not exceed nine minutes in any one hour, split into six 90-second segments. Promotions and contests were run on a continuing basisin conjunction with major advertisers. “All the hits and more, on 604” was the catchy slogan.

Capital Countdown

Unfortunately, however, Capital faced troubles right from the start. The station had only been on the air for a few minutes, when the big 500,000 watt transmitter developed a problem and the signal strength dropped dramatically. It was barely audible in Johannesburg. You can hear what happened on the audio file on this website. So the station installed smaller mediumwave transmitters at Umtata and Umzimkulu to cover Transkei and surrounding areas, and used the shortwave to cover the rest of South Africa.

In the mid 1980’s Capital shared airtime with another station called Southern Sound, which provided inspirational and religious programming at night. Their slogan was “We belong together”. However the station did not have a large audience and closed a few years later.

During the 1990’s, Capital opened a studio on Durban’s beachfront, and changed its format to include more music by Black artists. With the transformation processes of state-owned broadcasting services in the mid-1990's, Capital Radio went off air and was closed down as a result of funding problems.