Malaysia
- 1786 - 1795 British claim Penang and Malacca falls to Britain
- 1909 Unfederated Malay States in the Malay Peninsula organized, joining the Federated Malay States and Straits Settlements as components of Malaya
- 1926 Malayan Wireless Committee submits recommendations for permanent government radio service.
- 1930 Reports of reception of shortwave frequencies from the BBC in London but peak listening hours in South East Asia did not synch .
- 1932 Empire Service transmissions to South and South East Asia began
- 1935 Authorization of the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation (BMBC) granted.
- 1937 BMBC's first transmission
- 1940 Government-owned Malayan Broadcasting Corporation takes over assets of BMBC.
- 1953 The BBC establishes a relay station in Tebrau.
- 31 August 1957 Official Declaration of Independence from the British
In January 1930, an editiorial from the Straits Times expressed views of what might have been widely held among British expatriates of the day. At that point, the BBC was broadcasting on short wave for distant listeners from 1927 on an experimental basis from Chelmsford, but the poor reception of BBC broadcasts through relays was frustrating for those eager to use the medium.
The B.B.C. is an institution of which we may well be proud. It gives by far the best wireless service to the world. Our only quarrel with it at the present time is that it has done little or nothing for those of us who live in Malaya. (A Threat to the BBC,1930).
Complaints persisted through various articles and letters to the editor in newspapers published in British Malaya from 1930 onwards. In an article titled "Radio in Malaya" in the Malaya Tribune, the writer invites readers to listen to the King's Speech, noting that the BBC will broadcast it. However, the writer adds, "it will probably be very difficult to hear it in Malaya, for Chelmsford has been little more than a faint whistle for many days" (Malaya Tribune, 17 January 1930, Page 8). The article suggests there is a possibility that one or more Dutch stations might relay the program, in which case "Malayan listeners might hear the King quite well."
The article also sarcastically critiques a review of the shortwave station in Chelmsford, where a Mr. Chattan assures his English readers that reception from the station compares favorably with other stations and that "reports from the Far East are equally favourable." The writer counters with, "where do these people get their information from? Batches of letters have gone to the BBC complaining about the disgracefully poor service of 5SW" (Malaya Tribune, 17 January 1930, Page 8).
When the BBC finally launched its Empire Service in 1932 using dedicated short-wave technology transmitting from Daventry, the response was enthusiastic. It was considered a turning point for radio in British Malaya. By mid-June 1933, Malayan listeners could tune into Empire programmes for seven and-a-half hours each day.
The programming included news bulletins, music (both live and from gramophone recordings), religious services, talks, and sports reports and the ubiquitous tolling of the BIg Ben. Additionally, a reliable radio schedule titled “Empire Radio To Night” was published in the daily press, marking a significant improvement over the earlier days when the Malaya Tribune relied on its readers to submit reception reports and schedules of “likely transmissions.”
A letter from a listener on a Malayan estate recalls their experience of the first Christmas broadcast, describing how "as we sat down to dinner that night, Big Ben boomed through the house – and to an exile, that experience alone is far from being unmoving" (World Radio, 1933 c).
Other listeners in Malaya, describing themselves as "five quite typical English people, rather less, than more, emotional than most." wrote in to express the significance of the King's inaugural speech:
"Nothing we could say would adequately express what it meant to us .. to hear the King speak, as if he were actually standing beside us here in our tropic garden.. We have little to hold on to these days .. and we lose the sense of belonging anywhere .. in the space of a few minutes all that is altered - faith in the King and a sense of belonging to him, loyalty and pride of race, as well as a feeling of unity, restored what we were losing." (World Radio 1933c E4/6)
The relay of radio signals from Daventry to parts of what is now Malaysia, continued through the 30's to the early 40's.
World War II
The outbreak of World War II in Europe and the impending threat of Japanese aggression in Asia introduced new challenges. The British Ministry of Information established the Far Eastern Bureau in Singapore to combat enemy propaganda in Asia. The proximity of Singapore
In 1947, the Straits Times announced Britain's plans to increase the "range, volume and variety of radio broadcasts to the people of South East Asia" by building in Malaya 5 or 6 transmitters of equivalent power to the BBC's shortwave overseas transmitters in South Johore. The article also says that most of the British broadcast material to be transmitted from Malaya will be pre-recorded or relayed from London. The total cost to Britain to broadcast from Malaya would be from 15 to 20 Million dollars.(The Straits Times, 9 September 1947, Page 7)
A BBC relay station, was built in Tebrau and was constructed on a huge rolling estate of several hundred acres in the year 1953. The original transmitters were six in number; four new units at 7.5 kW and two 100 kW units transferred from the old BFBS base at Jurong on Singapore island.
