Radio Week

Radio Week was a bilingual, weekly magazine produced by the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Cape Town.

History

Radio Week was a bilingual, weekly, 32-page magazine produced by the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Cape Town to advertise the week's radio highlights, was registered at the GPO as a newspaper and sold for 3 pennies (also called a "tickey," thruppence or written as 3d). A yearly subscription to Radio Week could be had for 6/- (six shillings) if you were a "licensed listener" (1½d per copy). Non-licensed listeners could purchase a subscription at the regular price of 12/6 per annum.

Each week Radio Week carried detailed schedules for the South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) radio stations: Cape Town "A" (English), Cape Town "B" (Afrikaans), Durban and Pietermartizburg "A" (English), Durban and Pietermartizburg "B" (Afrikaans), Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Grahamstown "A" (English), and Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Grahamstown "B" (Afrikaans).

Although there was at least one Black radio station (need help here, please) directed at Black listeners, this magazine completely ignored their needs.

Vol 1, No 1,was launched on Friday, 26th October, 1945, just eight weeks after World War 2 ended on September 2. This was quite remarkable when considering the worldwide shortage of paper since South Africa was totally dependent on Britain for her paper supply. After the Germans occupied Norway, the world's major supplier of wood pulp, Britain's supply was drastically curtailed and it was not till the end of the war when supplies slowly started returning to normal.

Station Programmes and Personalities

Each of the three transmitting centres, 1) Cape Town, 2) Durban and Pietermartizburg, and 3) Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Grahamstown, broadcast two stations, one in English and the other in Afrikaans. Transmissions began at 7.20AM and continued non-stop until closing time, which varied but which was usually around midnight.

Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Grahamstown "A" (English)

8th November, 1945: No Flowers for Carmen a murder drama set in an opera house, written by Ralph Trewelha, He was also the composer of the song So Long, Sarie.

Barchester Towers, a daily drama read by Dorothy Spring.

Forces and Ex-Forces Favourites presented by Haidee Cassell.

Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Grahamstown "B" (Afrikaans)

(This is still under construction:

"Fish with Leonard Flemming"

"Nuwejaarskets" with Freda Linde.

Yoland d'Hotman entertained Durban hospital patients.)

Sources

Various editions of Radio Week.

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