Angel Radio has its own unique place and purpose, celebrating the past in a warm and inclusive way.
13/11/2025
Channel Islands DAB Update: We had a trustees meeting on Tuesday and there's lots of exciting things on the horizon for Angel Radio in the future. I'll tell you about those at a later date, but one immediate piece of news came from Ash, our Digital Development Manager. I posted recently on Facebook that Ash had temporarily got Angel Radio on the Channel Islands DAB transmitters. I asked if this could be made a more permanent arrangement, and Ash announced to the trustees that he has now secured a permanent slot on the Channel Islands DAB multiplex.
Channel Islands DAB+ coverage is now available across Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney, reaching over 98% of the population and 93% of roads through three transmitters. The service offers a wide variety of local and national stations, including Angel Radio, BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, and Island FM, broadcasting in DAB+ which requires a compatible radio receiver.
13/11/2025
Many thanks for your comments about the problem of the high-pitched whistle during Vic's programmes. This is caused by his hearing aids. I have, over the past months, tried just about everything I can think of to cure the problem. Vic seems to have his hearing aid turned up to maximum volume. At the same time he wears headphones, and he also has the microphone close to the headphones and the hearing aid. I have moved the studio monitor speakers, as well as changing microphone settings and trying different headphones. The only final solution that may work is to sit Vic in the guest chair while a technician works the mixing desk. I have done this myself during a couple of Pay-to-Play Days (not the most recent one) but I currently don't have anybody to handle the mixer during Vic's Monday and Thursday shows. I want to give all older people a chance to produce radio shows, but I don't want listeners switching off because of whistling hearing aids.
Many thanks Tony (station manager)
Angel Radio's PayPal account has NOT been scammed. It has never been scammed. Angel Radio's PayPal account is absolutely safe and secure.
This whole incident was started by one person. That person emailed me before Pay-to-Play and said he had been paying money into some completely random email address, nothing to do with Angel Radio, featuring the website name 37. I checked on Google and found that the company running the 37 email address had closed down over a decade ago. So I told this one person that the 37 address is nothing to do with Angel Radio, and it MAY BE a scam. I said the 37 address may be a scam. I did not say it was in any way linked to Angel Radio's PayPal account. I did not say there was any scam linked to Angel Radio's PayPal Account. I simply advised that, if this person was paying into an unknown account that is not connected with Angel Radio and that the company owning the address closed down over a decade ago, there is a possibility that the 37 email address is a scam.
The next day, during Pay-to-Play, this same person contacted Angel Radio's studio claiming Angel Radio's PayPal account has been scammed. Unfortunately I was not at the studio as I'm supposed to be on a de-stressing break, and the totally false idiotic untrue claim was announced on-air.
I can't do anything but assure you that Angel Radio's PayPal account has NOT been scammed. It has never been scammed. Angel Radio's PayPal account is absolutely safe and secure.
Many thanks for your continued support
Tony
03/11/2025
Apologies for my having to substitute the repeat of Pete Cross' Remember the 60s with a repeat of Mark's Party on Saturday night.
After a very long day, which started at 3.15 on Saturday morning, I downloaded the shows from earlier in the day at about 9pm on Saturday night. The shows I downloaded were Pete 9am - 11am, Brian 11.05am - 12.35pm, and Mark 6pm to 8pm.
The place where I download from is an automatic recording system set up by our Ash. The system has had some problems in the past with things like completely stopping recording, and saying "Yesterday's files" when they are in fact the day before yesterday's files. So, I'm always a bit wary when I download files.