In the early 50's, broadcasting activities in Malaya were operated from its temporary studio in Jalan Young (now know as Jalan Cenderasari) in Kuala Lumpur and later in 1956, were moved to the Federal House, Kuala Lumpur. It was here that broadcasting in Malaysia grew with the establishment of several stations throughout the country including Sabah and Sarawak. Commercial advertisements were first aired on radio in 1960. This became a new source of revenue for the Government. An interesting point to note is that 'deejays' began to use the introduction "INILAH RADIO MALAYSIA" (This is Radio Malaysia) to greet listeners.
Broadcasting further carved another milestone when Television services were introduced on 28 December 1963 from its studio, Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Ampang. Broadcast operations then moved office to Angkasapuri Complex which began its telecast on 6th October 1969, Radio and Television were merged under the Ministry of Information. The growth of the first channel, Rangkaian Satu encouraged the second channel to be established on 17th November 1969.
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787 items
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Music (Instrumental) |Topic: Culture |Audio
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Music (Instrumental) |Topic: Culture |Audio
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Negara Ku unfolds as a musical ode to Malaysian heritage, marked by unestablished instrumentation, presumably harmonium, violin, and percussion. Executed by unidentified performers, this piece provides an auditory lens into the nuanced expressions embedded within Malaysian national music. More »Music |Topic: Culture |Audio
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In a news bulletin from March 26, 1949, the complete edition of LP 2200 Hrs News covers a range of events including the results of the Grand National and Boat Race, the Liberal Party Assembly, a speech by Princess Elizabeth, and foreign news. The bulletin highlights a customs treaty between France and Italy, a protest to Czechoslovakia against the expulsion of a British Military Permit Officer, and worsening relations between the Soviet Union and Iran. Additionally, the bulletin includes sports news such as the FA Cup semi-finals and the Rugby Union international between France and Wales. Princess Elizabeth also calls on wartime colleagues to serve again as territorials. The weather forecast for southern England is also included, with the warmest day of the year reaching 67 degrees in London. More »Spoken voice |Topic: Politics |Audio
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Ngô Đình Nhu; 7 October 1910 – 2 November 1963; baptismal name Jacob) was a Vietnamese archivist and politician.[1] He was the younger brother and chief political advisor of South Vietnam's first president, Ngô Đình Diệm. Although he held no formal executive position, he wielded immense unofficial power, exercising personal command of both the ARVN Special Forces (a paramilitary unit which served as the Ngô family's de facto private army) and the Cần Lao political apparatus (also known as the Personalist Labor Party) which served as the regime's de facto secret police. More »Person
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The BBC National Programme has re-recorded the extract "Nine Days Wonder" onto a Betamax cassette stereo from its original issue no. BBC Archive LP330. The recording features speakers Bobbie Comber, Anona Wynn, Lupino Lane, and Cyril Smith, as well as Sydney Baynes and his Band. The original recording took place at Radiolympia and includes a mix of male and female speakers. More »Spoken voice |Topic: Culture |Audio
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Sir Noel Ashbridge KBE (10 December 1889 – 4 June 1975) was an English engineer who played a key role in the early technical development of the British Broadcasting Corporation. More »Person
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Correspondence on field strength measurements. Informs V.H. Winston that they will continue their work without them. More »Message
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Response to V.H. Winston's letter regarding soil samples thaking him for his efforts. More »Message
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Sender writes receiver, attaching documents containing Mr. Winston's suggestions on broadcasting in Malaya. Done preceding a meeting which the reciever and Macgregor(named in letter) have with Mr. Winston. Letter has two policies signed by two different people initals LWH and GMM More »Message
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Sender recounts a conversation with a Mr. Butcher where they discussed the Postmaster General's (a Mr. savage) intention to set up a meeting between them. More »Message
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Refers to a conversation between the sender and Mr. Butcher in which they attempt to meet with the P.M.G. of Malaya More »Message
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Sender requests field measurements from a V.H Winston. This is done to an estimate of 'Service areas' More »Message
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Norman Collins writes to JML Grover on possible locations and planning for new shortwave and mediumwave transmitters. He also states, on programming language, that temporarily they should cater their entertainment programming to domestic armed forces, therefore in English. More »Message
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Norodom Sihanouk (; 31 October 1922 – 15 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in various capacities throughout his long career, most often as both King and Prime Minister of Cambodia. In Cambodia, he is known as Samdech Euv (meaning "King Father"). During his lifetime, Cambodia was under various regimes, from French colonial rule (until 1953), a Japanese puppet state (1945), an independent kingdom (1953–1970), a military republic (1970–1975), the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), a Vietnamese-backed communist regime (1979–1989), a transitional communist regime (1989–1993) to eventually another kingdom (since 1993). Sihanouk was the only child of Prince Norodom Suramarit and Princess Sisowath Kossamak, daughter of King Sisowath Monivong. When his grandfather Monivong died in 1941, Sihanouk became king amidst French colonial rule. After the Japanese occupation of Cambodia during World War II, he secured Cambodian independence from France in 1953. He abdicated in 