LETTER OF THE DAY: We all miss Radio Victory

I was very interested to read in Remember When on Tuesday the account of the demise of the well-loved Radio Victory in June 1986 as the result of the refusal of the then Independent Broadcasting Authority to renew its franchise in favour of the new Ocean Sound, later to become the present Heart Radio which incidentally has little local content in its output.

Miss Radio Victory,,

Pauline Ferrier, 1984 — Miss Radio Victory,, Pauline Ferrier, 1984

There was then no reason, and it seems naive in view of the multitude of stations in today’s digital world, why the new station could not have operated as a Southampton area station from its base in Fareham while serving our area as a new competitor to Radio Victory?

The fact remains that the IBA decision rode roughshod over the views of the local listening public and completely ignored all protests against their arbitrary decision.

Radio Victory did reappear however in 1999 as a then intended full-term franchise holder but did not last three years until being taking over by The Quay, part of the Local Radio Group in 2001.

That really was the end of an era.

NJ Anderson

Melrose Close, Milton