When I started the 9am file, Pete's 60s show, playing, there was the most appalling cacophony of noise from, what sounded like BBC Radio One or some other modern radio station playing some sort of rave 'music'. So I deleted the file and went on to edit Brian's 50s show, which was exactly as it should be. Then I edited the third file, Mark's Party, which again was exactly as it should be. By this time it was getting very close to the slot where the repeat of Pete's show should be. I downloaded the 9am file again, but the awful modern noise was still there. It obviously had nothing in common with Angel Radio's music. It in no way represented Pete's show. It had nothing linking it to the 1960s. So again I presumed it was a fault with the automatic recording system and deleted the file. Left with only Mark's Party as a substitute for Pete's regular 2-hour repeat slot, that's what I used.
This morning I again down loaded the 9am Saturday file. The dreadful modern racket was there yet again, but I zoomed forward and found the file did indeed contain Pete's show after the din had finished.
I have now edited Pete's show and you will be able to enjoy it at about ten past midnight when Tuesday's Pay-to-Play Day has finished.
Again, I apologise for the problem caused by this awful modern radio station breaking into Angel Radio's transmission but trust you enjoyed the bonus of hearing Mark's Party again, and you'll enjoy hearing Pete's show after Pay-to-Play Day.
31/10/2025
As promised, an update of Angel Radio on the Channel Islands ......
At midnight tonight Angel Radio will be broadcasting to the Channel Islands on DAB. As usual a re-scan of your DAB radio will find us.
At present this is a temporary undertaking for a few weeks, but I have asked Ash to investigate making it a permanent arrangement. In the meantime enjoy the nostalgic sounds of Angel on the Channel Islands.
Tony
28/10/2025
Hello chums, your multi-award-winning wireless station has finally completed the arrangements for the next Pay-to-Play Day. Our Mark has organised this one for Tuesday 4th November from 8am to midnight. Sadly I won't be able to take part as I'm having to take a de-stress week away from the radio station. However, Mark has a great line-up of all the usual Pay-to-Play regulars, and Chris has organised the reception desk cover for the day.
If you are telephoning your record request and pledging a donation to help keep your favourite wireless station on-air, please use the freephone number 0800 014 1955 and for emails please use [email protected]
Thank you for your continued support
Tony
26/10/2025
Expanding our DAB coverage: This morning, in addition to all the areas we already broadcast to, Angel Radio is also available to listeners in Colchester and the surrounding area of North Essex. If you live in the area shown on the map below, press the scan button on your DAB+ radio and then look for Angel Vintage. Tens of thousands of listeners agree that Angel Radio is the best oldies station on the wireless...................................................
Coming soon: On the 1st November Angel Radio will be joining the Channel Islands DAB multiplex. More news about that later this week.
(photo courtesy of Essex DAB Ltd)
23/10/2025
How nice of Facebook to remind me of this wonderful surprise on this day in 2021 - ...........................................................
Angel Radio’s Station Manager has received The Award for Outstanding or Exceptional Service to Community Radio 2021.
Founder / Manager of Angel Radio, Tony 'Scatterbrain' Smith, is one of six people recognised for their contribution to Community Radio.
Martin Steers, Awards Chair, said: “We want to say thank you to those who may not usually be recognised. These people have been instrumental to community radio's success, but not always in the limelight,”
Also receiving the award is Soo Williams MBE who formerly worked for the Radio Authority and issued Angel Radio with its first experimental radio licence in February 2002, and then worked for Ofcom and issued Angel Radio with its first full-time radio licence in 2006.
04/10/2025
A delightful day at the Community Media Association at the BBC in Salford Quays. Meeting old friends, making new friends, and sitting on a panel offering ideas on fundraising to people from a wide variety of radio stations.
(Photo courtesy of Jo)
01/10/2025
Reduced Power
We have had an email from the transmitter engineers at Arqiva that they've now confirmed maintenance work on the Crystal Palace DAB transmitter which accounts for 15.7% of the Surrey multiplex's coverage and will affect Angel Radio.
Angel Radio will be on reduced power between 12:05 am on 6th October 2025 and 5:00 am on 17th October 2025.
29/09/2025
Monday morning 29th September:
Good morning chums, we are gradually getting back to normal after illness and holidays have changed our regular schedules somewhat over the past couple of weeks.