1955 and was succeeded by his father, Suramarit, so as to directly participate in politics. Sihanouk's political organization Sangkum won the general elections that year, and he became prime minister of Cambodia. He governed the country under one-party rule and suppressed political dissent. After his father died in 1960, Sihanouk assumed a new position as Chief of State of Cambodia. Officially neutral in foreign relations, Sihanouk was closer to the communist bloc in practice. The 1970 Cambodian coup d'état ousted him, and he fled to China and North Korea, forming a government-in-exile and a resistance movement there. He encouraged Cambodians to fight the new government and backed the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War. He returned as figurehead head of state after the Khmer Rouge's victory in 1975. His relations with the new government soured, and in 1976 he resigned. He was placed under house arrest until Vietnamese forces overthrew the Khmer Rouge in 1979. Sihanouk went into exile again and in 1981 formed FUNCINPEC, a resistance party. The following year, he became president of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK), a broad coalition of anti-Vietnamese resistance factions which retained Cambodia's seat at the United Nations, making him Cambodia's internationally recognized head of state. In the late 1980s, informal talks were carried out to end hostilities between the Vietnam-supported People's Republic of Kampuchea and the CGDK. In 1990, the Supreme National Council of Cambodia was formed as a transitional body to oversee Cambodia's sovereign matters, with Sihanouk as its president. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords were signed, and the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was established the following year. The UNTAC organized the general elections in 1993, and a coalition government, jointly led by his son Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen, was subsequently formed. Sihanouk was reinstated as Cambodia's king. He abdicated again in 2004, and the Royal Council of the Throne chose his son Sihamoni as his successor. Sihanouk died in Beijing in 2012. Between 1941 and 2006, Sihanouk produced and directed 50 films, some of which he acted in. The films, later described as being of low quality, often featured nationalistic elements, as did a number of the songs he wrote. Some of his songs were about his wife Monique, the nations neighboring Cambodia, and the communist leaders who supported him in his exile. In the 1980s, Sihanouk held concerts for diplomats in New York City. He also participated in concerts at his palace during his second reign. Sihanouk is remembered for his role in shaping modern Cambodia, particularly in leading the country to independence, although his reputation was damaged by his association with the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. (Wikipedia) More »Person
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In the archive, there is a tape reel labeled "On Korea and the Korean War, 1950-1953" and an Electronic World recording on a 17 cm reel. The tape reel likely contains recorded material related to the Korean War, while the Electronic World recording is stored on a smaller medium. This suggests that the archive contains historical audiovisual material related to Korea and electronic technology from the specified time periods. More »Spoken voice |Topic: Military Conflict |Audio
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G.H Tonkin suggested the opening and closing script and stated that he is of the opinion that the Malay audience do not like hearing a womans voice, and that the script should be read by the news-reader. More »Message
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The telegram states that the broadcast 1130 GMT slot started 45" late, and that Mr. Smith could not be found, resulting in the broadcasting of the entire bulleting out of time and without policy approval. More »Message
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Letter from unknown sender requesting an 1 K.W transmitter in order to complete field strength tests. More »Message
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In a recording from September 30, 1960, ornithologist, biologist, sociologist, explorer, journalist, author, and filmmaker Tom Harrisson discusses his role as the founder and Chairman of Mass-Observation. The interviewer and producer, Stewart Wavell, takes a minimal role in the recording. The script and asset ID for the recording are also provided. Harrisson is described as someone "living among strange people and listening to them talking about themselves; collecting strange objects." The recording is part of the People Today series. See also LP26304 for more information about Mass-Observation. More »Spoken voice |Topic: Culture |Audio
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Peter Albany writes to BBC London that they can accommodate recording of the Radio Malaya contribution over circuit More »Message
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Peter Albany writes to Terence Cooper that a replacement speaker has been secured, LCA Mohammed Suffia Bin Hashim. He also notes the topics he will be covering, and that the tape will arrive at the BBC London offices on the 11th of September 1958 More »Message
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Peter Albany informs Terence Cooper that the Malaysian judge previously tapped to participate in the program has dropped out do to work pressure. He goes on to suggest potential replacements and suggests that the broadcast be delayed as well. More »Message
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Peter Albany writes to Terence Cooper that Suffia's responses have been recorded and sent to Cooper via flight EM533, with expected arrival in London on September 21, 1958 More »Message
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Peter Albany notes via telegram that their recording has been dispatched via air (flight number BA793) More »Message
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Peter Albany proposes a potential speaker for the London Calling Asia joint broadcast with Radio Malaya; a Chief Justice from Ipoh named Justice Syed Sheh bin Syed Hassan Barakbah. He also inquires into a speaker fee for the contributors as well as potential coverage for expenses. More »Message
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Lionel Peter Twiss OBE, DSC & Bar (23 July 1921 – 31 August 2011) was a British test pilot who held the World Air Speed Record in 1956. (Wikipedia) More »Person
