By Jules C. Hyndman

The Second World War must have played an important part in the history and progress of Radio and Broadcasting in Barbados. At the same time many developing countries were moving in the same direction.

Some people who owned private broadcast systems either handed over their equipment to their Governments or in some way complied with war time regulations.

Who were these people ?

Called Radio Amateurs, they Broadcast around the world, talking to each other in a way , like a club. Amateurs exist even today.

In addition to this there were world wide transmissions with great power and able to reach around the world. The British Broadcasting Corporation from England, Stations from Australia and North America also reached out to most countries in the world.

Only some listeners were privileged because it required special receivers.

Because of the existence these Shortwave Receivers in the hands of people who could afford them, a man had the foresight in the early thirties to complete a correspondents course in the theories of radio and radio waves. He was probably the first person known on the island to have the ability to repair these receivers when needed.

This Vacuum and need for more local Broadcasting was realized by a Company which was established. In Barbados it was known as Rediffusion. A system with studios in Bridgetown. Cables extended from street pole to street pole and into most villages and finally into homes. Familiar boxes were installed. It was not wireless and it was not free.

To fill the demands of the People of Barbados and the needs for a Wireless Broadcasting System, The Government and the Minister of Education elected to pursue a local Radio Station for the people. Its mandate clearly would have been to Inform, Educate, and Entertain the people of Barbados and maybe the Eastern Caribbean.

A Consortium was established and an opening date for “Radio Barbados” was set for September 1963.

With this target date set, Equipment landed at the Bridgetown Harbor and overseas contractors started construction at the chosen site known as “The Lazaretto”

Two 300 foot towers were erected, and equipment was installed and tested.

The first official Broadcast of Radio Barbados was in September 1963. A wonderful and fascinating gift to the people to have a local, powerful wireless station on the Island.

Meanwhile, the Government did not hesitate to establish a Corporation , “The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation”…CBC.

The way CBC was structured dictated that it would be Government owned for the people but would have been self supporting. Therefore the Sales Department was put in place to extract revenues from commercial businesses in Barbados and where possible around the world in the form of Commercial advertising. Employees of the CBC were not entitled to any benefits like Medical, Insurance , or Pension benefits which other Government workers had always enjoyed. After about fifteen years, CBC considered a benefits package for employees. It was not to be retro active.

All supporting departments were set up, ones like a library, a sales department, and a program department. Engineering was in place from the start assisting the contractors during the construction period.

Although Radio Barbados initially operated through limited periods during the day, it was truely appreciated. Broadcast hours were extended as the Library expanded.

Television in Barbados

The public was surprised by the announcement of the Minister of Education that the CBC would have a Television station within the first year of Broadcasting radio.

May be this was all part of the original plan. There was no delay in deciding on a site for the TV Tower and Antenna. Television Equipment was landed and again Engineers and construction personel appeared.

Surely a survey must have been done in advance. The site chosen for the TV tower and transmitter was called Sturges, a high area in the center of the Island.

A tower some 500 feet tall was erected and the antenna, another 100 feet of steel was mounted on the tower.

Meanwhile, the same Lazaretto site was to be used as television studios.

Construction moved ahead rapidly. The planners should have foreseen a broken link between the Programming Department at the Lazaretto and the transmitter site at Sturges. The evening News persons and supporting staff and material, and large reels of film, were shuttled between the two places on a daily basis. A microwave relay link would have been the way to do it and should have been included in package.

It was not known at that time how many TV receivers were on the Island but those fortunate owners certainly enjoyed it.

As promised, CBC Television became a reality one year after Radio Barbados.

With Radio Broadcasting at the Lazaretto, Television shared at Sturges and a Sales office in Bridgetown, there was a need to consolidate.

A site was chosen for the construction of a new building. An area called the Pine, St. Michael. The Sales department remained in the downtown commercial area for many years.

Having consolidated the Programming Department, the Studios, the Engineering Department and other supporting functions in the new building, Radio links were setup to Broadcast from a central point, “The Pine”, to Sturges and The Lazaretto.

The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation has now embarked on many other projects.

The Corporation is still controlled by the Government of Barbados with connections to broadcasting such as The Government Information Service (GIS).

Radio Amateurs continue to function especially in extreme emergencies when major Broadcasting is shut down. Amateurs provide continuing communications locally and with other parts of the world through the use of their privately owned equipment.

Another entity of Broadcasting was the CBU, The Caribbean Broadcasting Union,which was established in 1970.

The CBU was intended to link Caribbean Islands in obtaining Radio and TV program packages and to assist in the exchange of Caribbean originated material. A kind of bargaining agent for all members. CBU has now expanded and include many Member Countries other than Caribbean Islands.

Jules Hyndman

Thursday, 18 February, 2016