This week we have just a few changes to our usual schedule.
Monday - Joe continues to cover Bob Hind's evening show.
Wednesday - Sharon and Sandy are back. Joe is sitting in for Brian while he's away.
Thursday - Mark will sit in for me on the Breakfast Bustle as myself and Jo are heading for the Community Media Association conference. Candis will once again sit in for Lesley while she's on holiday.
Saturday - Mark will be presenting Remember the 50s.
Many thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers who go the extra mile to keep you entertained.
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Angel Radio was the brainchild of electrician, art & design technician and former pirate radio operator, Tony Smith. This unique station, Angel Radio, was launched in 1999 to bring music and memories into the homes of older people at a time when most other radio stations were concentrating on much younger listeners. It was also Tony Smith’s ambition to provide an opportunity for older people to participate in the running of the station, including the creation and presenting of programmes. Tony himself is 65 and visually impaired as a result of several strokes. He has demonstrated that despite some of the effects of ageing, it is still possible to learn new skills and enjoy being part of a friendly community, whether in person or through the airwaves.
Angel Radio began as a temporary broadcaster in Portsmouth with a licence of just a few days. It was designed as a 24-hour a day ‘memory box’ with presenters playing music from the 1920s to the early 1960s and providing friendly, informal, memory-jogging chit-chat. The first broadcast proved so popular that several further short-term licences enabled the station to become more established. Its unique nature gained national publicity, including a dedicated leader column in The Times newspaper, a five-minute news feature on BBC Radio 4, and Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust awarding Angel Radio ‘Most Effective Public Information Project 2001’.
At that time, temporary 28-day licences were the only way a small community group could broadcast. The radio waves were primarily under the ownership of the BBC or large commercial stations. However, in 2002 the Radio Authority (now part of Ofcom) invited Angel to run on a full-time licence, as an experiment to test the feasibility and viability of a small group of volunteers running their own community radio service. After Angel, and several other ‘Access’ stations had run, non-stop, for four years, the experiment was judged successful, with one of Ofcom’s leading figures, Kevin Carey, stating “Angel Radio is fabulously offbeat but it has the potential to be a national brand”. The all-round social benefits for Angel’s team of volunteers and regular listeners to the station had proved substantial. Responses from both clearly indicated a rise in self-esteem and a positive effect on reducing both the sense of, and the reality of social isolation. Local charities spotlighted by the station had shown an increase in those taking advantage of their services, listeners and local organisations were contributing to a regular weekly calendar of local events and activities, and the station was providing information and advice on a variety of listener concerns such as scams and cold-callers. In 2006 Ofcom announced that they would be issuing the first full-time community radio licences. There are currently around 240 community radio stations serving small communities of interest around the UK. Having been on air continuously since February 2002, Angel Radio is the longest running community licensee and is still unique in both the music it plays and its aim to offer mental and physical stimulation to older people, provided by older people, in a relaxed, informal atmosphere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Whilst Angel’s uniqueness continued to attract national TV and radio news and documentaries, until 2010 it was still only broadcasting to an area of about 15 miles on FM. There was plenty of feedback from potential listeners living outside the broadcast area, who had read or heard about the station. So, in 2010, Angel Radio began broadcasting on a regional digital (DAB) network covering West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Initially, this cost many thousands of £££s per year, but the huge rise in listener numbers and their donations offset a major amount of the expense. Although Angel continues to seek financial support from a variety of sources, the largest part of Angel’s funding has always been listener donations. In 2014 Angel Radio attempted to take over Portsmouth’s commercial broadcaster, The Breeze, which would have enabled Angel Radio’s FM signal to be considerably stronger, raising its potential FM audience by tens of thousands. Although the bid failed, Ofcom advertised another community licencence for the Portsmouth & Havant area, which Angel applied for using the mass of positive information originally collected for the bid for The Breeze. Ofcom were impressed by the quality of Angel Radio’s proposals and they granted the station the new FM broadcast licence which provided the extended FM coverage that the Breeze takeover would have provided. FM is often still the radio of choice for older people. Angel Radio is currently seeking Ofcom’s permission for a further expansion of its coverage to include the city of Chichester. In 2015 the increased income from listener donations, and income from Angel Radio’s experimental Small Scale DAB transmissions, enabled further expansion of Angel’s DAB coverage too. For those with digital radios, Angel Radio currently broadcasts to London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Norwich, Brighton, Aldershot, Cambridge and Woking, in addition to West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This expansion is due to the groundbreaking work of Angel Radio’s Digital Development Manager, Ash Elford.
