6KH Radio Circle - BBC Children’s Hour club membership badge (1920’s)
6KH Radio was one of Britain’s early radio stations and the first to transmit within Hull and its environs. It was one of the relay stations set up by the BBC to increase coverage of its UK-wide broadcasting and was designated the ‘6KH’ call-sign representing Kingston-upon-Hull. 6KH Radio began broadcasting on 15th August 1924 using a 200W transmitter at a frequency of 896 kHz and just when commercial radio sets were becoming available to an eager public. 6KH Radio broadcasted a schedule of BBC programs as well as others of local interest, including a Children’s Hour. This is a membership for their Children's Hour Birthday Club.
In 1926, the BBC was nationalised and a change of policy saw the company reorganised into two new radio services, BBC National and BBC Regional. This was made possible with the development of more powerful transmitters able to broadcast over longer distances. This ensured the demise of many relay stations, including 6KH Radio which ceased transmitting on the 31st October 1928.
As standard practise for radio stations and newspapers of the time, each had their own slots for children’s programmes with dedicated clubs that issued welcome packs to new members which would have included their membership badge, such as this one. 6KH Radio also transmitted a weekly 30-minute programme to regional schools each Friday afternoon.
In 1923, the BBC formed Radio Circles, which were clubs for listeners to the Children's Hour programmes. Initially, these were based on local stations such as Manchester (2ZY), Nottingham (5NH), Sheffield (6FL), Stoke on Trent (6ST), Liverpool (6LV), Hull (6KH), etc and each of these stations issued their own distinct membership badge. With the nationalisation of radio under the BBC in 1926 and the developments of better transmitting technology, the local stations had been reorganised into regional ones by 1928. The Radio Circle clubs had also been reorganised and thererafter, each issued a standard badge showing the iconic sunburst, rabbit and cockerel, differentiated only by a bar attached to the badge showing the region's name. The Radio Circle clubs were discontinued by the BBC making their final birthday request broadcast on the 31st December 1933. The BBC stated costs as being the main factor for their decision to end the Childen's Hour Radio Circles.
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References:
news.bbc.co.uk/local/humberside/hi/people_and_places/hist... (Hull’s first radio station - 6KH).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Early days of BBC radio & station ID codes).
www.mds975.co.uk/Content/ukradio.html (General history of UK radio).
www.transdiffusion.org/2001/08/15/regions1
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/ (This Facebook account - The lost world of light entertainment has quite a few snippets of information about the BBC Radio Circle clubs).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Hour (BBC Children’s Hour radio programme, 1923-1964).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Early history of the BBC radio, includes list of relay stations and regions).
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Enamels: 3 (dark blue, light blue & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: approx 1” diameter.
Process: Die stamped.
Imprint: THOMAS FATTORINI LTD, HOCKLEY ST, BIRMINGHAM (1924-1929).
6KH Radio Circle - BBC Children’s Hour club membership badge (1920’s)
6KH Radio was one of Britain’s early radio stations and the first to transmit within Hull and its environs. It was one of the relay stations set up by the BBC to increase coverage of its UK-wide broadcasting and was designated the ‘6KH’ call-sign representing Kingston-upon-Hull. 6KH Radio began broadcasting on 15th August 1924 using a 200W transmitter at a frequency of 896 kHz and just when commercial radio sets were becoming available to an eager public. 6KH Radio broadcasted a schedule of BBC programs as well as others of local interest, including a Children’s Hour. This is a membership for their Children's Hour Birthday Club.
In 1926, the BBC was nationalised and a change of policy saw the company reorganised into two new radio services, BBC National and BBC Regional. This was made possible with the development of more powerful transmitters able to broadcast over longer distances. This ensured the demise of many relay stations, including 6KH Radio which ceased transmitting on the 31st October 1928.
As standard practise for radio stations and newspapers of the time, each had their own slots for children’s programmes with dedicated clubs that issued welcome packs to new members which would have included their membership badge, such as this one. 6KH Radio also transmitted a weekly 30-minute programme to regional schools each Friday afternoon.
In 1923, the BBC formed Radio Circles, which were clubs for listeners to the Children's Hour programmes. Initially, these were based on local stations such as Manchester (2ZY), Nottingham (5NH), Sheffield (6FL), Stoke on Trent (6ST), Liverpool (6LV), Hull (6KH), etc and each of these stations issued their own distinct membership badge. With the nationalisation of radio under the BBC in 1926 and the developments of better transmitting technology, the local stations had been reorganised into regional ones by 1928. The Radio Circle clubs had also been reorganised and thererafter, each issued a standard badge showing the iconic sunburst, rabbit and cockerel, differentiated only by a bar attached to the badge showing the region's name. The Radio Circle clubs were discontinued by the BBC making their final birthday request broadcast on the 31st December 1933. The BBC stated costs as being the main factor for their decision to end the Childen's Hour Radio Circles.
.
References:
news.bbc.co.uk/local/humberside/hi/people_and_places/hist... (Hull’s first radio station - 6KH).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Early days of BBC radio & station ID codes).
www.mds975.co.uk/Content/ukradio.html (General history of UK radio).
www.transdiffusion.org/2001/08/15/regions1
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/ (This Facebook account - The lost world of light entertainment has quite a few snippets of information about the BBC Radio Circle clubs).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Hour (BBC Children’s Hour radio programme, 1923-1964).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Early history of the BBC radio, includes list of relay stations and regions).
.
Enamels: 3 (dark blue, light blue & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: approx 1” diameter.
Process: Die stamped.
Imprint: THOMAS FATTORINI LTD, HOCKLEY ST, BIRMINGHAM (1924-1929).