Angel Radio also broadcasts on the internet to a world-wide audience. Notable countries where Angel has a developing audience include Germany, France, USA, Israel, and many others. Several magazine articles and TV documentaries shown in Germany have resulted in Angel Radio’s founder assisting a group of listeners there to create their own version of Angel. A documentary about Angel has been produced by South Korean TV to show older people what they can achieve after retirement.
Angel Radio’s team of 70+ volunteers are mostly aged over 60, many in their 70s and 80s. Our oldest volunteer, now sadly passed away, was still presenting 3 shows a week at age 94. But Angel is also keen to encourage inter-generational listening and understanding. At one point our youngest regular phone caller was aged 4 (listening with grandparents) and our oldest was 104 … a 100-year age gap. We regularly provide secondary school students with work experience placements. They learn about the importance of the station for the elderly, particularly those who may live on their own or be housebound, as well as hands-on experience of producing and presenting on radio. A number remain with us and have continued to volunteer for many years.
Angel Radio’s unique record library holds over 160,000 records dating from 1900 to the early 1960s, which are available to listeners through daily request shows. To ensure no listener should be put off contacting the station because of worries over high telephone charges, a free-phone number is provided. Request shows are on air for at least two and a half hours a day, often more. Listeners can call in, request a piece of music and hear it played on their radio within minutes. Some programmes carry a theme, which encourages listeners to think of songs on that topic, or guess the theme of the show. Other programmes provide mental stimulation through quizzes, word games and memory-jogging conversation. There are frequently guests who visit the station and volunteer their time to chat about a particular subject of interest to listeners, or one that will jog memories from the past. Physical stimulation is provided by daily coffee-time exercise programmes, as well as encouraging listeners to get out and about by publicising events of interest. Highly visible Angel Radio lapel brooches can be worn so that listeners can identify one another.
Despite its name, Angel is not a religious station. Starting with ‘A’ puts the station at the top of many alphabetical lists. The name ‘Angel’ was chosen to signify ‘heavenly music and devilish fun’. Although it not a religious station, it does provide an old-fashioned Sunday morning church service for those listeners who can no longer get to the church of their choice. As far as possible, Angel tries to provide what is asked for by its audience. When a number of listeners asked for more 1960s records it was found that some of the later pop songs did not always sit comfortably alongside the big bands and crooners of the 30s, 40s and 50s. So, several 60s-only programmes were introduced on Angel, and a sister station, ‘Swinging Radio 60s’, was launched playing only music from that decade so that listeners could choose the station that best suits their taste.
Over the past twenty years on air Angel Radio has received many awards for its unique work, including: Best Radio Station Serving Listeners in the South of England, 2014. The judges of this prestigious award from the Radio Academy described Angel Radio as; “A station with its own unique place and purpose, Angel Radio celebrates the past in a warm and inclusive way and is clearly adored within its target demographic. With a charming mix of fun, nostalgia and practical support for its listeners, the station serves a very powerful purpose in bringing together a community and giving them a place to belong.”
Angel Radio’s other awards include:
· Community Action Award, 2000
· Most Effective Public Information Project, 2001
· Daily Mail Unsung Hero, 2002 (station’s founder)
